Replacing bearings in an automatic machine is a rather time-consuming process, because in order to replace them, you have to disassemble a plastic tank. But a serious problem that may arise already at the first stage of the procedure is the non-separable construction of the latter. Today, owners of modern AGRs of such brands as Zanussi, Samsung, Ariston, and Siemens are increasingly faced with a similar situation. Therefore, in order to replace the bearing, it is necessary to cut the tank of the washing machine. How to disassemble a non-separable part and the better to do it, says the author of the video on the MasterPlus channel.
Tank Disassembly Tool Requirements
According to the master of repair of the AGR, the working device for carrying out this procedure should:
- leave as thin a seam as possible (no more than 2 mm);
- be easily controllable (that is, to make it convenient for them to cut the structure).
Why is it so important, the master explains in a schematic representation of the construction of the washer in the context. In the photo, the black marker indicates the tank, blue - the drum, green - rubber cuff hatch.
After cutting, the initial construction of the SMA is violated, since the inner wall of the cut tank is shifted towards the drum, thereby increasing the gap between the latter and the cuff.
This situation is “not fatal” for SMA, but extraneous noise (“squeaks” from cuff contact with the drum) may appear during washing. This is often found after replacing bearings in Indesit brand washing machines.
Therefore, the thinner the split seam will be, the less likely this situation will occur.
Tool selection
The author of the video picked up seven experimental working devices with which, in principle, it is possible to saw a plastic non-separable part of the washing machine. Their list is as follows:
- Hacksaw with metal work.
- Hacksaw "bevel".
- A grinder with a disk diameter of 125 mm.
- Drill.
- Renovator.
- Electric jigsaw.
- Chain Saw.
Which of these devices will cope with the task better than others, and which one is not just useless, but sometimes not even safe, the master checked in practice.
Practical use of tools
The first device to be tested is a hacksaw for working with metal, which the master uses in 90% of cases.
She coped with the task: the cut was smooth, neat, and also as thin as possible.
The only minus of its use is physical labor.
The disassembly option using a grinder turned out to be fast, but not practical and far from safe.
For the most part, the plastic was not cut, but melted, scattering along the sides. The seam itself turned out to be thick.
The circular saw turned out to be inconvenient in terms of application, since the screwdriver itself (in the process of testing was used instead of a drill) had to be constantly held so that it would not fly to the side.
And the cut itself left by the saw turned out to be torn.
The results of testing the renovator were almost the same as in the case of the grinder.
With increasing revolutions, the power tool melted plastic more than cut it. There is only one conclusion - it is inconvenient and inefficient, and the cut itself turned out to be of poor quality.
It was possible to cut the plastic construction with an electric jigsaw, without making great efforts.
It was convenient and easy to manage. But the author notes that lowering the jigsaw deep down is dangerous because there is a risk of damaging the drum. Therefore, the main thing here is not to overdo it and control this process as much as possible. The seam turned out more or less normal.
The hack saw (with a wide blade and a small tooth) did a good job.
But, as in the case with the first tested instrument, for this the master had to make a lot of physical effort.
The author of the video replaced the chain saw with a Bosch EasyCut 12 cordless mini-file.
The power tool qualitatively and quickly made an incision. The seam was smooth, but wide.
Conclusion
The final results of testing the tools are shown in the photo below.
“Prizes” were played among themselves by a chain mini-file and two hacksaws. It is with the help of one of these three devices, according to the author, that it is possible to effectively cut a non-separable tank of a washing machine and, most importantly, make it safe both for people around and for the device.