The washer started making a loud ratcheting noise during agitation and spin. We suspected the drive coupling and, sure enough, it had cracked and split. So we got a replacement from a Sears parts store and put it in. Note that the replacement doesn't look exactly like the original - the pins and holes are a different shape - but it appeared to fit OK and it DOES look like the replacement part shown for this model on several websites. We also replaced the fill valve while we had the washer apart, since it had gotten to where it filled very slowly. The washer seems to work - fills like it did when it was new, agitates, drains, spins. But during the spin cycle we noticed an increasing "hot plastic" smell that changed over to a sharp "burning plastic" smell...so we killed power and took it back apart. Nothing is obviously damaged or more worn than before. Any idea what we likely did wrong?

Thank you so much for your response! We looked things over, put it back together, and ran it. The smell hasn't returned. I don't know whether it was electrical, as you suggested (there was nothing obvious, but it could have been - nothing else was obvious either) or whether we just didn't have the coupler seated quite right or something.

In any case, we're quite happy. This has been a good washer - 17 years and still going strong - and we're happy it's working again.

Thanks!