How to easily remove Auger from GE Washing Machine GTW460ASJ8WW 

Hi Martin, glad your strap wrench found a purpose in life. 73, WD8DSB

Do you go clock or counter wise ??

Its a hit an miss sadly

Hi John, I believe you meant to say CW, not CCW. I even tried using a large rubber mallet to hit the screwdriver very hard with no success. Others are also having great difficulty using the screwdriver technique. GE actually sells a strap wrench for removal of the Auger but retail price for their strap wrench is in excess of $100, and therefore I purchased the low-cost strap wrench from Walmart which worked just fine.

Just reverse the process (rotate it counter clockwise) but you don't even need the strap wrench as it will lock in place just using your hand.

Did u find out bc mine is doing same thing

@@ashleycox2330 I wasn't level.

Are you rotating it clockwise? If you have the strap located where I show it in the video, and if you rotate clockwise (not counter clockwise), you should have no problem getting it to break lose. If you rotate counter clockwise you will never be successful.

Puncturing the hole is OK, Auger will still be usable. Good luck with the screw driver technique as very few people have been successful using that method.

@@wd8dsb thank you for the reply. Much appreciated. I’m considering on trying the screwdriver method first, only because I don’t have a strap wrench… yet. It sounds like I may just have to make a trip into town to snag one.

I had never heard of agitator dogs before but now looking at what they are I would say you only need to replace the agitator auger as the dogs are just part of the agitator auger and have nothing to do with the agitator base.

No filters on this machine.

I have the same question

Not sure what your question is. With the machine off, the agitator plate, the drum, and the bottom section of the Auger rotate together regardless of direction. The Top section of the Auger rotates freely in the Clockwise direction when moved by hand in the CW direction but it forces all the other components mentioned to rotate in the Counter Clockwise Direction when moved by hand in the CCW direction.

Looking in the manual on care and cleaning there is no mention of a lint filter on this particular model. We have also never seen a lint filter on our washing machine. The only thing mentioned in the manual is the ability to clean the fabric softener dispenser.

@wd8dsb thank you so much for responding. I really appreciate it

The Bolt that holds the agitator plate in place does not come in contact with the auger so I doubt it is what caused any problems with your auger. When installed in the washing machine the auger should be able to rotate in the clockwise direction by hand but not in the counter clockwise direction. When you said your old auger was loose, what do you mean (was it rotating freely both CW and CCW by hand)? Glad the strap wrench worked well for you.

@@wd8dsb yes. the old auger can actually rotate CW and CCW but the CCW was a little rougher, yet still did it. The new one does not. The reason I replaced it is because during a load of wash, it sounded like someone banging inside the washer with a bat during spinning. When the load finished, the first thing I did was reach for the auger and it felt very loose with play in it. I thought that to be the most obvious culprit is why I replaced it. Now it sounds quiet. I just didnt know what could possible go wrong inside an auger for it to do that. The new auger came today. I did a small load of clothes to test it. Now the washer doesnt spin all the way out, like a weak spin not properly getting water out of clothes. haha I am looking at other videos as there appears to be several reasons for such a problem. Im getting some good ideas.

Thanks for the video. What even brought me to research this was the fact that we noticed the auger seems to be extremely loose, in that if you grab the top, it easily moves from side to side. As far as rotation, that seems to be engaging the proper way when it should and turning freely the other way when it should. The entire issue is that it seems so wobbly when you grab the top and move it in any direction . Is this a problem being wobbly like this and how would it have gotten so loose?

@@raymonddevoe7153 the top of the Auger is naturally wobbly in its design and you probably can push its top a quarter inch forward and a quarter inch backward from its resting position.

@@wd8dsb I don't know what have to the audio, but this is what it's doing. So far, it's still working just fine. It's just that we noticed how wobbly it was today. ru-vid.comIno67COyqBA?si=ojl_FSch-wijeSqW

Hi PeteT Mn, If you were able to remove the top cap of the auger then you don't have the same model washing machine as shown in this video. On the washing machine shown in this video the top of the auger is the Liquid Fabric Softener Dispenser which you can remove, but there is another plastic barrier below that which does not allow you to gain access to the bolt which secures the agitator plate in place.

