The last few times I've done laundry (top load machine, Maytag Proforma) the spin cycle has been noisy. It's a constant noise that seems to be tied to the rotation speed. It kind of reminds me of what I think it would sound like if you could isolate just the sound of the tire against the road while driving a car if that makes any sense. My guess is that it's a bearing.
Today, when I did a load, I didn't notice the noise but when I opened the lid, the clothes weren't spun to the side like normal although there was no water left. I restarted the spin cycle and popped the lid after a few seconds. No spinning. Double checked by tripping the lid switch while I left the lid open and it ran but the spin part didn't happen.
I started manhandling it out of the cubbyhole and it must have done something because I was able to get it to spin again and this time the noise was back. I finished spinning out the load and started unhooking everything. I got the machine out and put it on its front and started it to see if I could isolate the source of the sound. Couldn't get a definite fix but it sounded like it was probably inside the washer somewhere. I disconnected the belt and started it again and there was no noise, so that rules out the motor portion. Manually turning the pump pulley didn't seem like it made any noise. Turning the main washer pulley counterclockwise gets me some noise but again I can't solidly isolate it.
I had originally thought it might be the thrust bearing so I took it apart but It looks ok. The rollers are really tiny and I can't tell if they are turning but I can push them up and down without any problem. I want to rotate the drum while I have it apart to see if it still makes the noise but I can't figure out how to get the brake to disengage so the drum rotates. Scratch that, I realized all I have to do is put everything back together but leave the thrust bear out. Still getting the noise so the easy/inexpensive fix is not the problem.
Next up, it looks like I need to disassemble the machine so I can get at the transmission and tub bearing. Any suggestions on how best to proceed? The big thing is figuring out how to isolate and check until I find the problem.
