How to Change a Water Pump on a Maytag Washer

Preparatory Work

• Unplug the washing machine from the electrical service. Turn off the water stop-taps and then disconnect the water hoses. If the machine failed midcycle, remove the laundry and then bail out as much water as possible from the drum with scoops or a wet-and-dry vacuum. Move the machine to a location above a floor drain if possible, otherwise position as many towels as possible around the machine’s base, as the remaining water flood out when components are removed.

Identifying the Pump

• Locate the service panel located on the bottom of the washer’s front. Remove the two screws holding the panel in place. They are at the five- and seven-o’clock positions. The water pump is the grey metal, saucer-shaped component below the motor. The pump is attached to a black concertina hose on its right -- this drains from the washer drum -- and a black rubber hose at the back that leads to the drain.

Disconnect the Pump/Motor Assembly

• Remove the forward of the two springs to the left of the water pump. It is attached to the washing machine cabinet’s bottom and the drum housing. Disconnect the two hoses attached to the pump. This is when the water remaining in the machine decants, so have the towels ready. Retract the four bolts that fasten the two pump support brackets holding the pump/motor assembly to the washer drum housing’s underside. Retract the lower pair first. Disconnect the electrical multiplug on the motor’s side.

Removal

• Draw the pump-and-motor assembly toward you out of the washing machine cabinet. The pump is attached to the motor by three #25 torx screws. Use the proper tool to remove them. Before separating the pump from the motor, take a digital photograph or make a drawing of the way the drive belt is routed between the two components. On Maytag appliances, this is difficult to reinstall correctly without referring to a plan.

Installation of Replacement

• The installation procedure is the exact reversal of the steps detailed for removal. Replace the drive belt while the machine is dismantled, as doing the entire job again after a few months to replace a belt that costs only a few dollars is not a wise investment of time.