🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 7/15/2025 4:33 AM, jkn wrote:
> Hi all
>     it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit) has started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a fast spin. I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the information...
>
> Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares for this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main bearings - do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers (including Indesit).
>
> I'm wondering what this might mean:
>
> - bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available
> - some new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly'
> - some new design that is unrepairable
>
> Thoughts and alternatives welcome
>
>     Thanks
>     J^n

I had a main bearing replacement done by a local appliance store repair department.
They sent a man out, to look at it.

The main bearing for mine, the replacement is a "kit of materials".
It includes the right kind of bearing grease (an improved grease, not
used originally on the machine, a moly grease). There were banging noises
from the basement, as he fitted the kit.

When he diagnosed the washer, it was maybe ten years old. The
"bearing kit" and labour charge, was on the order of 25% of the
value of the washer. I thought about it for a second, and approved
the repair plan. Half an hour of banging noises later, machine
was running and spinning again.

The machine today, is now *thirty five* years old. I expect most
of the fancy grease is gone by now, but it still spins and
I'm not complaining.

A company will only continue to stock materials like that,
if they are moving. No company seems to want to stock anything
in the area of spare parts. And some companies, they don't actually
"make" the item. They "get the item from China", and write some
poor documentation for it, and ship it. If they can't even make
a proper drawing of the back of the machine ("How to get inside"),
then what are the odds their brain-pan can manage a spares
supply scheme.

Only if you were a large company, and made all the parts
domestically, would you expect to find spares. And a bearing kit,
is certainly a high runner for the average bad washer design :-)

The tech who did my repair was right, the new grease lasted
a lot longer than the original grease pack.

And that's why you don't just buy the bearing. The repair kit
contains all the stuff expected to need replacing (whatever
got damaged by the banging noises, presumably).

On my machine, I would expect the bearing kit was "barely available"
at ten years of age, and an attempt to buy a kit today
would reveal it hadn't been made/stocked, in some time.

*******

The longest spares stocking I ever got, was for a
water tap. The cartridge (tap spindle, plus all O-rings),
was still available at the branded-store, after *fifty years*.
The gentleman blew the dust off the item, and bagged
one up for me. No other device I can think of, offered
a repair part at the fifty year timespan.

Generally, at the rate companies change hands and get
bought out, this tends to "trash" the spares supply
chain. As a consumer, you are supposed to enjoy buying
a new washer every ten years. I haven't checked the pricing
recently, but it's likely about as much as a used car :-)

If the machine has multiple-illnesses, maybe a major repair
like this is a signal. But if the machine was well-behaved,
it might well be worth just putting a bearing kit in it.

   Paul

jkn <jkn+nin@nicorp.co.uk> wrote:
> Hi all
> 	it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit) has
> started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a fast
> spin. I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the information...
>
> Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares for
> this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main bearings
> - do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers
> (including Indesit).
>
> I'm wondering what this might mean:
>
> - bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available
> - some new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly'
> - some new design that is unrepairable
>
> Thoughts and alternatives welcome
>
>     Thanks
>     J^n
>
>
>

I suspect it probably is your last two proposals. Repairing main bearings
in most machines these days involves literally taking the entire machine
apart and at the hourly rate repairers charge you are probably getting near
to the replacement cost of a new machine. DIYing makes sense but
manufacturers are not in the business of supporting that approach. The only
thing you could do is try to remove the bearing and take some careful
measurements of diam. and bore and see if a dedicated bearing specialist
has something that will fit.

Richard

On 15/07/2025 09:33, jkn wrote:
> Hi all
>      it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit) has
> started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a fast spin.
> I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the information...
>
> Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares for
> this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main bearings -
> do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers (including
> Indesit).
>
> I'm wondering what this might mean:

  Hoover rather than Indesit, but removing the watertight drum and then the
spinning drum inside that requires a lot of work, and then shows that the
slack in the main bearing means that wear is taking place elsewhere too.
Reassembly would be even harder than removal, and not worthwhile for
Indesit/Ariston/Hotpoint/Merloni.

On Tue, 15 Jul 2025 09:35:59 +0000, Tricky  Dicky wrote:

> The only thing you could do is try to remove the bearing

If you are lucky it will have some sort of serial or manufacturer code.

