I have a Kenmore 110.26902691 Model (Series 90) washer. Direct Drive Whirlpool made. It is making a grinding sound in conjunction with the agitation cycle.

In diagnosing it, the tranny/gearbox was shot (was agitating in spin)- and so I purchased a new gearbox and have installed it. My wife now tells me that for a week or two before it failed, the "old" installation with the old tranny was making a pretty harsh grinding noise in conjunciton with the agitation cycle.

Now with the new tranny, the spin and agitatation cycles now again both function, and the washer is washing "fine" (so I suppose the gearbox was indeed shot), but now when the washer agitates, there is a grinding noise (a deep/low grinding sound), that if one put there ear to the machine the grinding actually sounds like a low pitch rattle.

I'd like to eliminate that. Spin cycle is fine, no unwanted sounds. Drain sounds like the normal not-exactly-quite Whirlpool pump. Pump sounds OK. Motor - tranny coupler is fine (and had been replaced a few years ago), so it is fine and not really worn either. New tranny came with 1/2 of a new coupler as well.

Clutch looked OK to me, but I don't really know what to look for. Brakes had a very slight drag if propelled by the brake/clutch cam engager, but that wouldn't be the issue during agitation, which is the only time I hear this unwanted/unexpected grinding.

It doesn't seem that for agitation there is even a bearing involved? Is there a particular method of lubrication that needs to occur on the agitator shaft, or between the shaft and the spin tube?

Any expertise welcome. I'm moderately mechanical, but I can't figure this one out- I just haven't seen enough broken washers (and don't want to), but I have the money into this repair (and way too much time now- should have just bought a new one. I figured, how hard can it be.)

Any repair guys out there with a guess on the sound. Agitate cycle only, sort of a grinding noise in concert with the agitation moments. Agitation works fine (this is a two part agitator, bottom goes back and forth, top is an auger with dogs), both have seem to be working properly. But the noise is wrong.

Could this be the brand new gearbox? I hope not- but you never know. Given that the same sound existed on the old gearbox's last days, I tend to think it is not the gearbox, but can't figure it out.

Guesses?

Thanks,
MesaGuy

I didn't include in my original post that I had also replaced the agitator dogs with new ones. (Bought from this site). Could still be the issue, but they are brand new dogs. The old dogs were totally torn up (as a result of the agitation in the spin cycle from the old blown gearbox. That was the first thing I replaced. Hoped for the inexpensive repair- but it didn't pan out that way).

Well, I pulled the agitator again, and cleaned off the substantial rough crust of calcium deposits between the agitator and the basket. (Seems there are some sort of slider pads near the throat of the basket neck. It does not seem to have a part number at this site or at Sears parts site. So perhaps it is part of the basket? or perhaps part of an internal ring on the basket?). One of these pads is pretty worn, but looks to still be serviceable now that the calcium is cleared off. It was like sand-paper it was so bad, I had to use a file to pull it off- CLR and Lime-away were not up to it until after filing.

I pulled the motor and hand tested the tranny counter-clockwise as you suggested. The tranny is a little rough when it switches directions in agitation. But not very rough, but it is not perfectly smooth either.

I finally rigged up a lid bypass and took a listen with the cabinet off. The noise is either the tranny, or possibly the motor bearing nearest the tranny. Its not the pump, or the motor bearing nearer the pump.

The Motor bearings appear to perhaps need lubrication. What type of grease should be used on a washer motor bearing? I know one is not supposed to mix grease base types, so I am wondering what the proper type of grease is for a Whirlpool (Kenmore) motor bearing?

I got some 10 weight non-detergent oil. But I wasn't really able to get 10 weight or 20 weight non-detergent oil to really drop into the bearing (somewhat to my surprise) on the bearing in question. It dropped into the not-an-issue bearing just fine (the other side of the motor with the pump).

I was also finally able to get the basket off and cleaned it up, but nothing was really wrong there.

I do have a question about the basket and the outside of the spin tube. When I pulled the basket (which was very difficult to get off, I had to beat it with rubber mallet and use lime-away, wedge it with a screw-driver, etc., etc. before I finally got it loose and pulled it up off the spin tube.

So the question is- there as a soft (and yet very hard), almost leather like consistency of a build-up on the spin tube. It cleaned off quite well with lime-away, so it seemed it was probably lime deposits, but it wasn't really hard-enough for that. So I am wondering if it was some glue/adhesive or other stuffing that was mean to keep the bearing sealed. Was I supposed to really clean that off? If not, what is it, and anyone have any idea what part number of lubricant or whatever it was.

It was between the spin tube and the basket, basically coating the outside of the tube assembly and the inside of the basket throat.

I'm going to reassemble the machine again (since it works, though noisy), so we can get some more laundry done. But wondering about the crud I cleaned off. It seemed to be at least 1/2 calcium deposit, but I'm wondering about the other half. Perhaps some sort of grease?

Your spin tube and tranny spindle seals may have leaked some oil, but not bad enough to cause problems.