[Nick]

Hi! I have a Whirlpool direct-drive, SAWS800HQ (costco). The Age field says 1 year...my mistake...it's actually about 7 or 8 years old.

I replaced the brake+drive tube assembly (bought part here...great site!)
The drive tube spins fine during testing while assembling.

But when I set the tub on it and tighten the spanner nut, the tub no longer spins. It looks like what's happening is that as I tighten the spanner, the drive block gets pressed down against the top of the support tube, causing the basket to bind up.

Question: when I press the drive block down on the drive tube, is it supposed to wind up flush with the top of the Drive Tube...so that only those two little square ears protrude above the drive block? OR, is the drive block supposed to be pressed all the way down the tube till it rests on the top of the Support tube? (note: If I press it all the way down, I wind up with about 1/2 " or so of drive tube sticking up above the top of the drive block.)

If I keep the drive block flush with the top of the drive tube, then things work fine...but I'm not able to tighten the spanner nut tight enough to keep the drive block from slowly sliding down the tube until it hits the top of the support tube, and binds things up again (I don't have a spanner wrench, I'm using a pipe wrench and cinching it up with a hammer and punch)

Am I missing a part, some kind of bearing or something that sits between the top of the Support tube and the bottom of the Drive block? (So that the block doesn't bind up against the top of the support tube.)

Should I be able to tighten that drive block enough to prevent it from working its way down the drive tube till it rubs against the top of the support tube? (I have a feeling this is the case...and that I may need to get a spanner wrench. I'm also wondering if I need a new drive block.)

ANY help would be greatly appreciated...I've been fighting this for a week...the clothes are piling up! ;-)

Thanks folks.

--Nick