Whirlpool Washer-changed coupler- now have soot & burned rubber smell

[awalters]

My 11 yr old washer made an awful whinning noise & stopped agitating during wash cycle. I finally got the water to drain out & I changed a bad coupler per the great info I got on this sight.  Thought I had it in the bag. I ran a test load with just water to rinse out the machine & then a load of clothes. I should have stayed with the machine (I could hear it running fine), but suddenly I smelled an awful burned rubber smell when it was on the spin cycle. I took the motor off again and there is a lot of black soot-like stuff on the floor and around the case the coupler is in.  Forgive my lack of knowledge- I'm a military wife with a husband away and would like to fix this myself. Am I out of my element here?  If it is the clutch or tranny - how easy a fix is that and is it a job for a novice?  Also, is it worth it to do it myself or do I need to "call the man" as my husband would say?

Model Number: LSR7233EQ0

[Repair-man]

From your description, it sounds like something has definitely locked up. What I generally do is to pull the pump and motor off, then try turning the transmisison lug manually. Things that can cause the coupling to burn could include something stuck between the inner and outer tubs. This you can check by removing the outer cabinet and the tub cover.

It is not uncommon for the gearcase to lock up, so if you cannot turn the drive lug, a new transmission is in order. I would also replace the clutch/brake assembly at the same time to restore the washer to like-new condition mechanically. Replacing the entire assembly is fairly straightforward, and the videos can be found somewhere on this website to guide you along.