Sears Kenmore Washing Machine Repair

My Sears Kenmore top loading washing machine has required several major repairs since we bought it new in 1998. Right inside the lid is a toll free telephone number to call if the machine needs service. This sounds very convenient, but there are several problems.

One problem is the cost to get a technician to come to your house, the hourly labor charge, and the cost of parts, which is significantly more than you can buy them for online.

The other problem, even if you wanted to pay outrageous labor and inflated parts, is it could involve waiting two weeks for a service appointment, and who wants to go to a laundromat for two weeks?

The washing machine shown in these pictures is a Sears Kenmore 90 Series. The model number is 110.26912691.

Click on any of the images for a larger view.

The classic Sears Kenmore top loading washer on the right, with matching Kenmore front loading dryer on left. It has had its share of problems too, but that deserves its own web page. The most common problem with the washer is it fills and drains and sounds like its washing, but the agitator does not agitate, and the tub does not spin. When you open the washer at the end of the cycle, your clothes are soaking wet. The usual cause is a broken direct drive motor coupling. Black rubber dust under the machine is a sure sign that the motor coupling is the culprit. According to a Sears technician, the motor coupling is designed to fail to protect the motor or the transmission from catastrophic damage in the event that either one fails. Instead, the $7 coupling breaks, preventing more expensive damage to your precious washing machine.
Before you do anything else, unplug the machine.

As is so often the case, figuring out how to take the appliance apart is half the battle. There are two pieces of plastic trim, one on each side of the control panel. With your fingers, press down on the top to disengage the clip (don't use a tool or you may break it). Tilt the trim back towards you. This exposes a Phillips head screw (one on each side) which holds the control panel to the cabinet. Remove the trim and put it someplace safe where you won't step on it or lose it.

Left side trim removed. Both pieces of trim removed. Time to remove the screws.

The screws have been removed and the control panel has been tilted back. Next the sheet metal cabinet is tilted forward, exposing the tub, and below the tub, the pump. The motor is behind the pump. Remove the cabinet and set it down in a safe place out of the way. After the cabinet is removed we can detach the pump (white, left, foreground) from the motor, center. The pump is held to the motor by two metal thumb clips. Remove the clips and pull the pump away from the motor. You do not have to remove the hoses.

Unplug the motor. Remove the two screws securing the mounting clamps to the motor. Remove the screws, release the clamps, and then remove the motor from the transmission. Here the motor has been removed and now we can see the broken motor coupling. This is the part you need. I order several of these at a time so that I always have one on hand. You never know when the part will fail, but it will never be at a good time.

The new part consists of two hard plastic gears, one of which goes on the motor shaft and the other on the transmission, with a thick black rubber washer between them. This is an older picture. The newer parts have a metal sleeve inside the plastic pieces that mount on the motor and transmission shafts. I'm not sure how that will help since usually it is the prongs that break off. Here is a picture of the old and new motor couplings. Can you tell which is which? Hint: The teeth have been broken off of the old part. You can clearly see how the rubber has been stretched and distended.

Here I have installed the new motor coupling on the transmission (center) and the motor (right) and am about to fit the black rubber part of the coupling on to the transmission.
Mounting the motor is a little tricky because you have to get the holes to line up. It's not difficult but it may take a couple of attempts. Be careful and don't force it. The last thing you want to do is break your new part. Did I mention that I always order more than one of these at a time? That's why.

Once the motor is on, the rest is easy. Follow my instructions in reverse. Reattach the pump, put the cabinet back on taking care to slide the lip on the front of the cabinet under the base, and then tilt it back into position while you make sure to line up the metal tabs on the sides of the base of the washer with the slots on the cabinet.
You are back in business and ready to wash!
TIP: The primary causes of premature motor coupling failure are overuse of the heavy duty cycle and overstuffing the machine.

Fill your machine only to the top of the agitator blades and DO NOT pack your clothes down! Your clothes won't get clean, and you risk breaking the motor coupling. If you have too many clothes for one load, do a second load.

