Any Bosch washing machine experts/sealed drum?

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:43 pm

Right, having got the Rover 214 head thing off my chest, just bought a new door seal for my 9 year old Bosch washing machine. Old one ok still but perished. At same time thought I'd put a set of bearings in. The drum runs silently but has probably 3mm lift at front edge, has had since the first time I checked it a couple of years back.
First a bit of enthusing!:-
What build quality- I've had a life of tinkering with Hotpoints and gashing myself on every edge. This thing has no sharp edges, the metal is twice the thickness, braced everywhere, and the concrete weights are lovely things you can touch without getting builders hands, as opposed to those breeze block affairs Hotpoint use! Now... here is a picture of the drum joint, centre split:<br>

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It has a few self tap screws holding the two halves together, and about 20 latch tabs as shown in the picture. I've tried a bit of carefullish prising of the joint with a large screwdriver, but nothing moves. I'm now getting a horrible feeling that this is a sealed drum as I can't see how you could expect to compress 20 radial latch tabs and prise the halves apart, in which case my previous enthusiasm is tempered back a bit!! Anyone had experience of this type of construction? Extensive googling does not throw up any answers, or suppliers of replacement bearings, which itself is ominous...

Post by **bmcecosse** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:13 pm

I reckon at 9 years you have had a good innings from that machine ! When ours give trouble after 4or 5 years - I just dump it and buy new. And yes - I recently had a 'scare' with our machine making a light machine-gun noise - and internally it looks impossible to deal with - much like yours. Fortunately our problem was simple - a piece of wire sticking though the inner drum drain holes was catching on the outer casing.

Post by **paulhumphries** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:57 pm

The bearings failed on our old Zanussi which was covered by an extended guarantee with manufacturer.
Their repairer simply changed the whole drum and outer casing as they said (a) difficult to split the modern types (b) difficult to reseal

Paul Humphries

Post by **alanworland** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:25 pm

Don't give in! Nothing to lose, carefully prise the clips off, but be prepared to seal the whole lot together after with silicone sealant!
Bearings should have numbers printed on (with possibly the seal marked too) If not you will have to measure them.
Our old hoover managed 21 years before passing away! we wrote to hoover saying how well the machine had done, but I think they would rather them all die a lot earlier!
Its all about recycling!

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:47 pm

alanworland wrote:Don't give in! Nothing to lose, carefully prise the clips off, but be prepared to seal the whole lot together after with silicone sealant!
Bearings should have numbers printed on (with possibly the seal marked too) If not you will have to measure them.
Our old hoover managed 21 years before passing away! we wrote to hoover saying how well the machine had done, but I think they would rather them all die a lot earlier!
Its all about recycling!

Hmmm, as the drum is running SILENTLY at the moment, I think the "nothing to lose" moment hasn't quite arrived yet!! But in time, yes that will be investigated. As the Bosch rear bearing (6205) is the same as the MAIN bearing in the Hotpoint aquarius, then I guess the Bosch main bearing is likely to be a 6206, so it should live a bit longer yet!