After studying online how-to videos, I replaced the refrigerator door closing cams on my Whirlpool Side-by-Side Refrigerator/Freezer, Model ED2YHGXLQ01, because the door wouldn’t stay shut. I also noticed that the top of the refrigerator door was ~1/4" lower than the freezer door. Although the refrigerator door now stays shut, it also makes a loud CLUNK noise when the door is opened greater than 90 degrees. I’m guessing that this has to do with the teeth of the upper and lower closing cams slipping past each other, but I’m not sure how to fix it as the cams are screwed into place and don’t move. After applying about 1 teaspoon of white lithium grease to the teeth of the lower cam, the door stopped clunking and operated smoothly. This lasted for a short time until the lithium grease got squeezed out from between the closing cams, then the clunking began again. I re-watched the how-to videos again but haven’t figured out what I’m doing wrong. Can anyone advise how to fix the clunking? Here are the steps I took to replace the refrigerator door closing cams:
- Removed everything from the shelves in the refrigerator door.
- Removed the refrigerator door by first removing the 5/16" hex head screw that holds the white plastic cover over the top door hinge parts on the top of the refrigerator.
- Next, removed the three screws that secure the silver metal plate under the white plastic cover. Did not remove the center screw.
- Lifted off the metal plate, which has a metal post pointing downward that inserts into a hole at the top right of the refrigerator door. The door pivots around this metal post.
- Laid the refrigerator door on the ice chest that I put the food in from the refrigerator door.
- The upper closing cam (P/N W2182179) is located underneath the refrigerator door at the bottom right. The old upper closing cam was missing. I think this is why the door wasn’t staying closed and why the refrigerator door was lower than the freezer door. Inserted the black tubular part sticking out of the new upper closing cam into a hole at the bottom of the refrigerator door.
- Screwed in the 5/16" hex head screw that goes through the hole in the flat part of the closing cam to attach it to the refrigerator door. The side of the cam with the teeth face downward; these teeth will sit on the teeth of the lower closing cam.
- The black plastic lower closing cam (P/N W10329686) is attached to a metal bracket at the bottom right of the refrigerator, just below the refrigerator door. The metal bracket is screwed onto the refrigerator frame (not the door). I did not need to remove this bracket since it was accessible by removing the refrigerator door.
- The hole in the lower closing cam with the teeth around it slips over the metal post sticking up from the metal bracket. (Teeth side facing up.) A 5/16" hex head screw goes through the plain hole in the cam without the teeth around it; this secured the lower closing cam to the metal bracket, which has two holes in it. The screw for the lower closing cam goes through the hole on the left of the bracket (when facing the refrigerator). While the lower closing cam wasn’t broken, I went ahead and replaced it as well so the two closing cams were of the same age.
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Lined the refrigerator door up with the side of the refrigerator to make sure it was hanging straight then lowered it into place before tightening the screws on top.
- I also adjusted the leveling screws in the bottom front behind the grill to help adjust the doors.
- I didn’t have any of the recommended silicone lubricating grease to apply to the cams. The rep at my local Home Depot found they didn’t have any silicone lubricant grease in stock and said I could use WD-40 Silicone Spray instead. I already had some of this so I sprayed it on the cams. Unfortunately, the silicone spray did not provide enough lubrication to allow the teeth of the two cams to slide smoothly across each other as the refrigerator door opened and closed. The door made a loud clunking noise each time it was opened past 90 degrees. It sounded like something was about to break.
- I got some multi-purpose White Lithium Grease. I removed the refrigerator door again and squirted a big blob of white lithium grease on the teeth of the lower cam. After reattaching the door, I found that it opened and closed smoothly and quietly. Unfortunately, the lithium grease squirted out the sides and the refrigerator door now loudly clunks again. :smack:
I’d appreciate any suggestions on what I can do to fix this. Thanks!