Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

[admin]

My machine sounded like it was full of bricks, figured it was the bearings on the drum. I’ve stripped out the drum (it took about 2 hours, no wonder people won’t pay a professional to do this!). The bearings definitely seem to have gone, it makes a terrible noise when the drum is spun by hand. I’m now stuck though.

How do I get the old bearings out? I’ve taken out the six bolts on the outside of the drum (which you can access through a hole in the plastic housing), which I assume hold the inside of the backplate of the drum in place. I can’t get any further. All I have access to is the back bearing, with the square threaded shaft on it. I’ve taken to hitting this in desperation, and it’s slowly moving. Surely this isn’t the way to do it?

The machine is about 12 years old now, is it worth replacing the bearings or just buying a new (reasonably inexpensive machine). I’m an engineer (different sort) by trade, and the FJ1033 looks fairly well made, so am reluctant to chuck it out.

Also, where can I get *good* quality hoses, the 3m ones I bought from Screwfix are pants. Do you recommend thread seal tape on the hose inlets (I know they are meant to seal on the washer face, but belt and braces?)?

Cheers for any advice.

[iadom]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

probably wrote:My machine sounded like it was full of bricks, figured it was the bearings on the drum. I’ve stripped out the drum (it took about 2 hours, no wonder people won’t pay a professional to do this)

But then it may not take a ‘professional’ 2 hours. 😉

[litlor]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

you certainly do things the hard way it seems that you have removed the drum and left the drum spider in place thats why its taken you 2 hours knock out the drum spider then you have access to bearing a professional would do the complete job in under 1 hour

power off please

[Penguin45]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Having read this several times, the truth dawns like a 15w bulb.

The FJ1033 is a decent machine, and there it a small testament to it’s durability that it has lasted 12 years to date.

The drum assembly is in two halves, which must be split – therefore the entire tank assembly must be removed to allow you to access both bearings.

To do the job correctly you will need at least a bearing and seal set, a tub centre seal, and possibly a drum support (the shaft on the back of the drum). Any notching, chewing, roughness on the shaft, or marking on the brass collar and this must be replaced as well.

If you are capable of doing this work yourself, it will be cost effective. In the worst instance, it will take an engineer about two hours to do the job, which with parts, will be expensive.

Contact spares@ukwhitegoods.co.uk for parts – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Good Luck and Regards,
Penguin45.

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Thanks to penguin’s insight. It is necessary to remove the whole tank assembly to do this in the FJ1033, not just open the back to look at the spider. This means that the front and back case of the machine must come off, then the tank assembly disconnected from all the parts such as the dampers and springs and lifted out. My machine is now a pile of component parts on the dining room floor! I’m sure a professional could do it quicker, but it’s still a big job.

I’m capable of doing this myself (I think!), but as I said, I’m a bit stuck. I’ve split the assembly, and am now left with a drum attached to the back half of the assembly (the back part of the grey plastic housing). How do I proceed from there to get access to the bearings? I’ve been unable to remove the drum (I’m calling it the drum, I mean the shiny container that holds the clothes) from the rest of the assembly to access the bearings.

The threaded nut with flats on the back where the spider fits onto has a bit of rounding where I’ve manhandled it a bit; I was going to just clean off the burr with a Dremmel.

How much would the replacement parts roughly cost versus buying a new machine of similar quality?

Also, any thoughts about the hose issue?

Thanks for your help 🙂

[Del]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Hi Probably,

Most of the guy’s remove the nut that you’ve just manhandled and use an old longer one they keep in their toolbox just for the job.
You will need to knock the shaft through with the aid of the bolt to remove the drum to get at the water seal and bearings. These are normally knocked out with a small chisel. Then clean out the bearing housing’s lightly grease, fit new bearings, water seal and drum shaft assembly

Then it’s just the whole job in reverse making sure you replace large rubber seal when refitting the two halfs of the out tub. By the sound of it you may also need a new pulley securing bolt.

A professional would then carry out a full portable appliance electrical saftey test before checking/testing the repair.

HTH

Del

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Easy Del.
I should have included a picture…it’s a hard thing to describe!

1. I removed the bolt holding the large pulley (spider) to the shaft. This came off easily, no damage.

2. The pulley (spider) was then taken off by hand, no damage.

3. This exposed the rear of the shaft. This has flats on two sides so that the pulley grips it when the motor spins. The shaft has a central thread to take the pulley retaining bolt.

4. The shaft sits in a bearing, the bearing sits in an accurately sized collar (i.e. the bearing is an interference fit with the collar).

5. I haven’t been able to move the shaft much. I’ve given it a bit of a mashing with a hammer, and it seems that the shaft and bearing assembly are sinking into the collar. The shaft has taken a little bit of a beating, but as I said I think I can clean off the burr with a Dremmel.

So…from what I understand, I’ve just got to keep mashing the shaft (block of wood under the hammer) until the drum comes out the back half of the drum housing?

I can tell you the neighbours haven’t been too happy with the noise….neither has their one year old 🙄

[iadom]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

What we refer to as a SPIDER is not the pulley. The spider is a three or four legged item bolted or riveted to the inner drum with a shaft running through both bearings onto which the PULLEY is fixed.

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Thanks for putting me right!

I’m on the road of knowledge, on a moped 😉

[iadom]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

this should give you an idea of what a drum spider looks like.
spider

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Thanks, now I see.
I would guess that was what the three pairs of bolts on the outside of the drum clamp to…I wondered what they were for at the time.
So, it might actually be the spider that’s broken rather than the bearings, difficult to say until I can knock it out its housing.

[iadom]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

The drum spider is attached to the stainless steel inner drum and revolves with the washing inside, no bolts from the outer drum attach to the spider.

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

The three pairs of bolts were on the steel inner drum. There are three pairs of through holes on the drum, and the bolts screw into three pairs of threads on what I assume is the spider, hidden behind the back face plate inside the steel inner drum. Isn’t that how the spider attaches to the drum?

[Martin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

What we have here (reading the casefile over and over) is a situation where probably simply cannot extract the inner drum shaft from the bearings!

Oh Dear!…This means the state of the drum bearing/shaft are so very bad that the only solution (and a certain gentleman in Finland springs to mind right now?) is to replace not only the spider and bearings, BUT the rear tub half as well!!!

Oh yes is sounds to me like this machines bearings have been run into the ground 🙁

Best of luck trying to extract that shaft by the way 😉

[admin]

Re: Zanussi FJ1033 bearing removal

Is this forum staffed by optimists? Or maybe Santa’s little helpers?

I stopped using the machine as soon as it sounded odd; up until then it was fine.

What I am having trouble with is getting the shaft out of the bearing. When I clatter it, the whole bearing moves forward slightly in its housing.

What I dearly need to know is whether this is the *right* thing to do.
A simple yes or no.

PS I’ve spent all my savings (about £10) in the last week, I really could do with fixing this…

[Author]

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