Removed the front panel unplugged The washer drained water out, lift the washer up to un screw the drain pump. Then unhooked the hoses from pump put the other pump in.
Pump started making noises like ball bearings grinding. took the lower front cover off pulled the strainer out of the pump housing and found $2.55 in nickles dimes and quarters. Some 223 bullets and about 20 bobby pins. Together they had destroyed the impeller, so ordering a new one and installing it did the trick. Easy installation about 15mins.
This do it yourself repair saved me the cost of a repair man's service call plus time to put it in. 1. First of all, make sure the unit is unplugged. On this type of front loading washer you will need to remove the bottom panel, which is secured by 3 nut screws. 2. Once the panel is removed you will need to use pliers to unscrew the drain plug and allow for excess water to drain out before removing the drain pump (get a pan or something that will fit underneath the drain). This is the area in which all the loose stuff, like coins and everything else falling out of pockets, gets trapped. The trap works well and needs to be checked periodically or if left unchecked it will probably be the cause of burning up the drain pump. 3. Once the water is drained you will need to use pliers to unsecure the two hoses attached to the drain pump. The pliers will pinch the wire clamps open and you can remove the hose easily. 4. The dryer is stacked on top of my washer and in order to get to the two screws holding the drain pump I needed to put a block of wood under the washer to give myself room to get a wrench to the screws. Once the dryer and washer were unloaded and nothing on top I was able to lift the washer and slide a block of wood underneath. 5. The pump has a power supply on the right hand side (a small white box with a wire attached) Remove the wire by gently pulling on the end of it. It is a plug type end. 6. Using a wrench (or socket driver) I took out the two screws (about an 1.5"). The drain pump slides to the right and out it comes. It is also secured by two rubber seals which are easy to remove as well as to install. 7. Now all you do is work backwards, installing the new drain pump by sliding the seals in place and wrenching the screws back in to hold the drain pump, followed by putting the two hoses back on with the pliers and placing the wire back into the power supply box on the drain. I would recommend anyone being able to do this on their own or at least with another person to help with a bit of lifting. The only way I knew to replace this part was because it was making all the noise, so it doesn't take much rocket science :)
