amana two speed motor not working

[roofmower]

hi all great site! i have an alw432raw that i got used, i put new seals and bearings in it, worked great for about a year, but the belt just burned on it. everything spins freely, so i put a new belt and idler on. agitation cycle works fine, however when it goes to spin the belt slips (to me it seems like allot) after reading the other amana blogs i guess it is supposed to slip some. does the two speed motor just mean forward and reverse for the agition and spin or is it supposed to start slow then goes faster? how much slipping is normal? you wouldnt think the belt could take too much. any info would be great.

[redbeardnmt]

Hi roofmower,

No, a two speed motor actualy has two speeds. Usualy the gentle cycle uses a low speed agitate and low speed spin, perm press cycle may use normal agitate and slow spin. The belt is designed to slip, how much depends on the load. That is the purpose of the idler pulley. Check to make sure the brake is releasing all the way. Take the belt off and turn the transmission pulley by hand in both directions. I've also seen the spring on the idler pulley wear out. It could also be the belt if you have a tendency to overload it.

Rick

[roofmower]

thanks for that info. after reading this i ran it through a full cycle with clothes and it did work. i was just a little bit shocked to put a new belt on and have it slip that much (kinda a weird design for me to rap my head around, i come from the automotive world where if a belt isnt tight something is wrong). two quick questions if you dont mind, does the idler pully reqire any lube? i put a new one on and the old one didnt seem to have any. and what is the general life span of this belt? assuming normal load sizes are washed, something i should maybe look at condition every year or so.


thanks again

[redbeardnmt]

Hi roofmower,

No , the idler doesn't require any lube. In fact it might shorten the life of the pulley if it turns to varnish. If you don't overload the washer, then unless it breaks the belt should last as long as the washer.

Rick