GE Profile top load washer - Agitator rotates very slowly with little force, apply downward force to the agitator and it rotates normal. What is the issue?

Normally you can remove the top from the agitator, where you would normally put conditioner, and look down the centre of the agitator and should see a retainer of some description that should be able to be undone by hand.

Hi,

When the agitator on your GE washing machine does not work correctly, the most likely cause is a worn drive bell. The drive bell sits on the agitator shaft inside the agitator. The shaft and the inside of the bell lock together using splines. When the splines inside the drive bell wear out, the agitator will not rotate correctly. To repair the agitator on the GE top loading washing machine, you will need to remove the agitator and the drive bell.

1. Unplug the GE washer from the wall outlet. Open the washer lid to access the agitator.
2. Grab the bottom of the agitator with both hands and pull the agitator out of the washing machine. If the agitator will not budge, rent agitator hooks to pry the agitator out. Agitator hooks are available at appliance repair stores. Set the agitator hooks under the agitator and push down on the handle to pull the agitator off the shaft.
3. Pry off the plug on the top of the drive bell on the agitator shaft with a small flathead screwdriver. Use a socket wrench to remove the hex head bolt at the top of the drive bell. Carefully pull the drive bell up off of the agitator shaft. This may take some force depending on how stripped the inside of the drive bell has become.
4. Inspect the inside of the drive bell. There are splines inside the drive bell that line up with the splines on the shaft. Most often the splines inside the drive bell have worn, causing the shaft to spin but not the drive bell. Also inspect the notch on the outside of the drive bell and the notch inside the bottom of the agitator. If either of these are worn, replace the drive bell and the agitator.
5. Take the drive bell to an appliance repair shop to purchase a new part. If you need to replace the agitator, take the old one with you as well. Compare the new parts to the old ones, making sure they are identical.
6. Position the new drive bell over the agitator shaft, lining up the splines on the shaft with the splines on the inside of the drive bell. Set the securing bolt back into the top of the drive bell and tighten the bolt down until it pushes the drive bell down until the bell bottoms out. Push the new plug on the top of the agitator bell with the palm off your hand until the plug locks into place.
7. Place the agitator over the drive bell and slowly rotate the agitator until the notch inside the agitator lines up with the notch on the outside of the drive bell. Tap the top of the agitator down with the palm of your hand until the notch on the agitator locks down over the notch on the drive bell. The agitator will not bottom out flush with the tub.
8. Close the washer lid and plug the washer power cord back into the wall socket.

The defective agitator is the cause of the drum not spinning. So get the agitator fixed and it should solve the spinning problem.

Good luck.

Replace the agitator spline plastic gear under the agitator.

80040 dog kit is all you need. The upper portion of the agitator has four dogs mounted inside. As the transmission moves the agitator back and forth these dogs catch the side of the upper agitator. This rotates the fins and makes the clothes tumble on top of each other forcing them into a downward motion. When the facing of the agitator dogs wear smooth the upper agitator will cease to function.
Video:
I have a service manual and more videos HERE

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Normally you can take the top of the agitator off with the use of a screw driver or by turning couter clockwise. Once the top is off you should see a nut or bolt. Removing this will allow the agitator to be removed.

if the agitator just spins than you have a bad transmition.

This assumes that you have a basic Kenmore / Whirlpool top load, direct drive, neutral drain (it doesn't spin until the pump removes most of the water) machine.

First, see the Sears parts site for your washer:
http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action

Enter your model number (###.######) and you'll see a list of major sub-components with diagrams and parts.

Some Kenmore washers have a two piece agitator. The lower section will rotate back and forth both ways.

The top section has "agitate Dogs" that allow it to rotate only one way (to keep the clothes moving downward.

If yours has a two piece agitator there shouldn't be a problem.

I had this same problem with our GE top load washer.  I just needed to pull harder.  (Note: The agitator is held in place by about a dozen L-shaped clips in a ring around the agitator's base that will release more as you pull harder on the agitator.)  Everything from the base below the large fins on up comes out together.  Grab the shaft above the fins and pull slowly and hard. I had to take the entire tub out, lay it on the porch, put my feet inside of it, and pull the agitator assembly out.  I wasn't able to pull it out while it was still in the washer.  BE CAREFUL! DON'T **** IT OUT; that might injure your back; just pull out slowly and as hard as you can without hurting yourself.  I was able to get it out successfully, but I am currently stuck at removing the bell below the agitator.  Good luck!

The purpose of the upper portion of the agitator is to push the clothes in a downward motion. As the agitator moves the dogs grab and on the backward srtroke the top portion rotates a quarter turn. In the spin mose the agitator only goes in one direction or your clothes would be torn to shreads.As the washer rotates back and forth, the dogs grab the inner walls of the upper agitator and that forces the clothes into a downward movement to the bottom of the tub. These dogs will wear out. To test whether or not these are bad just grab the agitator while in wash mode. The dogs should advance the top portion easily. If not then they are worn out. To replace them you must remove the agitator and sit it on the floor. Hold the base down with your feet and yank the top upwards. After seperating the 2 pieces you simply install the new dogs and line up the bottom with the top being careful not to break the little tabs on the bottom agitator that hold the top in place.

If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/dan_73bbd84fe1d95b61

look on the inside your agitator makesure it not strip out cauing your agitator be lose might need to replace agitator