Every household appliance can malfunction, and an automatic machine is no exception. There are breakdowns that only a service center or specialist can handle, but there are those that the owner of this household appliance can try to fix.
The latter includes replacing the bearing on an Indesit washing machine. Of course, to take on this, you need to have certain skills in handling and restoring various mechanisms.
Anyone who has never picked up a screwdriver should not take it up.
If you feel confident enough in repairing home appliances yourself, then you can handle replacing the bearing.
To decide whether you will undertake to change the bearing yourself or whether it is better to invite a specialist, check out this article, which will give you a general idea of the process.
Causes of wear
Before we talk about how to change bearings in an Indesit washing machine, let’s go over the basics:
- What is a bearing used for in a washing machine?
- Why does it break?
The wisl 103 indesit washing machine, like any other, has two bearings that ensure the rotation of the drum.
When the machine begins to make excessive noise or the rotation of the drum slows down, one of the reasons may be the poor condition of the bearings, and it is time to think about replacing it before a more serious bearing failure occurs.
These bearings are different in size. One, the largest, is located in close proximity to the drum. The second, smaller one, is on the other side of the shaft. They provide a connection between the drum and the pulley, making rotation uniform.
Normally, an indesit bearing should serve without problems for at least five years, gradually wearing out. If it fails earlier, then we are no longer talking about natural wear, but about bearing failure.
Troubleshooting
Most often, malfunctions in Indesit washing machines (models wisl 102, wisl 105, wiun 81) and other models can be divided into two types:
- Household. Such malfunctions often arise due to the fault of the user himself. These include the excess weight of loaded laundry, various mechanical damage from foreign objects getting into the tank, and any blockages. In general, failure to follow the washing machine user manual;
- Technical. These damages occur during long-term operation of equipment due to natural wear and tear of parts and mechanisms. Damage data is displayed on the display in the form of an error code. In case of such malfunctions, replacement of damaged parts is required.
Dismantling and installing any technical device is always a labor-intensive task, which is sometimes not always possible to solve with your own hands, without resorting to the services of household appliance repair specialists. Therefore, in order to determine the cause of a breakdown, you first need to apply the method of so-called blind diagnosis, i.e. assessing the condition of the machine without disassembling it.
The essence of this method:
- We start the spin mode at the maximum available speed. A faulty bearing will immediately reveal itself by increased noise or knocking;
- Then, to ensure that the drum bearing is damaged, we disconnect the machine from the power supply, drain the water, take out the laundry and try to rotate the drum by hand in different directions. The presence of a knocking or grinding noise during this action proves that the drum bearing needs to be replaced with a serviceable one;
- The presence of moisture under the bottom of the machine during operation may also indicate a faulty seal or bearing.
Disassembling the washing machine
How to replace a bearing in an Indesit washing machine should first be studied using the video and instructions for your Indesit model in order to have a good idea of its structure.
Before you begin the process of replacing the indesit bearing, you need to thoroughly prepare the washing machine for this:
- Unplug it from the outlet;
- Turn off the water, disconnect the machine from the sewer;
- Separate the hoses for draining and supplying water from the machine;
- Remove any remaining liquid that is always present in the pump filter. To do this, unscrew it from the bottom of the case and drain the remaining moisture from it;
- Move the indesit away from the wall and prepare yourself a comfortable workspace where you will not be cramped and there will be space where you can lay out the removed parts of the machine.
To replace the bearing, you will have to disassemble the entire washing machine yourself, from the body to the drum. Moreover, first disassemble it, and then, after replacing the bearing, reassemble it. Therefore, you need to be very careful and careful not to damage the equipment or create new problems for yourself.
Common replacement mistakes
Before you start replacing the bearing in an Indesit washing machine, let us draw your attention to the mistakes that non-experts make.
These violations when disassembling an Indesit washing machine can either simply slow down and complicate the process, or lead to new breakdowns, which will be much more difficult and expensive to fix:
- Do not use brute force when removing the pulley from the drum axle. They do this by rocking it from side to side, while gently pulling;
- Excessive force may cause the bolt heads to break off. Fixing this breakdown is possible, but quite troublesome;
- Haste and carelessness with the tank cap can damage the temperature sensor and break its wire. Then you will have to replace it too;
- Breakage of the moving unit;
- Do not forget to replace the gasket of the moving unit so that you do not have to repair it again;
- Also, so that you don’t have to disassemble everything again, before assembling the front and rear parts, carefully check all the wiring, especially at the connection points, sensor connections, etc.;
- How to change the bearings on a washing machine of other models, you can watch the video and make sure that there will be no fundamental differences for different Indesit models.
Removing the top cover
Getting started with replacing the bearing for an Indesit washing machine always starts the same way with removing the top cover. We unscrew the 2 screws holding it from the back and carefully push the top cover of the washing machine forward.
Remove the top cover of the washing machine from the body, set it aside and move to the back. Here you have to unscrew all the fastening bolts, after which we remove the back panel and also set it aside.