I see nothing in the owners manual that indicates it has any kind of filter other than you might have a strainer in the hot and cold water supply lines that are part of the hoses that connect the washing machine up to your hot and cold supply lines. What is the model number of your washing machine?

You said the platform below turns and if it turns then the entire drum should be turning. You need to have someone hold the drum so it does not turn when you rotate the strap wrench in the CW direction or you can try holding the drum with your free hand to prevent if from turning. At 1:43 in the video you can see my left hand move up to the top of the drum and I was trying to hold the top of the drum with my left hand to prevent it from spinning when I rotated the strap wrench with my right hand.

My bigger problem is the drum walls are not clean I scrub and disinfect but I dont know how to clean the drum walls. The agitator where the fabric softener needs to be cleaned nothing works .??

@@wd8dsb the entire drum is not turning, just the platform piece, this is why I’m removing it.

@@kimberlygriffin2815 same thing is happening to me, trying to figure out a solution now

@@ericjohnson7273 we ended up breaking the auger off.

If you are working on the same model washing machine then the Auger is a two part assembly and you need to use the strap wrench on the bottom section of the Auger as shown in this video. Take a look at where the strap wrench is located by looking at the video showing me take the strap wrench off the Auger and this is where you need the strap wrench.

@@wd8dsb LOL I am really a dumber , should look at the way you show carefully , I was so frustrating with the screw driver and lost my mind when watching your too easy work video . Once again thank you and thank you so much. .

And one more thing I need your advice sir , my washer is not try to Agitate, if I take the Auger out , should I change the bottom plate to make it works or what else, should I do ? I am a retiree , budget is too tight, try to DIY to save some thing that I can. Thank you.

@@nguyenxuandongphuong I’m not an expert on washing machines so the only thing I can suggest is to make sure the bolt is tight that attaches (secures) the bottom plate to the shaft of the motor. You will see this bolt after you remove the Auger. Also note that if you were able to rotate the top of the Auger in both directions by hand then the Auger needs to be replaced as it should only rotate by hand in one direction (clockwise).

In my case I then removed the agitator plate which was cracked in our washer when a glass jar candle accidentally fell into it from a shelf above the washer and then installed a new agitator plate. I then reinstalled the auger.

Putting it back on by hand is pretty easy because there are one way ramps which makes getting it off hard, but putting it back on easy. What is dirty that you need to clean? The only reason I had to take my Auger off is that a large candle in a glass Jar fell into our washing machine and cracked the Agitator, so we had to remove the Auger so we could replace the Agitator.

@@wd8dsb my husband's clothes r full of dust from work. I just figured there was places I should clean out down deep. I looked up stuff n seen the middle thing comes out n thought it would make sense 2 clean under there lol. Do u think it would b bad idea? I bought it new bout year ago. I very seldom miss a day of washing clothes. Is there anywhere else I can open up 2 clean or do 2 keep it n good shape.

Hi Marie, I personally would not remove the Auger unless you need to replace it. The one way ramps that I mentioned will get a little worn out each time you remove it and eventually they may get so worn out that you will have to replace either the Auger or Agitator (The Agitator has the one way ramps that I mentioned).

@@wd8dsb is there anywhere else I should open n clean like any filters? That probably sounds stupid if it doesnt lol. Thanks 4 replying earlier.

I had to remove mine so I could replace the agitator plate that cracked when a candle in a glass jar fell off a shelf and into our washer which cracked the agitator plate.

What model number is your washing machine and did you try removing the auger with a strap wrench?

@@wd8dsb none of those options yet it’s a he gtw335asn1ww

@@wd8dsb on the agitator only the top piece for the softener comes apart for cleaning and you see all the water and gunk in there!

@@ricardodesouza7229 please answer my previous question.

@@wd8dsb I thought I did just replied with model #

Clockwise is the correct direction and I corrected myself in the video but can see how it was not clear when I corrected myself. What is the exact model number of your washing machine? The strap method is the official method per GE (as long as you have the correct model of washing machine).

@@wd8dsb Thanks for responding. Yes, I have the exact same machine. The only thing I can think of is that because my son went counterclockwise first, he tightened it so much than now the strap isn't enough to get it to go the other way. The strap just slides. Any suggestions?

