Unable to remove washing machine motor

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Siemens washing machine motor difficult to remove for brush replacement

The problem

A Siemens washing machine, about 10 years old, needed motor brushes replacing. The two accessible front-facing motor bolts had been removed, but the motor would not release and there was no side panel access or any obvious rear fixing visible.

Likely cause

The strongest diagnosis in the discussion is that the motor was still tight on its mounting brackets or rubber mounting fittings on the outer drum, rather than held by an additional rear bolt. One reply also suggested the motor might need moving forwards rather than backwards, but this was not confirmed.

What fixed it

Recommended action was to check carefully that there was no third fixing, then disengage the motor from its mounts by moving it off the brackets. The accepted reply advised that most motors are only secured by two bolts at the front and can be tight on the mountings; careful persuasion, such as with a plastic mallet, was suggested if necessary. The exact successful removal method was not confirmed by the original poster.

Checks to try

• Two front motor bolts were removed
• No rear bolt could be located
• Visual check suggested the rear bracket may simply locate onto the drum bracket
• A further suggestion was that the motor might need to come forwards rather than be pushed backwards

Parts or tools mentioned

• Motor brushes
• Plastic mallet