However when we used to buy FIAT spares from a direct importer once, I
was told by a rep that they visited the factory making bearings (GKN from
memory) and the bearings that went to the factory were packed before
marking. In those days it was easier to keep the connections under wraps.

On 15/07/2025 10:35, Tricky Dicky wrote:
> jkn <jkn+nin@nicorp.co.uk> wrote:
>> Hi all
>> 	it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit) has
>> started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a fast
>> spin. I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the information...
>>
>> Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares for
>> this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main bearings
>> - do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers
>> (including Indesit).
>>
>> I'm wondering what this might mean:
>>
>> - bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available
>> - some new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly'
>> - some new design that is unrepairable
>>
>> Thoughts and alternatives welcome
>>
>>      Thanks
>>      J^n
>>
>>
>>
>
> I suspect it probably is your last two proposals. Repairing main bearings
> in most machines these days involves literally taking the entire machine
> apart and at the hourly rate repairers charge you are probably getting near
> to the replacement cost of a new machine. DIYing makes sense but
> manufacturers are not in the business of supporting that approach. The only
> thing you could do is try to remove the bearing and take some careful
> measurements of diam. and bore and see if a dedicated bearing specialist
> has something that will fit.
>
> Richard
>

I think much depends on the age of the machine. Is it going to need a
replacement pump/motor/electronics in the near future. If so would a new
machine be a better bet than a complete refurbishment. I can see that
here there are drum assemblies:-

https://www.ransomspares.co.uk/parts/washing-machines/indesit/complete-drum-tub-/6655.htm

.. and whilst not cheap, it might be simpler to install...
.. lastlt perhaps if no one else has spares:-

https://www.bearingmart.co.uk/

Dave

On 15/07/2025 09:33, jkn wrote:
> I'm wondering what this might mean:
>
> - bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available
> - some new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly'
> - some new design that is unrepairable

The bearings are likely moulded into the drum. So instead of buying just
the bearing, you buy a complete, replacement drum, at around 7 times the
cost.

Harry Bloomfield Esq wrote:

> The bearings are likely moulded into the drum. So instead of buying just
> the bearing, you buy a complete, replacement drum, at around 7 times the
> cost.

I did wonder about that, rather than a stainless drum and stainless tub,
my latest w/m has a plastic tub (still with a stainless drum).  I could
see a full tub and drum, or just a rear-half of the tub for sale as spares.

I replaced the bearings and seals on my Panasonic several years ago. It has
worked well since then. I later discovered teh bearings couldn't be
replaced, but a new drum was the only solution.

Probably teh best solution for the commercial repairer, but we are a DIY
group. DIY worked.


jkn <jkn+nin@nicorp.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi all it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit) has
> started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a fast spin.
> I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the information...
>
> Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares for
> this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main bearings -
> do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers (including
> Indesit).
>
> I'm wondering what this might mean:
>
> - bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available - some
> new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly' - some
> new design that is unrepairable
>
> Thoughts and alternatives welcome
>
>      Thanks
>      J^n
>
>
>
>
>


--
braind

In message <mdmi3fFni5jU1@mid.individual.net>, jkn
<jkn+nin@nicorp.co.uk> writes
>Hi all
>       it has been reported to me that our washing machine (Indesit)
>has started making a graunching-type noise, especially when doing a
>fast spin. I have not yet heard this myself but I believe the
>information...
>
>Whilst waiting to hear the noise myself, I started looking at spares
>for this model available online. However the obvious culprit - main
>bearings - do not seem to be available from any of the spares retailers
>(including Indesit).
>
>I'm wondering what this might mean:
>
>- bearings for this model are so generic that no part is available
>- some new design that means I have to replace some complete 'assembly'
>- some new design that is unrepairable
>
>Thoughts and alternatives welcome
>
>    Thanks
>    J^n
>
>

The spider on  one of my old Hotpoint broke twice - ok I think was
overloaded. I bought replacements. The 3rd one looked more robust , The
guy in the shop said it was because they kept breaking ;-)  . They
included new bearings which didn't look anything special. I might still
have them in my junk mine. (In case they came in handy).

Espares have bearings.

Https://www.espares.co.uk/search/pt1553/washing-machines/bearings

It was quite a difficult job with a lot of dismantling , but the machine
lasted for 20 years. It was still working when I replaced it, but
starting to leak.

Brian

--
Brian Howie