Heavy duty cycle is really hard on your clothes and also puts unnecessary stress on the machine. Use it only when necessary, not all the time.

Follow these simple rules and your motor coupling will last for years!

I am happy to provide this information for free, so please do not feel obligated, but it does cost me money to maintain this website. If I've helped save you time, money, and a little aggravation and you'd like to say thanks with a small donation, I really do appreciate it.

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The classic Sears Kenmore top loading washer on the right, with matching Kenmore front loading dryer on left. It has had its share of problems too, but that deserves its own web page. The most common problem with the washer is it fills and drains and sounds like its washing, but the agitator does not agitate, and the tub does not spin. When you open the washer at the end of the cycle, your clothes are soaking wet. The usual cause is a broken direct drive motor coupling.	Black rubber dust under the machine is a sure sign that the motor coupling is the culprit. According to a Sears technician, the motor coupling is designed to fail to protect the motor or the transmission from catastrophic damage in the event that either one fails. Instead, the $7 coupling breaks, preventing more expensive damage to your precious washing machine. Before you do anything else, unplug the machine.

As is so often the case, figuring out how to take the appliance apart is half the battle. There are two pieces of plastic trim, one on each side of the control panel. With your fingers, press down on the top to disengage the clip (don't use a tool or you may break it).	Tilt the trim back towards you. This exposes a Phillips head screw (one on each side) which holds the control panel to the cabinet. Remove the trim and put it someplace safe where you won't step on it or lose it.

Left side trim removed.	Both pieces of trim removed. Time to remove the screws.

The screws have been removed and the control panel has been tilted back. Next the sheet metal cabinet is tilted forward, exposing the tub, and below the tub, the pump. The motor is behind the pump. Remove the cabinet and set it down in a safe place out of the way.	After the cabinet is removed we can detach the pump (white, left, foreground) from the motor, center. The pump is held to the motor by two metal thumb clips. Remove the clips and pull the pump away from the motor. You do not have to remove the hoses.

Unplug the motor. Remove the two screws securing the mounting clamps to the motor. Remove the screws, release the clamps, and then remove the motor from the transmission. Here the motor has been removed and now we can see the broken motor coupling.	This is the part you need. I order several of these at a time so that I always have one on hand. You never know when the part will fail, but it will never be at a good time.

The new part consists of two hard plastic gears, one of which goes on the motor shaft and the other on the transmission, with a thick black rubber washer between them. This is an older picture. The newer parts have a metal sleeve inside the plastic pieces that mount on the motor and transmission shafts. I'm not sure how that will help since usually it is the prongs that break off.	Here is a picture of the old and new motor couplings. Can you tell which is which? Hint: The teeth have been broken off of the old part. You can clearly see how the rubber has been stretched and distended.

Here I have installed the new motor coupling on the transmission (center) and the motor (right) and am about to fit the black rubber part of the coupling on to the transmission. Mounting the motor is a little tricky because you have to get the holes to line up. It's not difficult but it may take a couple of attempts. Be careful and don't force it. The last thing you want to do is break your new part. Did I mention that I always order more than one of these at a time? That's why. Once the motor is on, the rest is easy. Follow my instructions in reverse. Reattach the pump, put the cabinet back on taking care to slide the lip on the front of the cabinet under the base, and then tilt it back into position while you make sure to line up the metal tabs on the sides of the base of the washer with the slots on the cabinet.	You are back in business and ready to wash! TIP: The primary causes of premature motor coupling failure are overuse of the heavy duty cycle and overstuffing the machine. Fill your machine only to the top of the agitator blades and DO NOT pack your clothes down! Your clothes won't get clean, and you risk breaking the motor coupling. If you have too many clothes for one load, do a second load. Heavy duty cycle is really hard on your clothes and also puts unnecessary stress on the machine. Use it only when necessary, not all the time. Follow these simple rules and your motor coupling will last for years!