How to Troubleshoot & Replace Whirlpool AP4044289 / 34001302 Door Boot Seal (Bellow, Diaphragm)

First indication something was wrong when the washing drum starting to violently bang against the inside of the washer while in spin cycle. Then, when I opened the washer door, a misty smoke came from the inside. With the video from Appliance Parts Pros, disassembly of the washer was no problem. First, I replaced the four shocks on the washer drum. But, after a test run, determined that it was spider arm assembly. Again, the series of instructions made getting to the part fairly easy. The few things I would advise on is first that the 19mm nut in the back of the washer drum will be extremely difficult to take off. The video instructions say to use a small screwdriver to secure the drum from spinning in the back. But, unless you position the screwdriver exactly right, you run the risk of damaging the plastic housing of the motor. Second, once you replaced the assembly and have the whole thing put back together, run the machine on a rinse and spin cycle. There may be some residue or build up in the drum that may be washed away during the first cycle or two. Be prepared the drain the water pump after the first test run to manually clean out anything the pump cannot handle. When the cycle switches from rinse to spin, just watch the water level in the drum to see if the water is being pumped out. The washer will try to drain a few times. If the water level does not go down, drain the water pump and check for a clog. Other than that, just make sure to follow the sequence of events to disassemble and reassemble the washer. 

To start my Maytag MAH8700AWW started making a thumping noise and was eating at the door boot seal. I started doing research and found some folks changed the shocks and springs but had no luck so I thought I would wait it out to see if it would get worse. Sure enough it started to get so loud I thought it was going through the wall. At this point I decided to tear into it. Come to find out the main shaft assembly had broken two out of the three arms that are the main supports for the inner drum. I believe the first thumping noise was when one broke. This was very hard to diagnose because their wasn't any noticeable play in the inner tub to determine if it was bearing related. It would just rotate a little unevenly when you would spin it. But when the second arm broke that's when it was evident that their was a major internal break. After purchasing parts which was the Shaft ($180.00) Door Boot ($109.00) Replaced outer drum seal as precaution ($30.00) and Six Flange Bolts that hold the shaft assembly to the tub ($50.00). Side note: After stripping the bolt heads after using a six point socket to try and get the bolts out I ended up having to cut the Shaft Assembly out with a angle grinder and a cutoff blade. You may be able to avoid this if you heat the bolts up to break the seal from the locktite that is used on them. Total cost of project was close to $400.00 with shipping. And not the easiest of jobs by yourself. I had to winch the tub up to get the springs off. This post is a little more in depth than anything I read going into my project so I hope this helps! GoodLuck! 

Replaced broken drum spider and shaft assembly (part # AP4449265). Burning rubber smell was caused by spinning drum touches door boot seal. Also replaced all 4 shock absorbers just as a precaution. Replacing tub seal may not be absolutely necessary but it's cheap and easy. be aware of those razor sharp metal frames. 

Watched u tube video followed instructions 

Ordered new spider and associated parts from you guys. Rather than install spider which was bare aluminum I coated the entire unit except spindle with 3 coats of epoxy paint. cleaned the drum and water tub the minor scratches in the front drum I filled with two part epoxy and leveled. Checked rear bearing which were ok, but if you need them they are availible from bearings direct on line 6307zz interior bearing and 6306zz exterior bearing cost 21.00 including shipping. Assembly was reverse of tear down which you guys provided on a excellant video. I was a little perturbed with Samsung as to the design of the support spider but I expext to get another 7 plus years out of this machine. With the cycle counter we were on our 3196 load and a family of 6 or 1.25 loads per day. I had a pair of Asko that were 15 years old and are still being used by my middle daughter. I guess I will go back to Asko when i scrap the Samsung set and use the motor for a wind generator. Took right at 2.5 hours disassembly and reassembly. another hour to clean the parts a day for the paint to dry. Bill C 

My wife noticed a knocking noise on our front load Samsung washer. Lucky for me she noticed it before it got to extreme. I looked online and found the video from Appliance Parts Pros which outlined the repair even though it was a different brand. Once disassembled I found what appears to be the common problem, one of the arms was cracked on the drum spider. The drum bearings and seal was still in good condition. After inspection I found several parts needed replaced from the drum rubbing and being out of balance. In addition to the drum spider I replaced the door seal, balancer ring, tub seal and water guide. Parts delivered in a couple days and assembly was non eventful. Everything went well and the only suggestion would be to be sure and order new bolts for the drum bracket. 

I replaced the spider drive. 

Ordered a replacement gasket on Friday and got it on Saturday. You guys are awesome. 

I disassembled the unit using the AppliancePartsPros videos as a guide to build my confidence that I could do so. Thank you folks for providing that service to us do-it-yourselfers! I found the leaky drain hose which had developed a pinhole, I also had another very small leak that I could not locate, possibly around the door boot seal. Knowing I couldn't locate that leak I ordered all of the gaskets and replaced them, including the tub seal. This was very easy to do, and I'd recommend it to anyone trying to extend the life of their washer. I had suspected a broken spider initially, due to the sounds the washer made during spin cycles, but as I disassembled the tub and drum assemblies, the spider was in great shape (10-year old unit). I decided to replace the shock absorbers and dampeners for good measure. Wow, what a difference. It runs like it did when we bought it. No leaks, and the drum stays well balanced throughout the cycle, it doesn't vibrate anymore or knock. You can hardly tell it's running, actually. The parts can be found cheaper elsewhere, but for the service and confidence that APP.com provides it's a small price to pay for what they've done for us and I commend that. 

I Removed the tub and discovered that the one of the spider arms was broken in half. I replaced the drum spider and door boot seal.