UPDATE 1/31/21:

This ended up failing as well. Has anyone had any success with a problem tub seal remaining seated? Liquid nails? Epoxy?

ORIGINAL:

I have an older GE washer and had to replace the agitator assembly because the main bearing went out. Everything went well until it came to the tub seal remaining seated and leaking water down the shaft. This is the most critical part of the repair. Here is what I tried without success.

-Dish soap and tapping down with a wooden dowel.
-A light bead of silicone around the outside threads and seating.
-Buying a completely new tub seal thinking maybe it was defective.

At this point I had invested too many hours to give up. Here is what I learned and what worked.

If you're washer machine is a bit older like mine you will have a lot of corrosion and dirt to deal with.

Before you start make sure to apply some silicone lubricant grease to the inside circle of the tube seal. Make sure this is silicone and NOT petroleum based grease. This will ensure to maintain a water tight seal on the agitator shaft with the tub seal.

1. Make sure to thoroughly clean the plastic seating the tub seal is going to sit in. Ensure the area is dry. I used a shop vac to pull all the water that had deposited.
2. In order to maintain a proper seal it is imparitive the plastic that makes contact with the seal is clean. I used a little bit of acetone on a paper towel to thoroughly clean the lip. Important to use sparely since acetone can melt/dissolve most plastics. The idea is to take off the crud built up on the plastic.
3. Lightly wipe the outside edge of the rubber seal with acetone. You will see a small bit of black rubber removed. Remember we are trying to create a clean seal
4. This is optional but if your washer is like mine the tub is a bit old and the seal may have been replaced previously so there is a fraction of a gap in the plastic seating where the tub seal sits.
5. Use some rubber shoe cement. First coat the inside edge of the plastic housing where the tube seal outer edge will make contact. Let cure for about 5-10 minutes. Next add some rubber shoe cement to the outside ribbed edge of the tub seal. Let cure for a minute or two.
6. Carefully slide the seal down the agitator shaft and make sure the seal is seated into the plastic housing. You can use a rubber mallet and wood dowel to fully seat the seal.
7. Once you have fully seated the tub seal apply a coat of rubber cement over the edge where the seal and plastic housing meet. This will ensure no water penetrates from the edges and should keep the seal seated.
8. Let cure over night for at least 12-18 hours or what the rubber cement instructions say is the cure time.
9. Last I chose to fill with water on a large load setting and let sit for about an hour to ensure the tub seal was not coming loose.

I hope this helps!

Edited by user Sunday, January 31, 2021 12:00:06 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified