I have a kenmore HE3 washer and the drum pulley is loose with the nut is tight. removing the nut can see the pulley dose not fit on the shaft tight. The shaft has a flat on each side and the pulley diameter has one point contact edge for each flat on the shaft, but is a loose fit. looking at the pulley on the shaft with out the nut on, I can see the shaft surface the nut bears down on is very slightly out from the pulley bear down surface. The bearing dose not look damaged. any thoughts on what I need to do to get the pulley tight. New pulley? new bearings? please help Thank you all.

You have the problem. Replace the pulley. Here is the part to order.

The first thing to determine is if the pulley is loose due to wear on the pulley or if the spin bearing in the outer tub is bad.

Remove the belt. Make sure the nut holding the pulley in place is tight.
Wiggle the pulley while shining a bright lamp on it.. is it loose on the shaft or is the shaft moving.
If the shaft is moving.. outer tub needs to be replaced.. and in some cases this means the spin basket as well.

If you remove the pulley..and the inside mating surfaces which are flat on two sides are worn or rounded off.. bad pulley.. the retaining nut may not have been tightened properly.. or it became loose up over time,

However the black dust means the belt has been slipping ..some dust is probably normal due to age.. rubber breaks down..but a lot of dust means friction.. which means something is not turning as freely as it should.

So it has to be a loose retaining nut, worn pulley..or worn failing outer tub bearing.. I am afraid it's more than likely the last one.

Sears Parts Direct will have diagrams for your model..

Best of luck

You replace the entire drum assembly with the bearing already installed from the factory.

If the pulley doesn't fit the shaft anymore, it may have sheared a metal key between the shaft and pulley center. If it did, you may have to replace both the key and pulley. If the key is intact and the set-screw is only loose, just tighten the screw and you're home free. Make sure the belt has not been damaged--replace it if so. The belt should be fairly tight when things are back together.

remove the top cover and lower rear cover. loop the belt over the motor shaft and then around the drum pulley, this will probably only go round halfway as it is tight, hold the belt to the pulley by turning it rather like putting on a bicycle chain.
when it's on make sure it runs centrally round the pulley adjusting the position on the motor shaft if needed.

Your problem may not be a broken spider assembly. My Kenmore Elite (model # 110-42822-203) had a kocking problem as well. After taking the back off, I discovered that the nut holding the pulley to the drum shaft (on the outside of the outer basket) was slightly loose. I simply re-tightened this an the knock went away. The pulley was shifting on the shaft ever so slightly, leading to the knock. Cost of fix: $0. :-).

I have a Whirlpool Duet HT washer [12-4-2003] and I'm on my 3rd pulley and 4th belt. I am convinced This is a inherent design flaw. I've used Loc-Tite and the nut loosened, but the last time I used gorrilla glue. The nut didn't come loose but the pulley failed and now I need giant vice grips or I may have to cut the nut off with my Dremmel. My hypothesis is when the drum is overloaded it puts stress on the shaft/pulley connection and the softer metal gives way. Over time the key becomes rounded and the pulley starts to wobble, thus leading to belt failure. My next version. Im considering drilling into the shaft and installing a cotter pin to keep the nut from backing off. Either way the problem originates with the pulley design.
PS. I will never buy another whirlpool product.

A loose inner drum usually indicates a failed rear tub bearing. The only solution is to replace the rear half of the tub. (which contains the bearing).... You can check if the pulley nut has come loose by removing the rear panel. There is a large nut that retains the belt pulley to the shaft of the basket.

Remove the pulley nut and pulley. The pulley should have a round hole with two flat sides that ride on a shaft. If the flat sides of this opening are damaged the pulley will not stay tight and will rattle. Try tightening everything down. If you can grab the pulley (like a steering wheel on a car) and turn it back and forth on the shaft, there shouldn't be any "play" in it. The whole drum should turn. If this is the case, replace the pulley and nut. I hope this helps you.

Scott, the pulley should be tight, no play, Check to see if one of spokes are cracked on the pulley. I do believe that you have a 5 year warranty on the bearings on this machine, parts only. It's a huge job to replace the bearings on this model. Give Sears a call to see if they will cover the parts. You will need the rear tub and bearing kit...Good luck