We do the same with the front panel of the Indesit washing machine, but here disassembly will take more time:
- We take out the compartment for detergents by pressing the clip in the center;
- Behind the compartment there are 2 self-tapping screws that hold the control panel in place.
- We unscrew them and another one located on the other side. Then use a flat screwdriver to press out the panel latches;
- We don’t do anything with the wiring, we just put the control panel on top of the case;
- Let's start disassembling the hatch: moving away the sealing rubber, remove the clamp, unscrew the 2 screws on the hatch, and separate the wires. We will put the cuff in the tank;
- Unscrew the door along with the glass and remove it;
- Only now can we unscrew and remove the panel. Now, as you understand, we have opened access to the main internal mechanisms of the machine, which we will also have to work with before we can change the bearing.
Bearing replacement: procedure
To get to the bearings, you need to disassemble the washing machine body and remove almost all the parts.
Dismantling parts
In order to remove the top cover of the washing machine, you need to unscrew the two bolts securing it from the back. The panel is moved back a little and raised up. In some models of Indesit washing machines, the front part of the lid is secured with plastic latches. You can remove the part from such latches if you give a few light blows to the cover in a direction away from you.
To dismantle the dashboard , you need to remove the detergent compartment by pressing the latch in the center. In the resulting niche, unscrew several bolts securing the dashboard. It is removed from the latches and, having disconnected the wires, put it aside.
Repair of the unit begins with dismantling the top cover and dashboard
Removing the back panel is easy - you just need to unscrew the six bolts from the back wall and move it to the side. The belt connecting the pulley to the engine may interfere with further manipulations, so it should be carefully removed.
After dismantling the rear panel, remove the belt from the pulley
At the top of the washing machine there are: a counterweight, a pipe connecting the powder compartment to the tank, a water intake valve and its contacts, as well as a pressure switch, its tube and contacts. All these parts should be removed.
The location of the parts and the connection diagram of the contacts can be photographed so that after the repair you can quickly and correctly reassemble the washing machine in the reverse order.
Before removing the front panel , you need to remove the hatch door and rubber seal from it. Dismantling begins with the cuff - it is bent with a screwdriver and carefully removed. The door is removed by unscrewing several bolts that hold the hinge.
If you unscrew the bolts holding the hinge, you can easily remove the hatch door
In order to remove the front panel, just unscrew the bolts that secure it.
At the bottom of the installation, you need to dismantle the electric motor, heating element, counterweight, drain pipe and shock absorbers. You need to remove the power supply and ground wire from the engine, and then unscrew the bolts securing it. Also disconnect the heating element wiring.
To remove the engine, you need to unscrew the bolts holding it
To get to the shock absorbers and drain pipe, you need to lay the washing machine on its side. Using pliers, remove the clamp and disconnect the drain pipe from the pump. Then unscrew the shock absorbers.
Shock absorbers are disconnected at the bottom of the washing machine
After dismantling all the parts, all that remains is to remove the tank. The collapsible part will consist of two parts, bolted together around the circumference. You can see the one-piece tank in the photo below.
In the photo you see a non-separable washing machine tank in which the drum is located
The washing machine drum rotates using a shaft that passes through its back wall through a bearing, then exits through the tub and is connected to a pulley from the outside. To get to the bearing, the pulley must be disconnected . It is better to use a T40 hexagonal star wrench and loosen the bolt, gradually loosening it. If the part does not give in, spray it with WD-40.
In order to unscrew the bolt securing the pulley, you need to use a T40 hexagonal star wrench.
To get to the drum and the bearings located in it, you need to disassemble the tank . In the collapsible part, simply unscrew the bolts, and the solid tank needs to be cut as shown in the photo below.
First of all, using a drill, holes are made around the perimeter of the weld at a distance of approximately 5 cm from each other. When assembling the tank, these holes will be needed for fixing with bolts.
Then comes the most important thing - using a hacksaw for metal, the tank is carefully sawed along the seam. It is better to do this as carefully as possible so as not to spoil the part.
Then unscrew the bolts attaching the drum to the tank, unfasten the latches and remove the tank wall. Now you can begin replacing the bearings in the drum.
Replacing bearings
How to change a bearing? First you need to remove the old oil seal from the socket, then knock out the metal washers. Start with a larger outer bearing. The drum is laid with the hatch opening down, the chisel is placed on the outer rim of the metal ring and hit with a hammer. The inner bearing is removed in the same way.
When replacing bearings, it is important not to damage the drum housing, so be careful that the bit does not come off while knocking out the bearing.
The freed sockets are cleaned of dirt and rust, treated with WD-40 and lubricant. New parts are driven into place, hitting only the outer edge. The bearings must fit into the sockets all the way.
The bearing is driven into the seat using a hammer and chisel
The oil seal is placed on the inside of the tank, having been pre-treated with lubricant.
The oil seal is treated with lubricant before installation.
Now you need to assemble all the parts of the washing machine in reverse order.
