I have a loud clicking / ratcheting noise in my Maytag Washer that I am having trouble diagnosing. It is a single-belt design. I recently replaced the water pump because the bearings were bad (would not turn at all), we did 4 loads of laundry with no problem, but now we have a new very loud noise that sounds like a machine gun. Here are my diagnostic steps:

- Washer on, spin cycle -> makes loud clicking noise, but spins normally
- Turn drum from the inside -> no noise
- Remove the belt and run the motor -> no noise
- Turn transmission by hand -> no noise, no unusual feeling
- Turn pump by hand -> no noise, no unusual feeling
- Turn motor by hand -> maybe some slight clicking, no unusual feeling
- put the belt back on and pull it by hand -> quiet clicking in the motor
- take off hose and inspect the new pump -> no debris found
- turn washer on and place hand on pump -> did not feel any vibrations

It's hard to hear where the noise is coming from, but I put my ear on the cabinet when I still had the front on and it seemed to be from the motor side. It seems to be the motor is making the noise, but I find it suspicious that it makes no noise when not under load (no belt) and that I just replaced the water pump. It seems to be an odd coincidence that two things would go bad in one week.

I do not know if it does it in the agitate mode because we just started hearing it in spin mode.

Do you have any ideas?

I just tried it on an agitate cycle and it still makes the noise. I also probed around with a hose with the other end at my ear to see if I could pin point the location. Nothing obvious. It's probably the new pump. I'll pull it out and see if I can tell if something got lodged in the fins. I'll also see if the company I bought it from wil exchange it. I doubt they will.