I am a 62 year old women who needed a little help from You-tube, and I was able to learn how to check the agitator. I pulled off the agitator to check for possible missing or damaged parts. I could see the washer agitator dogs had deteriorated and were missing and broken. I also noticed the agitator bold and washer was missing. The thrust washer was old and I replaced it as well. It is now in working order.