Yes, the plastic box to the right of the trap is the pump. Have you checked that the hose after the pump or the drain in the wall isn't blocked? Have you had the machine drain some water into a bucket to see whether it drains forcefully?

Thank you, dadoes and whirlpooltrainee! And the prize goes to .... WPT! While all I've got to say is: Air Gaps. Man, that stupid trivia fooled me all over again. I called a repairman out for my dishwashwer a while back and it turned out to my deep shame and horror not to mention disgust, that _all_ that was the matter was the airgap was gross and clogged. I was so embarrassed.

And here we are all over again with the same problem. *the same problem*?!

So like WPT suggests, I eventually bit the bullet and just ran the thing - I figured out online how to run it through test cycles - hauled the outflow line out of the wall and into a sink and determined everything was actually working just fine. What wasn't fine is that the *outside* of the outflow line was coated in essentially _tar_. It was so disgusting; thick goo all over it and after I washed it away just for aesthetic reasons I realized: air gaps. That was so gross and thick it actually clogged up the larger hole into which the outflow line sat and prevented air from flowing back, right? That has to be right I think because everything's working like a charm now.

Either that or I suppose it's possible there was something funky with the pump that I inadvertently fixed by removing it. I had replaced it a couple years back and know it comes fixed to the water trap at least to replace it parts-wise. It's expensive but I could feel that the impeller didn't move freely so I took it to the parts store to compare with a new one. But the new ones don't move freely either. Online I learned there are magnets in there to sort of anchor the impeller at each 1/3 turn (don't know why?) but it seems that though it sounded bad, it wasn't immediately obvious that it was bad. And then also online I learned how to test the thing with an ohmeter (I've never known how to do that) and it tested out that way. So I put it all back together (hours wrestling with those metal clamps. I hate those things big-time). Then proceeded to discover the tarry sludge and everything working like a total charm.

So thank you both for the words of wisdom and encouragement and all I have to say, again, is that the world clearly does not allow enough credit to the concept of airgaps. At least I do not. I need to learn that lesson.

Dadoes - I'm sort of making this up but I wonder if the noise was magnets clacking about as the pump was not able to actually push the water out because of the airlessness? Doesn't do it anymore ... I think; didn't make the noise in test, but it's going through a full load now and I'll know better in an hour.

I've a new problem though. I'll post it here though I've not checked yet online which might be full of answers. It seems the (drum-door?) seal is no longer perfect and my ministrations may have made things a little worse. With the bottom panel still removed you can see a little well on the bottom of the drum block that fills with a drop of water at the rate of about 1 per 8 seconds. That does add up quite a bit. There wouldn't happen to be any easy fix to this would there be? I'm guessing I have to somehow re-seal the gasket around the door and I bet that's neither easy nor cheap....

Suppose that's possible. You didn't initially mention that the pump had been replaced within the last 2 years, and didn't provide the age of the machine or other details. No clue what you mean about having to "manually turn off my
machine because it just wouldn't stop" or about the drum potentially flying off the hinges.

The pump is a "wet bearing" design ... it's lubricated by the water flow through it, and yes the magnets give it a hard-cogging feel when the impeller is rotated by hand. One that I've changed the impeller had worn floppy/loose from the motor shaft, the other the motor was just dead.

Sorry about not mentioning about the water pump - I actually hadn't remembered it at all until dh reminded me.

I "manually turned off the machine" by just manually turning it off -- pressing pause twice. But I don't think it was failing to stop, I think because I have the bottom panel off it all just looks scary as can be so I just was fearful of so much spinning and worried it was going on too long.

I bought the machine while doing diapers for dd2 who is now 15.5 years so .... must be at least 13 years old? I don't remember exactly when I bought it but it's no spring chicken; neither is dd2.

That drum just looks like it's going around so fast it could come flying out at anyone standing in front of the machine. I guess that's just not a danger though; it looks like it could be. I don't know what holds the thing up at all. Guess I should take apart the back.

Do I need to worry about a slow water leak or just live with it? Floor's not a problem; slate.

