How to Replace Washing Machine Agitator Dogs
To replace washing machine agitator dogs, unplug the washer, remove the agitator cap and bolt, lift the agitator out, swap the old dogs for new ones inside the agitator barrel, and reassemble. The whole job takes about 20 minutes and costs under $8 in parts.
- Time
- 20 min
- Frequency
- as needed (when agitator stops gripping)
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cost
- $5
What you'll need
- 7/16" socket or pliers
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Replacement agitator dogs (4-pack)
The steps
- 1
Unplug the washing machine
Pull the plug from the wall outlet. You will be reaching inside the drum and removing the agitator, so the machine must be fully disconnected from power. No need to turn off the water supply.
- 2
Remove the agitator cap and bolt
Pop off the plastic cap on top of the agitator. On most models it pries off with a flat-head screwdriver. Underneath you will find a 7/16-inch bolt or a plastic stud nut. Remove it with a socket or pliers. Some models use a reverse-thread bolt, so try turning clockwise if counterclockwise does not budge it.
- 3
Lift the agitator out of the drum
Grab the agitator with both hands, twist it back and forth gently, and pull straight up. It may resist at first because of water residue and age. If it is stuck, pour a cup of warm water around the base and rock it side to side until it releases.
- 4
Remove the old agitator dogs
Flip the agitator upside down. Inside the barrel you will see four small plastic cogs (the dogs) sitting in cam slots. They may fall out on their own or need a light push with a screwdriver. Note how they are oriented. Each dog has a pointed end that faces one direction to provide the one-way gripping action.
- 5
Press the new agitator dogs into the slots
Place each new dog into its cam slot with the pointed end facing the same direction as the originals. They should snap or slide into place with light finger pressure. No tools needed. Give the inner cam a twist by hand to confirm the dogs catch in one direction and slip in the other.
- 6
Reassemble and test
Lower the agitator back into the drum, aligning the splines on the drive shaft. Press it down firmly until it seats. Reinstall the bolt and cap. Plug the washer back in, toss in a few towels, and run a short cycle. The agitator should grip and ratchet in one direction. If it still slips, pull it out and confirm all four dogs are oriented correctly.
What agitator dogs are and what they do
Agitator dogs are four small plastic cogs that sit inside the upper half of a top-load washing machine agitator. They are about the size of a thumbnail and shaped like a wedge or ramp. Their job is to create a one-way ratcheting action.
When the motor spins the agitator in the wash direction, the dogs grab a cam inside the agitator barrel and pull the upper agitator along. When the motor reverses, the dogs slip over the cam so the upper portion can change direction with a jerk. That back-and-forth jerking motion is what pushes clothes through the water and gets them clean.
The dogs are made of plastic on purpose. They are the intended wear item in the agitator assembly. When they eventually strip out, you replace a $5 bag of plastic cogs instead of an entire agitator mechanism. It is a deliberate engineering trade-off.
Symptoms of worn agitator dogs
Worn agitator dogs produce a specific and unmistakable symptom: the agitator spins freely in both directions. Instead of the normal jerky back-and-forth ratcheting, the agitator just swirls smoothly. You will notice this in two ways.
First, clothes stop getting clean. They come out of the wash still dirty or soapy because the agitator is not actually moving them through the water with any force. Loads that used to come out fine now need a second wash.
Second, you can confirm it by hand. Open the lid, grab the top of the agitator, and twist. A healthy agitator turns freely in one direction and locks in the other. If it spins freely both ways with no resistance, the dogs are worn smooth and need replacement.
Sometimes you will also hear a grinding or clicking noise during the wash cycle as the stripped dogs try and fail to engage the cam. That sound is the dogs slipping where they used to catch.
The cheapest appliance repair you will ever do
A 4-pack of agitator dogs costs between $3 and $8. The parts are universal across most top-load washer brands. The repair takes 20 minutes, requires no special skills, and uses basic hand tools you already own.
Compare that to a service call. An appliance repair technician will charge $150 to $250 for this same job, most of which is the service fee for showing up. The part itself is still the same $5 bag of plastic. There is no repair in your entire house with a better ratio of cost savings to effort.
You do not need to identify your washer model number or look up a parts diagram. Agitator dogs are the same shape and size across virtually all top-load washers that use them. Buy a 4-pack, pop the agitator out, swap them, and you are done.
Which washers have agitator dogs
Agitator dogs are found only in traditional top-load washers with a center-post agitator. That is the tall finned column in the middle of the drum that twists back and forth during the wash cycle.
The following types of washers do not have agitator dogs:
- Front-load washers. They tumble clothes by rotating the drum. There is no agitator.
- HE top-load washers with an impeller. These have a low-profile disc or plate at the bottom of the drum instead of a tall center post. The impeller is driven directly and does not use a ratcheting mechanism.
- Direct-drive agitator models. A few newer top-loaders connect the agitator straight to the motor with no cam and dog assembly. These are uncommon.
If your top-loader has a tall agitator post that twists back and forth during a cycle, it uses dogs. That covers the vast majority of traditional top-load washers made in the last 40 years.
Frequently asked questions
- What are agitator dogs?
- Agitator dogs are small plastic cogs (usually four) that sit inside the top half of a washing machine agitator. They engage a cam mechanism that lets the agitator ratchet in one direction during the wash cycle. When the motor reverses, the dogs slip so the agitator can change direction with a jerking motion that moves clothes through the water.
- How can I tell if the agitator dogs are worn out?
- The clearest sign is the agitator spinning freely in both directions instead of gripping and jerking back and forth. You can test this by hand with the washer off. Grab the top of the agitator and twist it. It should turn freely one way and catch firmly the other way. If it spins freely both ways, the dogs are stripped.
- Does my washer have agitator dogs?
- Only top-load washers with a center-post agitator use agitator dogs. If you have a front-load washer, a top-load HE washer with a low-profile impeller plate instead of a tall agitator, or any direct-drive model, your machine does not have them. Look inside the drum. If there is a tall post in the center that twists back and forth during a cycle, that is an agitator and it almost certainly has dogs.
- How long do agitator dogs last?
- Agitator dogs typically last 3 to 10 years depending on load size and how often you run the washer. Heavier loads wear them faster because the dogs absorb more force with each ratchet. Replacement is cheap and quick enough that there is no reason to delay once they start slipping.
Products you'll need
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Washer Agitator Dogs (4-pack)
Universal replacement agitator cogs
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