Even with YouTube repair manual, things may not go as planned

I do believe that YouTube is the instruction manual for everything.

With a quick search of the social media site a person can find a video on how to repair or build anything you can imagine. From car repairs to the owners manual for your coffee maker or any other device you might have on hand that you’ve forgotten how to operate or program. I usually have those manuals somewhere in a drawer but I can look it up online faster than I can find that manual.

I’ve diagnosed and fixed numerous things on my vehicles and I’ve saved myself from attempting other jobs by seeing just how many small parts in tight spaces would be involved

I’ve figured out how to pair my ear buds. I’ve replaced a pickup tailgate latch. I’ve fixed a switch on the dome light in my van. Figured out the reason my air conditioner on that van wasn’t working too good was a cabin filter and I replaced it for just a few bucks. I’ve also watched channels where they rebuilt engines. Interesting to watch but above my pay grade.

My washing machine recently began banging in the spin cycle and worked its way up to bouncing out into the hallway every time I washed towels. Keeping the appliance in its designated cubby hole became important and, besides, it was upsetting the dog and interrupting phone conversations. So I searched it up and sure enough found more than one video with the exact washer I own.

The diagnosis checked out and the cure looked like I could probably succeed. So I invested $30 in a replacement kit for the washer tub struts — spring-loaded rods that slide in from the bottom of the machine.

The parts arrived quickly and I began the job one afternoon. I got the first rod out and checked it against the new one and found out that mine were 24-inches and the rods in the kit were 27-inches. I was able to reinstall the old rod I’d taken out without too much trouble and only one small wound on the back of the hand, so I reordered and returned the wrong parts.

After the new parts arrived and I found time, I got on the job, thinking it would be easy since I had already taken things apart once. It didn’t go all that smooth though.

Sure the guy in the video had the washer he was working on pulled out in an open area in a shop and I was working in a hallway but I think the guy had more arm strength and maybe had the opportunity to edit out the parts where he struggled. He also didn’t bleed or bruise nearly as much as I did.

Even though the washer tipped all the way over and the top fell off, I persevered and despite having to make a few modifications to the video guy’s technique, I soon had everything put back together. I tested it with a full load of beach towels and it stayed in its stall with only a little noise. A regular size load didn’t make any banging at all so I’m marking it up as a win with a savings of probably $600.

Sure hope the matching dryer holds up and my scars heal quickly.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]