I suppose I can clean the hell out of it and put it back together, that way at least it doesn't gross me out.

That way I'll know how the in's and out's.

If there's anything you wanna add as far as the approach goes please let me know.

I ordered a spanner for 12 dollars on amazon and it will be here soon-ish. I can't wait to scrub the hell out of this thing.

Any recommended cleaners for scrubbing? And also, why do people say powder only?

Greg, you will have great self satisfaction when your done with this project and a new respect for the appliances. Afterwards you may say Never Again or you may search machines out just to fix them. I took my old Roper (Whirlpool) apart last year and cleaned it..it was discusting( was my mothers) but I had fun doing it LOL. Good Luck and have fun.

What's the status on the project?

dadoes thanks for inquiring, I have been so off-the-walls busy with work that I haven't gotten a chance to get my hands dirty.

The spanner wrench came in the mail and I have been doing my washes at my auntie and uncles house for the time being.

It's look like this week I'll be able to down and dirty and actually do this!

I have shared this story with others and one responded with "Don't you need a professional to remove mold?", "Can this be a situation where you actually need a new washer/dryer?"

I have never gotten the impression anywhere that an appliance can grow mold to the point where the entire piece of machinery needs to be replaced because it's "too far gone" or that the mold is not "removable".

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll include photos of the breakdown and re-assembly as I go.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

• I have never gotten the impression anywhere that an appliance can grow
  mold to the point where the entire piece of machinery needs to be
  replaced because it's "too far gone" or that the mold is not
  "removable".

Some types of soft-rubber/vinyl parts, such as the door boot on a frontloader, can get badly stained and need replacement (from an aesthetics point-of-view) (the part, not the entire machine). There shouldn't be anything on your Kenmore toploader that isn't cleanable. I suppose the tub outlet hose (to the pump). the drain hose (out of the pump), and the pump itself may be moldy if the situation is bad enough but you probably can remove and clean/soak them with a chlorine bleach solution if there's an odor from them that calls for it.

I've began to take this thing apart but I'm getting a bit discouraged.

I have removed the faceplate and clips. the rear of the washer is now nearly completely detached and the entire appliance feels like it's going to fall apart in pieces.

the wiring harness is pictured here and im not quite sure where to unplug.

edit: got it off

how do you go about taking this "basket" out?

im stuck at the "agitator" i think. I removed the fabric softener dispenser thing (which I'd like to clean as well) and im having trouble figuring out how to remove this "collar" piece which I think will eventually lead to my using the spanner wrench.

Provide a picture of the agitator, or any point you need clarification of further disassembly. Don't "force" anything apart in case of going about it the wrong way. I once had communication with a fellow who didn't know the outer cabinet comes off. He was familiar with the older design and was trying to pry up the top deck (which raised up on the older design but not on the direct-drive style) and thought that maybe the screws that hold it down were supposed to be sacrificial during disassembly ... I didn't get further replies from him so don't know if I headed him off from destroying his machine or not!

For reference: The wiring harness plug disconnects here, there's a socket beneath the top that remains in place. The ground screw may also need removal.

I'm assuming this is what I needed the spanner wrench for.

I would like to take this piece apart so that I can get into the plastic tub and scrub

Something is wonky with this thread. I posted a reply without error but it apparently got lost in transit ... so trying again.

OK. The square piece in
the center (arrow) is a bolt. Requires use of the square end of a
1/2"-drive socket wrench to remove it. I use a breaker bar socket
wrench but a regular wrench with long enough extension will also work. A
very large flat screwdriver blade may also work to fit crossways in the
square nut.

The auger and agitator base are separate parts.
The slotted piece inside (circle) is a cam and there are four little
swinging dog-ears that engage into the ratchets to turn the auger when
the base oscillates one direction but not the other. It'll all come
apart when the auger is pulled off ... which is not a exactly a problem
if you're prepared for it (and you may even need to replace the dog-ears
if they're worn and no longer function properly). You can place your
hand inside the auger and hold the cam down while you lift the auger off
to prevent the pieces from scattering.
After the auger is
off, the hold-down bolt atop the agitator base can be removed. The base
then lifts off. The spanner nut that anchors the basket is then
revealed.

im going to try and get this piece off. I feel that once I can get the basket out I can clean the inside of the plastic container (which is NARSTY)

I do not have this long of a socket but will find something to make this happen

got it out, it has a green spring attached

1/2" square drive to fit into the auger bolt is the important part for a socket wrench ... required length to reach the target.

Spring involved, it's a Triple-Action agitator ... the spiral may move upward on a very heavy/large load, the spring exerts downward force to help promote the load to roll over. Has some effect but probably is more of a marketing effort.

Suggest you don't try to remove the balance ring from atop the basket. They can be tricky to anchor securely. Fluid sloshing in the ring is normal, for ballast, don't try to pierce and drain it.

