Kenmore seal

[David G]

I can purchase replacement bearings and a seal locally for my 20 year old washer, but the seal is not identical to the original. It does not have the built in self lubricating system. Is that a major factor in the rebuild process? 

[gle...@hotmail.com]

I have never heard of a built-in self lubricating system for a seal. Can you describe what that is and how it works?

[David G]

The seal has two lips, and in between them there is a space that allows lubrication to flow onto the shaft from a reservoir that is built into the back side of the seal. If you look at normal oil seals, the back is open and usually there is a spring wrapped around the rear lip to put pressure on it. With the lubricated seal, the back has a rubber cover that holds the lubricant in. The spring is not visible.

[gle...@hotmail.com]

Thanks for that information. Do you know what kind of lubricant they use in the reservoir?

My washer has not had much use, but the spider bracket disintegrated anyway. I had made the error of letting clothes soak in the tub. The bearing and seal are in good shape so I don't think I'll replace them. Maybe I''ll lubricate the seal a bit before I reassemble. Do you know what kind of lubricant they use in the self lubricating system?

If I were replacing a bad seal, I would get one that matched the original. Why risk having to tear it all apart again?

My Kenmore washer is model 417.29042991. What's yours?

[Washer Repair]

There is no such thing as a "built in seal lubricating" system. The double lip seals do come pre-lubed. The truth is that if the seal fails then water gets in and even if there was a lube system it would be a waste. The key is a clean and smooth shaft, proper assembly and as long as the bearings are protected (by the seal) from water, the machines will run for a long long time.

[gle...@hotmail.com]

I had never heard of that either. Anyway, I will be using the existing seal since there aren't many miles on it. It is pretty dry do I would like to lubricate it. What seal-friendly lubricant would you recommend?

[Doriane Marshall]

Hello, you may use any  high quality lubricant, such as lithium grease.