Anyone know how to clean the tub that surrounds the basket without taking apart the whole machine? The machine is about 15 years old, but in great working order, except it smells moldy now. I think I traced the smell to some mold and or something in the tub, but can't see an easy way to separate the two so I can clean all the way to the bottom and the bottom. Thanks in advance.

All I know is that when I have washed dirty garage towels in the washer, it is guaranteed to drive a woman crazy. I found that laundry detergent will remove the grunge from the towels and form a nasty scum on the top of the water. When done I would find a black greasy ring at the top of the inner tub. Obviously this greasy ring adheres to the outer tub that you can't see, and provides a home for microscopic critters to grow. Try running a load of water with a goodly amount of Simple Green (it puts the crud into suspension)
, and some bleach to kill the mold. Might have to do it a couple of times, but it's cheap and easy. Simple Green is great stuff for degreasing, and won't kill your dog.

Thanks for the reply. Dirty garage towels could've contributed, but since I don't have a wife, at least I didn't drive anyone crazy. Was considering just dumping some chlorine bleach in if I couldn't easily separate the tub and basket. I'll use the Simple Green also. And I don't have a dog either, so nothing should be killed. Thanks again.

You might consider pulling off the front or rear access panel off the washer. Check for any leakage at the bottom tub seal. If that is the problem I would advise picking up a good used machine or a new one. I once replaced the seal in a washer. Considering the cost of parts and my labor, I would have been better off getting a replacement. Speaking of replacements; I replaced my woman with a dog and two cats, and now everyone is sooo glad to see me when I get home. (No sexist slur was intended by my last statement, just some levity)

Ahhhh, levity. Always appreciated. No leaks what so ever. The machine is actually in very good shape, and runs well. Thanks again.

You have what is referred to as a "direct drive" washer. Don't worry about the crap that has accumulated at the top of the outer wash basket. Every one, and I mean every washing machine gets this eventually. It's not where your bad smell is coming from. Usually the bad smell in the washer is due to the use of liquid laundry detergent, which bleach will eventually get rid of. If you really want to get the crud out of the washer (running a load of bleach water won't help, since the water level never reaches that high, thus the clean lower 80% of the outer tub), there is something you can try. You obviously figured out how to get the case off, and that was the hard part. The tub top is a white plastic ring that covers the gap between the inner and outer tubs. Release the tabs by applying downward pressure on the tub top and pull outward on the tab without over bending it. After they are all loose, lift the part off. The outer tub is flexible enough to pull it away from the inner basket or use a long putty knife to scrape the yuk out. Once loose, it will fall down into the void, then run a normal cycle with hot water wash to flush it all out. Reassemble the parts noting the one extra wide tab on the left side that ensures correct position. Hope this helps. Cheers.

Thanks. That's exactly what I did. I also dumped in a few cups of bleach with a few cups of hot water, and let it soak overnight. Then I reassembled the washer, and cycled it the next morning. No smell anymore. It was actually pretty easy to do once I knew what to do and how to do it. Thanks for your reply.

If you're using liquid detergent (you didn't say if you are or not), you might consider changing to a granular equivalent. Cheers.