You may need the help of a friend or family member for this: Tilt the machine back far enough to access the belt. Remove it and turn the large white pulley counter clockwise. As you're doing so, have your helper look to see if the agitator is moving. Now turn the pulley in the opposite direction and have your helper see if the basket is spinning. If yes to both tests, you probably installed the thrust bearing correctly.

The belt should be somewhat loose in fitting. This is Maytag's way of eliminating a clutch in the mechanical operation of the machine. If it is too tight, it is either the wrong belt, or there is a problem with the spring loaded sliding motor base.

The motor should pull no more than about 22 amps for the first 1/4 second of start-up, and somewhere between 5 and 7 amps while running. Any more than this should indicate a motor problem.

It sounds like either there is excessive wear in the transmission, or the cam in the thrust bearing kit isn't making the contact it should. When there is a clockwise rotation on the pulley, the cam ramps the bearing up far enough to release the brake, allowing the machine to spin. It's the brake that makes it difficult to physically turn the basket by hand. Did you save the instructions that came with the kit?

ok I put it all together again.. this time with the thick adjusting washer instead of the thin one

still the same
the brake adjustment does not go as they say, it says to turn the pulley counter clockwise until the brake starts to release but it's just the same no matter how far I turn it
do you think I have too much pressure on the thrust bearing or not enough?
I ran it through a cycle and it agitates and rinses perfect
but when it spins, the basket stays still and the motor/pulley is turning really fast counter clockwise
is it possible the brake is still on and that's why it's not spinning?
maybe there is some part that is missing?
I'm lost :D

Shoulda clarified...It's a matter of perspective. I just assume once you see the action in one direction, you have enough sense to know to turn the thing in the opposite direction to check the other function.

It's a rarer thing on a washer, but it sounds like the tranny's the problem. During agitate, the spinner should remain stationary. Check with Tech Support...depending on its age, the transmission can still be covered by mfgr's warranty.