GE washer, transmission fluid

[LAB]

What weght or type of fluid is required. We don't have a leak but the poor thing is always being used (7 people's clothes), and we have destroyed 1 new one and 2 used ones, now we are on the third used transmission. Seems to be holding for now but I would like to maintain it for as long as possible. My wife likes to fill it right to the top and I've said this is a strain on the transmission with all that extra weight. Is that statement correct?

Model MLC275CW0

[Repair-man]

To answer your question, the transmission is filled with a 60-wt non-detergent oil.

To address the theory that servicing the transmission to avoid problem later is ludicrous. It is not the oil which fails, but the internal gears and bearings.

(No one burns out that many transmissions without some sort of abuse factor figured in. )Besides, damage to the clutch & drive block is more likely that outright transmission failure. Regardless of the number of persons using the machine, if it is not overloaded, this kind of damage would take years to occur.

[JWWebster]

I looked up the model number and had no luck.
I do know those new GE washers did have a recall on them lawn mower transmissions.

[pogoattaq]

Howdy Repair-man,
      Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I just wanted to check which transmission the 60w non-detergent oil is for.  I could not find the OP's MLC275CW0 machine in a search to see what kind of transmission it has.  I have a GE WPSE4200A0WW top loader washer with I believe, a WH38X10002 transmission.  Do you know what oil this transmission takes?  It all spilled out of mine through a bad top oil seal, while I took it out to replace the water logged bearing at the bottom of the transmission.  Do you happen to know when I can find a replacement oil seal for the one where the shaft to agitate comes out of the transmission?  Do you know if there is an oil seal at the bottom of the transmission?  Thanks so much to you, or anyone else who can help me out!

[Repair-man]

I have seen lower viscosity oils used, but it runs fine on a synthetic (Mobil 1, etc) Go with at least a 40-wt variety. As longe as the tub seal is replaced (bearing, too), then this is the only entry point for water. Once water penetrates the seal, it displaces the oil inside the gearcase. Be sure to remove all contaminated oil even if you have to open the gearcase. Form-a-gasket in blue works when you reassemble the halves.

[pogoattaq]

Howdy again Repair-man,
Is the non-detergent you specified in your earlier post important?  There doesn't seem to be any ND in the autoparts stores around me, and it is slimmer picking online as well.
Also should it be motor oil or gear oil?  I did a little reading up that the viscosity numbers of motor and gear oils don't line up.  I can find some SAE 50 synthetic motor oils, SAE 60 motorcycle oil.  The lowest viscosity gear oils I can find are 75w-90.
Thanks for the advice on the blue RTV.  I have some one hand, but will still try to avoid having to open the case!  I hate to open up a box of gear when I don't have a diagram to fall back on, but I understand that water in there is no good.  Thanks again!

[Repair-man]

Let's not try and be picky when you are going the cheap route, instead of buying a new or rebuilt transmission. Synthetic oil is non-detergent, so go that route. Good luck.

[AppTek]

GE used to sell it under part# WH60X18. Check with a local small repair or parts shop. They may have some left. GE discontinued it.

[pogoattaq]

I ended up going with Valvoline SAE 80W-90 Conventional Gear Oil, limited slip in my WH38X10002 transmission.  It has been working well for the last 6 months.  I am certain that I have vastly overfilled it with oil.  I filled it until it came up to the bottom of the fill hole.  I think it was somewhere between 16-20oz.  Only later did I read in the technician's manual that this transmission came with only 4oz of oil!  Again it seems to be running well, to my untrained ear.
Repair-man, 90 weight gear oil appears to be equivalent to somewhere around SAE 40-60 motor oil.  Also from my reading gear oil should be non-detergent as a rule.  I was also able to find some discussion about why detergent oil is bad in an unfiltered system.  Basically the dirt held in suspension by the detergent abrades the gears by acting like a lapping compound.

To share some answers I found to my own questions:

For the oil seal at the top of the transmission I found a TCM 06102TC-BX from Dichtomatik to do the trick.  I had orderd it from MSC Industrial -  5/8 Inch Inside Diameter, 1/4 Inch Thick, TC, Automotive Shaft Seal.   I filled the inside of the oil seal with grease for installation.  I did not look for a bottom oil seal, since the transmission held the oil I poured in.  It must have been in good shape, since it hadn't been constantly attacked by the bleach and water leaking from the destroyed tub seal.

A note about the tub seal.  I had installed a new tub seal for reassembly.  The mating surface of the plastic tub looked good.  The seal leaked!  Luckily I came across someone who recommended Indian Head Shellac.  It worked like a charm and the tub seal has not leaked since.

What lead me to doing the repair was a growling transmission bearing.  Its oil had been washed away by water leaking through a destroyed tub seal.  I came across this great guide to replacing the bearing on the so-called non-serviceable transmission!  It was pretty quick and easy to access and replace the transmission bearing.