Okay now I'm a little confused. The place where the spanner wrench goes is visible, but when I turn the wrench the whole basket rotates. I also hear water at the bottom swoosh around (which I'm assuming is a sign that there's a clog of some sort).

dadoes I appreciate your direction. I've been snooping all over to figure out how to remove this basket. I feel like I'm getting closer. Old roommate came by and she was "one of the ones that could not smell" the moldy musty stench that came from this appliance. I'm gagging just taking it apart.

wow i got it off. its gnarly in there.. also there's water in the basket...

I feel like this thing is past the point of no return. there's rust, there's water in the plastic bin and there's water in the basket (which is not outside) and I'm trying to figure out how to drain it.

take a look at this you tube link to get the spanner nut off. there are a lot of how to fix your washing machine on you tube. hope this helps you.

I'm completely grossed out it's shameful that people could neglect their possessions in such a way that it gets to this point.

Thank you bobbi1023 I think I'm going to buy a new washer and dryer.

At this point I'm really disturbed, I cannot believe how horribly nasty this has gotten.

The porcelain basket is rusted underneath, there is water logged up in the "collar" part of it as well. The plastic bin that the basket sits in must have a clog of some sort (pictured above) and is completely brown and filthy it also smells horrific. I'm appalled. Livid that I wasted all of this time to find out how repulsively tainted this piece of equipment is, and I've done my share of giving things a second life. This is beyond dirty. Sorry for ranting but I'm seriously upset about this.

Calm down a little. :-) There may not yet be a reason to trash the machine. It can be cleaned up. I've handled worse.

As I assume you figured out, the spanner wrench isn't turned by hand, it's whacked with a mallet to loosen the nut, and also whacked to tighten it. The clip and plastic gizmo come off the agitator drive shaft first.

It's normal for *some* water to remain in the pump and tub outlet hose ... but generally not enough to pool in the tub. Is the machine perhaps somewhat off-level when sitting at it's normal location?

The water you hear in the basket is inside the balance ring at the top. It's supposed to be there for a gyroscopic/balance effect during spin, the ring is factory-sealed with the fluid in place, this is NOT dirty/gnasty water that got in the ring during use. As I said above, DO NOT try to puncture the balance ring to drain the fluid.

The rusting on bottom of the basket may be surface grit, rust and grime. Try cleaning it with Limeaway or CLR ... it may turn out nicer than you believe possible. As an alternative, a replacement basket can be bought if it really is bad enough to justify that, instead of buying a new washer.

Can you post a pic of the underside of the basket? Some machines have a plastic comb lint filter thing attached. Those unfortunately tend to collect and hold lint that doesn't fully flush off, which can lead to some rusting under the filter. The filter can be removed and left off.

Dadoes do you turn the spanner nut counter clockwise??

Dadoes you sure have a way of giving me a comfort level.

Although I'm quite disturbed with the looks of things I now have some hope. I'm not gonna lie though, as soon as that spanner nut came loose and I saw what was going on underneath the basket I quickly went to Craigslist to see what I could find!

Back to the optimistic, Mr. Clean version of Greg:

The fact that there is supposed to be fluid in the ceramic basket takes one weight off my chest. Although there's still mucky filth in the plastic container I'm hopeful that we can salvage and get it out.

Is there a special drain o type of fluid to pass through the drain? Should I detach the hose? What's the preferred method of draining this tub and also, can we keep it from accumulating in any other method that just leaving the lid open between wash cycles?

The inner portion of the ceramic basket is orange rusty and worries me greatly that it will affect whatever is washed next.

Thank you all so much.

Greg I know how you feel. A year and a half ago I noticed a Roper ( Whirlpool made) was throwing slimey lint all over the clothes so I decided to take the machine apart and clean OMG what I found was horrid, I thought for sure this machine was destined for the scrap yard, but I scraped and scrubbed until every last trace of muck and mold was gone, put her back together and she worked better than ever. Very rewarding. Thing is I have a very keen sense of smell and I never smelled mold.

There's so many people out there that don't think mold grows in a top loader...it sure does. Good Luck...you can do it.

I see from the pics that you have the machine indoors. Do you live
in a condo, apt, or some such? Or a house? I should have suggested
up-front that it be moved outdoors before disassembly. You could still do that if you wish. Replace the outer cabinet, it's much easier to move that way.

Anyway .... you can disconnect the hose from the tub outlet if you wish, but you'll have to find some way to deal with the water flow (indoors). Alternatively, you can fashion a jumper wire for the lid switch plug so the machine can be run with the cabinet off. Set it to spin to drain the water. Otherwise you'll have to dip-and-sponge the water out.

Nothing special regards to cleaning the tub. Rubber gloves (if needed, LOL), a brush (not too aggressive), and any suitable cleaning product to cut the muck.

Avoid pouring cleaner or water over the drive shaft seals on the centerpost. Brush them gently with a toothbrush and wipe moisture away promptly. The agitator drive is the splined shaft in the middle. The outer shaft (spin tube) drives the basket for spin, via the drive block which has threads for the spanner nut). The main tub seal around the bottom is more robust but don't get overly aggressive and damage it.