We will be glad if our article helps you successfully replace the bearing on your Indesit washing machine. Proceed carefully, follow the operating instructions for the equipment and do not overestimate your capabilities! Good luck!
Removing the pulley and motor
Before solving the problem with the wear of the seals, we need to remove the pulley and remove the motor of the Indesit washing machine. As you can see from any diagram or photo, to do this you will first need to remove the drive belt. To do this, rotate the pulley and pull the belt towards you.
Now we fix the pulley by inserting any strong pin into the wheel. Unscrew the pulley by unscrewing the bolt holding it. Rocking it slightly, remove the pulley from the shaft. We disconnect the heating element and the washing machine motor from the wires.
It is not necessary to remove the heating element, but take a moment and look at its condition to see if there is a little scale on it.
Unscrew the mounting bolts and remove the engine, rocking it slightly. Now it is possible and necessary to separate the pipe. They do this through the bottom, for which we place the machine on its side, loosen its clamp with pliers and separate the indesite from the tank of the washing machine.
Prevention of breakdowns
The operation of any household appliance, including a washing machine, must be carried out strictly in compliance with the rules of use. Remember that careful handling of equipment can extend its trouble-free service life. To replace damaged parts less often, you need to follow some tips:
- Clothes with metal parts should be washed in a special bag. Washing small parts should be done in the same way;
- After finishing washing, be sure to disconnect the washing machine from the electrical network to protect the unit from a power surge;
- It is better to install the machine in a room with less humidity;
- Try not to overload the washing machine tank to avoid damage during the spin cycle;
- If there is poor quality water in the system, install a water purification filter;
- When washing, use only high-quality washing powder.
Removing the Drum
The next step in replacing the bearings on the drum of an Indesit washing machine is to remove the drum. First, we have to remove the tank by carefully pulling it up.
Most models have a solid indesit tank and will have to halve it using a grinder in order to work with the drum of the washing machine.
But before dividing the tank and deciding how to remove the drum on a washing machine, you need to take care of the upcoming reassembly of the Indesit machine. Therefore, before cutting the tank, holes are made on it for the bolts, and only after that they start sawing.
To disconnect the drum from the tank, remove part of the tank and knock the drum out of the bushing. Let's see what the drum looks like and whether there is any damage on it.
It is worth checking the gasket under the moving unit in order to replace it if necessary.
Now we have to remove the seal that protects the bearing. We do this with a screwdriver, prying it off. Some people advise taking this moving part and the remains of the drum to a car service center, where they can press out the bearings, because they have the necessary equipment. But if you do not have such an opportunity, then you will have to think about various devices that can replace it.
Why do you need to change the bearing?
As a part that is constantly subjected to severe loads, a bearing has a limited service life - usually from 6 to 10 years. The oil seal is the first to fail - the rubber is deformed, it begins to leak water from the tank onto the bearing, the lubricant is washed out, and the unit can no longer ensure smooth rotation of the shaft. If the part is not replaced in time, the shaft, drum and tub of the washing machine may be destroyed.
An additional factor affecting bearing wear is overloading the washing machine drum. If you regularly wash too much laundry, the unit may fail after just a few years of use. You should not discount possible factory defects in the part or errors in its installation.
Thus, if you hear knocking and grinding noises when the washing machine is operating, which intensifies during the spin cycle, get ready to replace the bearing. A sign of a problem will also be a noticeable play of the drum relative to the tank.
How to choose a new part
In order to change the bearing of an Indesit washing machine, it is important to purchase exactly the same new parts. If you don’t know what bearings are in your Indesit washing machine model, then go shopping after you get the old ones.
They are usually marked, allowing you to accurately select a replacement. If after work the inscription on one of them is erased, then you can find out what the bearing is worth by looking at the second one, since their markings are consistent.
If the large bearing is numbered 203, the smaller one will be marked 202.
You need to immediately purchase both oil seals and bearings for Indesit washing machines, so that you don’t have to go through this procedure again later, disassembling the drum during the next breakdown. Find out how much parts for an Indesit washing machine cost by looking at online stores.
Preparation for repair
It is necessary to prepare for replacing the bearing on a washing machine. It is necessary to buy bearings and seals for the Indesit machine from original production in advance
It is important to purchase the original, as this guarantees that they will fit the specific model of washing machine
Why shouldn’t you limit yourself solely to purchasing bearings? The purchase of oil seals is due to the fact that their replacement is necessary when repairing bearings, which often break directly due to broken oil seals. The failure of one part inevitably entails the failure of others.
Also, repairing a washing machine is impossible without a standard set of tools, which is probably available in every home.
You will need:
- Phillips screwdrivers with long and short shafts;
- small hammer;
- block of wood;
- set of sockets and open-end wrenches;
- hex wrench;
- WD-40 preparation;
- chisel;
- pliers.
In addition to the tools, it is recommended to carefully prepare the workplace, which should allow freedom of movement and the ability to neatly stack all removed machine parts
It is important not to lose or confuse anything during the repair process, which is why all wires, fasteners and contacts must be in order.
