How to Troubleshoot & Replace Samsung AP4212809 / DC69-00804A Washer Tub Seal

The drum started hitting the tub and from the friction was burning the plastic. Lots of smoke! I went on "youtube" immediately guessing there would be something there about this situation. There is a great resource! I commenced by taking the washer apart far enough to see what needed to be replaced. I ordered the parts I observed as needed. They arrived as promised. The videos provided by APPros.com were a very helpful addition. The model we have contains many more hoses and other items than shown in AP's model. I spent a considerable amount of time cleaning the drum and other parts due to debris from the spider arm and biofilm along with mold that built up. This stuff is not visible without total disassembly. It explains why the smell would never go away no matter what we tried. The oozing mass of metal powder, biofilm, mold on the backside of the drum under what was left of the spider arm was something to behold. This is due to a bad choice of metal alloy by the manufacturer. The new part appears to be quite different. 

I took it apart and discovered what parts to replace. Called support to verify parts needed and with their help, we ordered everything we needed. Replaced parts and now it's like I have a new machine. 

After watching the excellent techs on appliance pros do the job I saw that it was repairable . I disassembled unit and found the flange shaft assembly cracked/ corroded from detergent like many videos showed so I replaced that and the balance ring cause that was cracked in some places too. I also replaced the two tub seals because you are putting the unit back together and do not want leaking. It took me about 2 hours to disassemble and about 3 hrs to reassemble unit, and so far so good . The typical life of this front load machine is about six years and this unit was ten, so If it lasts a few more years the repair will be worth it .If you rinse the unit with the cleaner you can extend the life of the unit. This site is extremely helpful and I will continue to buy parts from here as I have done before 

New spider arm and balance ring.. Required complete disassembly of the washer. Videos on your website were very helpful. I am 67 years old and not in the best health, but by taking my time and paying attention to detail I was able to complete the task by myself with only moderate difficulty. No special tools are required. Would recommend using six point sockets to avoid rounding off the bolt heads on the spider arm. The person in one review stated the spider arm was a part designed to fail and I completely agree with him. Over time the spider arm will begin to disintegrate because of the poor quality of the metal. Our washer was used a average of one to two loads a week. I did as one reviewer suggested. I put 3 coats of epoxy resin paint on the new spider arm before installation Time will tell if it will help. 

I had to disassemble the barrel assembly in order to find the cause. The videos showed how to do it. I did it according to the videos, not too hard, just time consuming and labor intensive. I found the flange shaft assembly was badly cracked, allowing the barrel to shift off center and rub. I purchased the assembly, a new tub seal and a ring (there was a ring included with the assembly, so didn't really need the ring} from here. I also replaced the bearing and shaft seal, purchased locally, while I had it torn apart. It wasn't a terribly difficult job. I maintain HVAC equipment for a living and have 20 years of Navy experience as a technician, so that helped. All total, in parts I spent about 1/4 of what it costs for a new washer that's equal to this one. I did buy a new washer before starting the repair. I figured if I was able to fix the old one, it can be a spare for when the new one breaks down. That way we'll always have a working washer. We can use the old one while I troubleshoot and repair the newer one. 

Thanks to AppliancePartsPros.com's “how to” video I decided to order the balance ring and try to fix my appliance myself. The repair went smooth, just like the video showed! It took me about 6 hours in total but I took my time. Once back together, the machine ran like a new one! Thanks AppliancePartsPros.com!!! 

Put in new assy flange and new spider bolts. New bearing flange and tub seal.It did take a lot of work. The flange was in a lot of pieces and mush, it was a mess. 

Replaced commonly fractured inner tub flange shaft (aka; spider). Also replaced the seal on the outer tub at the shaft bearings, and the large O-Ring between the two outer tub halves. Note that when replacing the spider, new bolts should be ordered as 4 out of the 6 snapped off when I attempted to remove them. I painted the new spider with two coats of POR-15 paint to hopefully minimize the corrosion that takes place with the pot metal used to cast this part. If I had more time I would of had it powder coated. 

I researched the issue online and found multiple sources stating the same cause of my washers particular, and apparently common, issue. With some patience and mechanical skill, I'm a diesel technician, I decided to take the washer apart and see what was broke. I found the tub support spider was broken in three pieces. Appliancepartspros.com even had a repair video for this issue which was very helpful! 

The samsung front load washer was, and always did shake, and vibrate,right out of the box. It is now about 16 months old. And i was tired of it shaking. I researched the machine and replaced all the parts that could possible cause the problem. Including new shocks. I even replaced the tub bearings. The parts i bought were spot on. It took me all day to replace everything and put the washer back together. Turned it on and the same thing happened. I did more research on the computer and i found out that all the washers do that. I am very disappointed in Samsung washers. For what you pay for them i will never buy another one. The Parts were perfect. The woman i talked with helped me get the right parts and was very helpful and friendly. The parts arrived on the second day after i ordered them. I would highly recommend Appliance parts to anyone. Samsung not so much...