Keep in mind that the machine has been in this condition for a while ... you've been using it and no one (far as we know) has died as a result. :-)

You are the best. I will continue my cleaning journey tomorrow and make this thing sparkle as much as possible.

Just curious if there's anything I definitely SHOULD NOT be using to clean the basket/container?

More documenting to come.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Don't leave strong cleaners such as Limeaway and CLR in contact with the porcelain for long periods (hours or overnight) or damage (pitting, roughness) can occur.

There are multiple online parts sources (including eBay but none are currently listed) if you decide to replace the basket.
It's original part number 8526016 subs now to W10389328.
Best price I find is $167 (porcelain is $$$).

Update:

i scrubbed all of the rust away that I could. The plastic bin is pretty damn clean at this point and the porcelain basket is shiny but the inside of the center is a liiiiiittle rusty and I'm hoping it's not a big deal. Anything that I was unable to remove with LCR and degreaser I'm assuming isn't coming off in a laundry load.

I must confess though..

It was really a mess.

I spent 3 hours scrubbing the buhjesus out of this thing. It actually resembles a clean and maintained appliance now.

I'm checkpointing and stopping for the day. I have all of tomorrow and sunday to continue my washroom journey which includes dismantling and cleaning the dryer.

I'm very happy that you guys have been so active in this thread. It really makes me happy.

Please give me any advice you have putting this thing back together. I am very good at skipping steps in haste.

The basket turned out acceptable? Apparently it doesn't have the comb filter attached to the underside, which is a good thing. Only concern regards to rusting at the inside center is if it's to the point of rust-through and the neck broke off.

You might post a pic of the basket drive block, in case it's deteriorated to the point of concern and you're not aware (although it's probably OK).

Hand-tighten the spanner nut with the wrench. Then whack it with a mallet (careful not to slip and chip the basket) until it's VERY snug. Lift / pull sharply upwards on the basket, it MUST NOT come off the drive. The drive block has a split in it, part of the anchoring is that the basket clamps onto the block and compresses it slightly so the block grips the spin tube.

The plastic piece and spring clip that goes on the agitator shaft (atop the spanner nut) is to help insure the agitator rotates at full RPM with the basket during spin ... for purpose of proper operation of the centrifugal, agitator-mounted fabric softener dispenser.

Are the dog-ears OK on the agitator auger? When turning the auger by hand in place atop the agitator, it should turn freely one way and lock against the base the other way. If it doesn't lock then the dog-ears are worn and should be replaced.

When setting the outer cabinet into place, there are tabs on the machine base at the rear corners that fit into slots on the bottom rail of the cabinet. Make sure that's aligned for proper cabinet stability.

Don't forget to connect the lid switch plug under the console.

Oh, yeah ... pics of the clean tub and basket?

Those two little rubber plugs with fingers in bottom of the basket function (mostly not) as a lint filter.

There's a marine rust-primer product name of POR-15 (Paint Over Rust) that may be helpful in treating the rusting at base of the basket ... but your reassembly would be delayed while you deal with that. It won't stick to smooth porcelain without some roughing-up or chemical etching but it would to the rusted areas (and needs to dry thoroughly before exposure to water).

Do you think the rust is minimal enough where I don't need to paint it over?

I think I'm going to do it anyway...

Can't determine from the pic if the rusting/pitting is surface or deeper into the material. I'd make an attempt to treat it and hopefully extend the service life for a few years (although I already have a bit of POR on-hand from previous projects).

Regards to keeping the machine clean after this refurb ...
- Don't skimp on detergent dosage or quality of product choice. Sufficient detergent helps keep soils suspended in the wash water to be flushed away instead of settling on surfaces.
- Use chlorine bleach on whites/cottons loads that can take it, helps prevent molding/mildew. If that doesn't fit so well with established laundry practices, consider running a bleach cycle (highest water level) with no clothes biweekly to monthly per what seems appropriate. Doesn't require a large dose of bleach. 1/2 to 3/4 measured cup is plenty. Some concentrated brands now recommend 1/2 cup as the maximum dose for a full load.
- Run some warm and/or hot loads on a regular basis ... don't wash everything in cold water.
- Avoid excessive liquid fabric softener.
- Leave the lid open for a few hours (or longer) after use so residual moisture can dry.

Did you find a reason for the bleach dispenser cup having been taped over?

It was clogged with lint and muck. I'm going to take your advice going forward and will document the paint process.

I painted the basket last weekend and let it dry, we still haven't gotten the machine back together yet. That's part of what I'm doing today.

I'll let you guys know if I have any missteps or questions.

Thanks again!

The machine is back together and working. I'd like to do the dryer now as I haven't gotten involved with doing any laundry here...

Update. The dryer has been disassembled and reassembled. It now dries clothes and doesn't smell like a foot. Hooray!

Good show!

Now it looks like we're being evicted!

All that for nothing!!!