How To Disassemble and Replace A Whirlpool Washer Cabinet (With Video!)

Is your washing machine turning into a noisy nuisance or leaving stubborn stains on your clothes? These common washer woes can often be fixed with a bit of DIY disassembly—and good news, you won’t need to hire a costly technician! Ready to tackle the repair yourself? Watch our step-by-step video guide just below, and discover how straightforward it can be to disassemble and reassemble your washing machine.

Need a replacement washer cabinet for your washing machine? Search below using your specific washer model number to identify the exact part needed:

Washer knocking? Off-balance? Leaking? Leaving dark marks on your clothes? It seems like there’s no end to potential issues that expensive appliance in your laundry room might experience. Thankfully, even issues that seem big can usually be fixed by replacing a single faulty part, and you won’t even need a professional repair technician to do it! Before you grab your toolbox, though, there’s one thing you should know. No matter what your washer’s problem is, if you want to fix it yourself, you’re probably going to have to do some disassembly. It sounds intimidating, but don’t let the prospect of taking everything apart scare you! Disassembling a top-loading washing machine is much easier (and a lot faster) than you may think, and the savings you’ll net by repairing and replacing damaged parts yourself is well worth the time it’ll take you to learn how it’s done.

Today, we’re walking you through how to disassemble and reassemble the cabinet on a top-loading direct drive washing machine. Don’t forget to check out the included video tutorial for a detailed look at each step. Knowing how to take it all apart (and put it all back together at the end) will set you up to repair just about any issue your washer might have!

Let’s get started.

Finding The Right Replacement Part

No matter what part of the washer you’re repairing, you’re going to want to replace faulty components with genuine manufacturer-made, or OEM, parts. OEM parts guarantee a fit specific to your appliance, and have been put through rigorous testing to meet certain standards required by manufacturers. Make sure you’re purchasing your OEM parts from a reliable seller. AppliancePartsPros.com has a wide variety of Whirlpool washer parts to fix any problem your appliance might have. If you need to know which part will work with your specific washing machine, you’ll want to start with the model number. Your appliance’s model number will be in the manual. If you don’t have access to the manual, the model number should be on a label sticker somewhere on the appliance. Check behind the washer door, either along the wall of the front panel or on the door itself. You may also find the washer’s model number behind the kickplate at the bottom of the washer or behind the front access panel.

How To Disassemble A Whirlpool Washing Machine Cabinet

These simple step-by-step instructions will show you how to gain access to the interior of a top-loading direct drive washing machine. By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to replacing or repairing a variety of components in similar Whirlpool, Kenmore, Sears, Roper, KitchenAid, Inglis, Estate, and Kirkland washers.

Not your washing machine? Not a problem! Check out the washing machine tutorials on our YouTube channel. AppliancePartsPros.com has washer repair and disassembly videos for a variety of brands and models.

Tools for the job

Depending on what work you’re doing once you’ve got that cabinet disassembled, you may need more tools, but here are some basics you should have on hand:

• To disassemble your Whirlpool top-loading washer, the only tools you’ll need for sure are a couple of screwdrivers: flathead and Phillips.
• A putty knife may be necessary to release locking tabs on certain washer models.
• If you need to drain your washer, you may also want to lay down some towels and have a bucket handy.
• Wear work gloves while taking the appliance apart. Washer and dryer cabinets are often little more than shaped sheet metal, and the edges can be very sharp.

Before you begin…

For safety, disconnect the washer from power either at the wall outlet or circuit breaker. Even if you aren’t replacing a valve or water line, you should also shut off the appliance’s hot and cold water supplies.

Disassembling a direct drive Whirlpool washer

Whether you’re replacing a damaged washer cabinet, or doing more involved work on internal components, you’re going to need to start by taking everything apart. Let’s go.

1. Remove the control panel. Depending on your washer’s model, there may be a few different ways to do this:
   1. If your washer’s control panel has plastic trim on the sides, this may need to be pried off to start.
   2. Most models will have a pair of mounting screws holding the control panel in place, either on the front or the back.
   3. Some models are held in place with locking tabs that must be released with a putty knife. Slip the putty knife beneath the control panel at the front and slide it a few inches in to hit the tab and press in to release it.
   4. Once the screws are out and any tabs are released, slide the control panel forward and lift it back to flip it over the back of the machine.
2. Disconnect the lid switch. This wire harness can be pulled apart by hand.
3. Remove the retaining spring clips on each side. You can pry them out with a flathead screwdriver. Check out our tutorial video for a look at how it’s done!
4. Remove the body from the frame of the washer. This step is a little involved, so don’t forget to check out or video for a detailed look at how it’s done.
   1. Open the washer lid and grip the body by the front lip. Don’t catch the washer tub!
   2. Plant your foot at the front of the washer against the body of the machine.
   3. Tip the body forward by about 45° and then carefully lift it off the washer and set it aside.

With your washer disassembled, you’ve got full access to the machine interior to change out parts like the drive coupling, motor, or even the tub itself. Need some help with that? We probably have a video guide on our YouTube channel. If a step-by-step text tutorial is more your speed, browse the how-tos on our blog.

Reassembly

Once you’ve replaced your problem part, it’s time to put everything back together. For the most part, this is repeating the previous steps in reverse, but let’s review:

1. Put the cabinet back on the machine.
   1. Lift the washer lid and grab the lip of the machine.
   2. Brace with your foot at the base.
   3. Carefully move the cabinet back to the washer and slide it back into place.
   4. Make sure you get the lower lip at the base of the cabinet underneath the washer’s frame. Then lower it down onto the frame’s four locking tabs.
   5. Make sure that the lid switch wires are fed through the top of the cabinet properly.
2. Reattach the retaining clips. Seat the back tab first, then the front portions. Use your flathead screwdriver to press the clips down, locking them into place.
3. Reconnect the lid switch’s wire harness.
4. Close up the control panel. Flip it forward, making sure the tabs are seated, and then pull it back to lock it into place.
5. Reinstall any mounting hardware for the control panel. Reinstall screws and don’t forget the side trim if needed.

Wrapping Up

Once your washer’s back in one piece, you’ll want to do a test run before getting back to your laundry. Plug the appliance back in, turn the hot and cold water supplies back on, and then run an empty wash cycle – no clothes and no detergent. Watch for leaks and listen for any unusual sounds, like knocking or grinding. If it all checks out, you’re all done! We hope our guide has helped you get your washer back in working order. Disassembling a washing machine may sound intimidating at first, but as you can see, it’s a quick and easy job, and knowing how to do it yourself can help you save a whole lot of money when your appliance has issues. Now that you know how to access your washer’s interior components, why not check out the other ways AppliancePartsPros.com can help you? We’ve got tips, tutorials, and genuine OEM replacement parts. Our friendly staff is happy to help you fix your appliance yourself!

If you need any replacement parts for your appliances, you can enter your model number at AppliancePartsPros.com to locate and order them quickly. Most orders arrive in just two business days, and we have tons of great information in our repair help section and YouTube videos to help you troubleshoot.

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Since 1999, AppliancePartsPros.com has helped millions of people repair their broken appliances by providing high-quality original parts at well below retail prices, free support and troubleshooting, and award-winning customer service from an expert, friendly, US-based customer support team!