TIA

When you say 'air gap' do you mean 'stand pipe'? And air gap device is used on a dishwasher and would be too small for a washer. A stand pipe is, well, a pipe standing vertically and usually 1.5" in diameter with a trap at the bottom, and usually something like 35" tall or there abouts, as tall as the back of the washer.

The serial number is coded for the year and week of manufacture.

The tub is supported by four shocks at the bottom and hangs on two large springs at the top.

Weedmeister - yes, I mean "default airgap" - I know it doesn't look like the dishwasher's in that lump on the countertop, but it must serve the same purpose, right, that 'stand pipe'? I notice, now, that the outflow valve is long and doesn't fit straight into the standpipe, there's a gap all around it and I'm guessing it has to be there for the same purpose, no?

Serial # - can't get at it for another 21min .... here we are: CSR5003076. I do not think this was made in 1976. What am I missing? Mod. is 110.45992400

Hangers: two large springs eh? Do they ever break? If the answer is "yes", I definitely don't want to know about it.

The shocks I'm acquainted with. I happened upon one collapsed and got to thinking so searching out the others, discovered another with half its top hanger snapped off so that one was nearly disconnected too. A third was missing half its U-joint mate; also disco'd. The fourth was attached all by its lonesome. So between them all I had 1 working U-joint and thought to buy another but was told they couldn't be purchased separately. Multiple repairmen at the parts store eyed me incredulously wondering why I didn't want to buy all new shocks, a full set of them no less.

I decided that like cars, one ought to at least replace them reflectively but the store had none on the shelf. I bought a pair from a guy's truck only he sold me one Whirlpool and one aftermarket version. I inspected them closely and decided there might be a slight gap in the aftermarket equivalent but decided it was probably better to use it than not.

I re-hooked up the remaining slacker and replaced the two and things are definitely judderier than before. I also determined those repairmen were absolutely right, the others needed replacing too. One's really rusty, the other's a little wobbly in its U-joint. The second pair will be in on Monday but I think the machine's operable like this. We'll see if when those two are replaced whether it gets less unbalanced; it could be that loose U-joint. Or I suppose it could be the one aftermarket part.

Has anyone an opinion about the relative value of aftermarket shocks, and the wisdom of using one aftermarket with the others Whirlpool brand (mixing) them?

TIA! (waiting on that serial number to send this...

CSR5003076

50th week of 2004.

The shocks are available individually, part number 8182703. However, all should be replaced together at this point to insure they have equal dampening response. Among other sources and prices, RepairClinic.com lists $26.80 each. After-market versions can be iffy on quality and durability.

About the dripping: there is water dripping out from in between the door seal and the outer tub (drum that surrounds stainless drum)?

Hi WT - yes - water drips from the well that shows below the front metal panel that the front door sits in. I believe it's the bottom of the clothes drum. You can see the grey seal sticking through. The drip seems more nominal now than earlier. I am running a cycle (123 min) now and all that's present is about 1.5teaspoons I'd guess -- not enough even to spill out. I only know, therefore, because I still have the bottom metal panel off.

And I have, therefore, SUCCESS to report!! I just changed the last pair of shocks and wow what a difference. I am so embarrassed that I considered not changing the whole set. There's an *obvious* difference with the new ones. The old ones looked fine-ish but clearly were not. Everything is humming very satisfactory.

Which is to say, even the original nominal "drainage" issue. Which it seems, therefore, was cleared away when the *outside* of the standpipe was cleaned presumably allowing air into the outflow system and permitting water to drain away from the drum.

In the process I discovered the shocks problem, and have now replaced all four shocks.

However, last Q: one of those replaced shocks is not "Whirlpool" brand but an off brand ("FSP"). Is it worth spending more money to make that last shock the same as the others? The balance on spinning is really pretty good now....

TIA!!!

FSP (Factory Specification Parts) *is* Whirlpool.

lol, dadoes .... and as it says in your footer: "Say thank you!"

I feel kinda stoopid!!

p.s., in fairness, the package looks entirely different ... though the parts seem largely identical, what is different is that the plastic u-joint at the top which snaps together is a little more open than the "Whirlpool" part. I suppose they may be from different factories?

Well, you could check the door seal, if you want to. https://youtu.be/EFDqUvBgxH4