Replacing the washing machine pulley

Some breakdowns on automatic washing machines may require a pulley replacement. A pulley for a washing machine is a specific part that does not break very often, but if it breaks, it can create a problem. The fact is that a pulley breakdown can not always be diagnosed immediately, especially if you do not know the specifics. In the framework of the article, we will try to talk about the problem in more detail so that in the future it arises as little as possible.

What is the part, where is it located?

In amateur language, the pulley of the washing machine is a rather large round wheel, which is located behind the drum of the washer. A belt is put on this wheel, which transfers the engine speed to the pulley, which makes it rotate itself and rotates the drum with dirty laundry. The mechanism is quite simple, primitive, but at the same time quite reliable and efficient, so far, of course, will not break.

Getting to the pulley is pretty easy. You must turn off the washing machine, pull it out of the niche in which it stands and deploy. To find the pulley, you will either need to open the technical hatch, which is often located on the back of the machines for repairing the belt and replacing the pulley, or if there is no hatch, remove the back wall. In any case, unscrew a few screws, and you are at the target, remove the back wall or hatch, and the pulley will be in front of your eyes.

Engine turns are transmitted to the pulley through the belt, which means the belt is the main weak point of the mechanism. So many masters think, and they are right, but there is one thing. Frequent tearing and slipping of the belt can result from a faulty pulley and notice this fault, sometimes only an experienced eye can.

Note! In very rare cases, the belt flies and breaks due to the engine, and not because of the pulley.

How to detect a breakdown?

A sure sign that the pulley for the washing machine needs to be replaced is frequent belt problems. If the belt flies several times, then it stretches out and becomes unusable, but you changed it and the problem remains, then the trouble is not with the belt, but with the pulley.

Cheap washing machines made in Russia and China made from fake parts often have a similar problem. A slightly bent pulley is installed on the washer directly at the factory, and then, soon, it starts to “soar the brain” to the owner. Sometimes pulleys are made so “clumsy" that in their working grooves you can notice sharp metal burrs and edges, thanks to which the belt is frayed for 5-6 washes.

Important! When removing the old belt from the electric motor and the pulley of the washing machine, carefully inspect it. Any abrasions tears and cracks should alert you.

If there are frequent problems with the belt, or the drum rotates too slowly during washing and spinning, check the condition of the pulley. To do this, the pulley does not have to be removed. Do the following:

• remove the back of the washing machine;
• remove the belt, for this, grab the belt with your left hand, and twist the pulley with your right, the belt will come off;
• grab the pulley with both hands and swing it from side to side;
• gently slide along the working surface of the pulley with your finger and check it for sharp edges and burrs;
• inspect the pulley for deformations.

If defects are found: bent and sharp edges and other pulleys must be replaced. Do not leave everything as it is, otherwise the belt will have to be changed every two months, or even more often.

Replacement

To replace a part, you must first carefully remove the old drum pulley. It can be quite difficult to do this, since it is not just dressed on the drum shaft, but also fixed with a bolt, which in turn is not just screwed in, but mounted on a sealant. But first things first.

1. We disconnect the washing machine from the mains, water supply and sewage.
2. We take it out to an empty seat to make it convenient to work.If there is a barn or workshop, it is better to drag it there.
3. We take a Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the screws that hold the back wall or service hatch.
4. We remove the back wall.
5. Next, remove the drive belt from the engine and pulley.
6. Inspect the pulley, make sure that there is damage.
7. We take a small wooden block and clamp it with a pulley and a cross. This is necessary so that the shaft with the pulley does not rotate and does not interfere with unscrewing the bolt.
   
   
8. Now we take a blowtorch and slightly heat the bolt, but we do not red-hot. While the bolt has not cooled, we spray on it with WD-40 grease or similar.
9. We wait a little while the grease comes into contact with the remnants of the sealant, then a key is pounced and the bolt is loosened.

The bolt may not give in the first time, do not despair, take a hammer and gently tap the key. Over time, this way you can break the bolt, just do not need to knock too hard so as not to damage the edges.

All that remains is to remove the drum pulley and continue repairs. In the next step, we need to check the engine pulley. Very often, when problems arise with the drive belt, the reason lies in the engine pulley. Removing it is even harder than a drum pulley. May also need change engine brushes. How to remove the engine pulley?

• First, we unscrew and remove the engine of the washing machine, not forgetting to disconnect the wires from it.
• We take a special puller for pulleys and bearings.
• We clamp the pulley of the washing machine motor, creating maximum tension. It will not work to immediately remove the pulley from the shaft, so do not break the puller; it costs money.
• We take a gas burner and carefully heat the pulley, while try not to heat the puller and the shaft itself.
• As the pulley heats up, increase the tension; it should come off. If the gas burner does not provide sufficient temperature, take a blowtorch, but handle it with extreme care.

With the dismantling of the drum pulley and engine pulley is over, now we need to put new pulleys. Putting the drum pulley is not difficult. You just need to put a new part on the drum shaft, grease the bolt with sealant and tighten it with a key. You will have to tinker a bit with the engine pulley.

• We take a blowtorch and light it.
• We wait until the lamp is properly warmed up and begins to give a maximum flame temperature. To accelerate the heating of the lamp nozzle, you can direct the flame of a gas burner on it.
• We clamp the new engine pulley with pliers and heat it with a blowtorch.
• We put the heated pulley on the motor shaft, and then quickly, until it has cooled, we press it in with a hammer and a metal rod.

Keep in mind that you need to strike lightly so as not to break the engine. Usually for pressing "hot" does not require much effort. Once the pulley cools down, it will fit securely onto the shaft. That's all, it remains only to put the engine in place, then put on the drive belt and put the back wall. You can test the car!