Whirlpool_Washer

Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer – WFW8300SW04

Part# – W10111435 (please verify your part #)

Bellow Replacement Part

I recently came across a great deal for a Whirlpool Duet Sport washer on Craigslist. The only drawback was the washer was leaking around the door. That's not good for a washer! I did some research on the internet to get a better feel for the issue described and became quite confident that I could fix the problem.

How does the saying go? Out with the old and in with the new? Well we did just that…almost. Out with the nearly 20 year old washer and in with the "almost new" and "needs fixing" washer.

The problem was indeed the front rubber bellow that seals the washer door and the tub and prevents any water from escaping. The previous owner had attempted to patch it with some sort of adhesive, but was unsuccessful. In the following steps I'll show you what I did to repair this washer.

Please keep in mind I'm not an appliance repair professional nor am I certified in that area of expertise. Hopefully this will help you save some money by showing this repair is achievable by yourself.

Repair steps:

Loosen and remove the 3 screws at the bottom of washer to remove the lower access panel.

Whirlpool_Washer_Panel

Loosen and remove the 3 screws holding the top panel on. Slide the back back and remove. (you don't really need this step, but it allows you to see the tabs holding the control panel on)

Whirlpool_Washer_TopPanel

Slide the detergent drawer out until it stops. Depress the black tab and remove the drawer.

Whirlpool_Washer_DetergentDrawer

Loosen and remove screw by the detergent drawer.

Whirlpool_Washer_Screw

Open the washer door. Under the control panel is one Philips screw in the middle that needs to be removed.

Whirlpool_Washer_TopScrew

Remove the control panel. It's held on by three tabs

Whirlpool_Washer_ControlPanel

Remove the door catch screws holding it in place.

Whirlpool_Washer_Door

Now it's time to start removing the old bellow. The outer lip has a metal ring that is around the rubber holding it in place. Take a standard screw driver and wedge it between the rubber and ring enough so you can pull it off.

Whirlpool_Washer_Ring

Now it's time to take the door off. Push the bellow inside the washer. There are four screws in each corner that need removed. This photo shows the screw in the bottom right corner.

Whirlpool_Washer_DoorScrew

With the door removed there's another metal ring that needs to be removed. It is tightened by a screw which can be loosened to remove. Once the screw is loosened pull the ring off and then you can pull the bellow completely out.

Whirlpool_Washer_BellowScrew

Now you can install the new bellow. Below is a picture of the new bellow. The "arrow" on the bellow should be at the top and the three holes at the bottom. Both the arrow and the holes should be aligned in the middle of the washer when the bellow is in place.

Whirlpool_Bellow

The large diameter of the bellow goes inside around the lip of the tub. Which you then fasten into place by replacing the ring which has the screw. Everything else is in reverse order as described already.

One of the hardest parts of this repair was stretching the last ring around the lip of the door. My advice would be to rub some detergent around the lip of the bellow to lube it up which allow the ring to go on a little easier.

Whirlpool_NewBellow

Good luck!