my whirlpool LSQ9549LWO has the bottom half of the agitator working, but the top half does not. a load of towels generated a lot of rattling noise, then a load of t-shirts went in and no top agitator movement.
research tells me i need to install an agitator repair kit (AP3094543). i’m a capable mechanic and have plenty of hand tools. is this something i should attempt or leave to a professional ($250 labor, minimum, in the LA area)?
thanks to any and all -
fred
Here’s a drawing showing the breakdown of the agitator and its parts. The most common failure here is worn dogs (part #10).
Should I get just the dogs or the whole agitator repair kit. if the extra $3 gets new seals, etc., it would be worth my while, I would think.
It can’t hurt to get the whole kit. It just adds service life to your machine.
I ordered the agitator repair kit yesterday and have it in hand today (GOOD FOR YOU FOLK!). I’ve followed the directions online about pulling the dispenser from on top of the agitator mover; removed the long screw (hex head) holding the mover and bottom agitator to the shaft; then removed the rubber seal.
I am having a problem separating the top from the bottom so I can remove the old cam assembly. I tried a pair of pliers on the old assembly with moderate force, no movement. I tried pulling the top from the bottom, no movement. It feels like something is holding the top and bottom together just above where they meet.
Any recommendations / advice / help offered will be greatly appreciated.
TY!
Fred
On my washer, two of the four “legs” that come up thru the agitator cam kit were “melted” over. That made it almost impossible to get the cam assembly out, making the upper (agitator mover) and lower (agitator) unable to separate. I had to attack the “melted over” plastic with a hammer and a LONG chisel. Took 15 minutes of hard pounding to break up and get off the cam assembly (agitator repair kit). Once this cam assembly came out, the upper and lower agitators separated with no effort. The new cam assembly slid in, the rubber seal and long bolt (stud) went back in, replaced the bearing seal, then the softener dispenser and tried it all out. Works great. I read a post that too much softener or detergent can build up and make these all stuck. That’s BS! I never use softener and always use ONLY a liquid detergent. Any build-up would be gone with the next load and we always do at least two loads a week (one small and one big). This was a factory mess up. If you’re reading this and have the same issue, please post a replay so others will know that the solution is not technical, just difficult.
[COLOR=red]AND THANKS TO MAGICIAN59 FOR THE ASSIST, INITIALLY.[/COLOR]
frubes01
Glad you were able to get it. You probably saved yourself about $100 in service call fees!