@@rok4277 The way the auger is design there is no such thing as being too tight. Make sure the strap is not too wide. Take a look at the video showing me remove the strap from the auger and make sure that is exactly where you locate the strap. If you secure the strap properly you will definitely be able to remove the auger. If the strap is slipping then you have not properly secured the strap within the strap wrench.

Not sure what you mean by the "wash plate". The agitator which is the bottom plate (plate below the Auger) has a nut which you can easily remove after you remove the auger per this video. You have to remove the Auger in order to gain access to the nut that holds the agitator in place.

@@wd8dsb once the agitator nut is off, it is the wash plate that many techs are having issues removing

@@ClemmyHunter I had no problem getting mine off. On my model which is the one shown in this video there is just a nut that holds it in place, but had to remove the Auger as shown in this video to get to that nut. I just had to remove the nut which then allowed me to lift the "wash plate" up and out of the washer. I went back and looked at the part name for the "wash plate" when I replaced mine because ours broke when a candle in a heavy glass jar fell into our washing machine from a shelf above and cracked the "wash plate", and it was called the "agitator base". Just FYI, Don

@@wd8dsb in our repair shop, and from complaints we hear from other techs, is the lower part of the agitator is the problem... we don't even remove the top half, just use a socket extension to get at the 7/16 nut. But we have to fill the tub with hot water a few times to free the wash plate/ lower agitator, plus use penetrating grease.

@@ClemmyHunter Hi Clemmy, if you use an extension socket to get to the nut then you are not working on the same exact model washer shown in my video. GE changed the top of the auger design where there is now a solid piece of plastic under the softener dispenser cup which does not allow access with an extension and you would have to drill a hole through this piece of plastic to allow an extension to pass. Much easier to just use a strap wrench to remove the Auger to get to the nut on the model shown in my video.

Just opposite on how you took it off but you should be able to put it back on without the strap wrench.

We had to take it off so we could remove the agitator plate. We had to replace the agitator plate because a very heavy candle in a glass jar fell off a shelf and into the washing machine and it cracked the agitator plate.

@@wd8dsb do you by any chance know where the filter is? Mine smells like eggs and I’ve tried cycles with bleach , vinegar, cleaning tabs etc and no luck.

Hi Pedro, The official procedure for removing the Auger for this model of washing machine is indeed a strap wrench which they sell for slightly over $100 but it's just a simple strap wrench, nothing special. Good Luck.

Hi Kelli, on this model and similar newer models you can remove the fabric softener but there is still another detail that is part of the Auger that does not allow you to get to the nut (you would have to drill a hole through the plastic details that are located below the fabric softener), and even if you can get to the the nut it just allows you to remove the entire agitator with the auger still attached. You still need to detach the Auger from the agitator. GE actually sells a strap wrench for this task, but the list price is over $100. Just FYI, Don

What size is the nut? I can’t seem to get my auger off to get at it and can’t find socket to fit! Please help!

@@wd8dsb well mine is only 2 years old. Had no problems. Didnt have to drill any holes.

@@kellismith9088 Then you must have a different model number. Some of the other model numbers allow access as you mentioned.

Do you have the same model number washer (what is the model number of your washer)? Are you putting the strap wrench on the bottom section of the Auger (you can see where my strap wrench is located when I show taking the strap wrench off the Auger after I have removed it).

@@wd8dsb oh my I just realized instead of an 8 before WW its a 9

Same for me. My base spins with the auger. Did you have any luck getting yours off?

@@03plus03 nope, and my wife's not very happy haha... thanks for the reminder though! I think I'm going to have to cut it off

Same! I held the scrubber in place with my feet while using the strap wrench and nothing! I think the problem for me is having to use the strength of both my hands and my legs

Make sure you have the same (or similar) model washing machine as not all GE washing machine models use the same method of attaching the Auger to the agitator plate. Also make sure you are turning the strap wrench in the clockwise direction (when looking down from the top of the washing machine) as you will never be able to get it off if you are trying to rotate counterclockwise. The official GE tool to get the Auger off is indeed a strap wrench for this particular model washing machine. The screwdriver method is near impossible and I would never recommend it.

@@wd8dsb my agitator just spins freely, I've been trying to fix this damn thing for months, any suggestions?