Apparently this was too many loads for the poor washer to take. The first load went ok. The second load was sounding kind of odd, where during the spin cycle it was shaking a whole lot (for a load that's not as heavy as the first). I stopped it to check that it wasn't off balance, and everything looked good.
When the third load started it seemed fine, but I had gone down to the basement when the spin cycle was going and didn't hear the really awful clanging until I came back upstairs. It stopped shortly when the cycle ended and when I opened the lid, I found the agitator filter had detached and scrapped along the edge so much it left plastic pieces all along the well opening.
I took the part to Sears and asked how much it would cost to replace it. The part itself isn't too bad, but not knowing whether the original clanging was indicative of a larger problem, and why there's this oily residue all over the place, tells me I might need a technician to come out and make sure there's nothing else wrong. Given that will cost a pretty penny, after the part is added, it's already half the cost of a new front load washer.
The unfortunate thing is, I currently have a connected stacked washer/dryer, so I can't replace the washer without replacing the dryer. Sigh.... I guess it's time to buy a new set of washer and dryer. This time, I'm going for separate washer and dryer so they can be independently serviced and replaced.
