[Kabayo]

My washer started acting up a while ago. I noticed that the clothes were sometimes wetter than they should be after the final spin. Once in a while, the cycles would all finish, and the clothes would be left sitting in water. A repeat wash would then end ok though.

A few days ago, the machine refused to spin at all. I took off the front and observed what it was doing.

When the drain/spin cycle starts, the water all drains out, but the spin does not begin. After a little while, the agitator belt begins to squeal and smoke.

If I try to turn the tub or the transmission by hand, I can do so with great effort, but the motor can not keep it turning.

If I pull the motor back by hand, to tighten the belt, the motor stalls out.

I was thinking maybe the brake is not releasing, but I don't know how to test it, to see if i have a bad brake package, or if perhaps the timer is not sending power to release the brake.

Am I on the right track, or is the problem something else altogether?

BTW, I have already replaced the belts and the tension springs under the motor.

Thanks

[Kabayo]

After reading some other threads here, I decided to look in the tub and see if anything was stuck between the tub and the basket. I took off the top off the machine, and then the plastic top off the tub, and I used a flashlight to look between the tub and basket, all the way around. I could see nothing in there, only the bottom of the tub, and a few soap bubbles.

Oh, and the basket is just as difficult to turn in either direction, clockwise or counter clockwise.

Thanks

[Kabayo]

OK, so I figured out how the brake unit operates, and it is very simple and requires no power, so it's not the timer at the source of my troubles.

I decided to remove the brake unit, to see if perhaps a broken spring inside was preventing it from releasing.

After removal, the basket seems to turn slightly more easily, but it still seems to be dragging.

I finally broke down and called the dealer where I bought the machine. After a few minutes describing my symptoms, and my efforts so far, the guy on the phone told me it was a bad tub bearing lost likely at fault. I got an exploded view from Maytag's site, and it looks like a plain sleeve type bearing or bushing, and the guy told be they go bad and get stiff or lock up pretty quickly if they get and water in them.

So, my next step is to tear the machine down to get to the bearing in question.

I may or may not need a special spanner wrench to get a nut off which holds the basket in place. I will find out...