1961 Maytag A700 clean up questions (kinda long)

[dnastrau]

Greetings everyone:

I am slowly cleaning up that A700 that I picked up a couple of weeks ago and have come up with several questions:

Does the gray rubber bleach inlet/screen/hose assembly just pop out of the top of the machine for cleaning? I don't want to break it as it is still in good shape - just gunked up. Plus with my luck it would be NLA. I can get it to move around but so far no go for removal. (At least the bleach tank inside the cabinet came off and apart easily and cleaned up like new.)

I got my new belt kit today (OEM drive and pump belts came from Mexico and China respectively - aaaagh!) along with the motor carriage springs and rollers. After looking at the motor and existing springs and rollers, it looks pristine. The motor isn't even dusty and it moves back and forth easily on the carriage and the springs seem fine. As a matter of fact the springs look like new and the rollers still have whatever light coat of grease was used still on them. Is there any reason to change them? I am really leaning toward just putting on the new belts.

How can I get the lid off without breaking something and/or losing the nylon hinge balls? I think it is supposed to pull off but I don't want to get rough with it. I need to remove it because the lid switch is stuck in the "closed" position. Hopefully it is just gunked up and not broken.

Is the tub light bulb something that I can source locally? Once the lid switch is working I can test it. The lens is still there (hooray!)

Is the top cover of this machine hinged like '66 and down or does it have to be pushed back and lifted off after the front top bolts and wires are removed?

Has anyone had any luck repaining the white letters on the console buttons? They are embossed in the plastic and the embossed part is still well defined - just the white paint is worn. These button kits seem to be NLA now unfortunately; most web sites list them as "special order." So far when I ask about anything for this machine listed that way it turns up NLA.

The worst part of the machine is the rear part of the base where there was a leak at some point and it got rusty. At least it did not appear to be leaking when I picked it up. I have dissolved/loosened up a good bit of it using "Evapo-Rust" rust remover, but some areas are still pretty pitted. For now, I am not going to do any more but will treat it and paint it with a close match gray paint. Any suggestions on a close match? Rustoleum gray enamel, etc...

I pulled the agitator off easily (whew...) and realized that it was replaced (1979 date on the bottom.) It is a black poly Power Fin; the bottom has no baffle and looks like it never did. Is that typical of the replacements? I thought these were supposed to have a baffle but maybe that was just the older Bakelite ones.

I read the archives about transmission top bearing/shaft issues from lack of lubrication over time. This one moves easily and I want to keep it that way. Has anyone tried to wick some turbine oil down the shaft while running the machine on agitate with no water? just a thought...

The base pivot where the felt damper pads are seems to be OK and the tub moves around quietly. My thought is to leave these alone for now. Any reason to replace them? My thought is to let it be.

I plan on a water test tomorrow - wish me luck! Hopefully that #$@!^% expensive/somewhat scarce three-solenoid water inlet valve is OK. I will post results.

Sorry for the long post... Thanks in advance for any advice as always.

Andrew S.

 

[qsd-dan]

Does the gray rubber bleach inlet/screen/hose assembly just pop out of the top of the machine for cleaning?

Yes, but you must first remove the plastic strainer before it will pop out. Maytag used very high quality rubber for these so don't worry about it breaking.

Is there any reason to change them?"

Just make sure ALL 4 rollers are rolling. I've played with several carriage rollers that "felt" fine, but once you rock the carriage and get a good look at all 4 of them, only some of rollers were rolling. The others were too worn and remained static.

How can I get the lid off without breaking something and/or losing the nylon hinge balls?

Don't be afraid to get rough with the lid. It's necessary to get it off. From every Maytag lid I have taken off, the hinge balls always fall into the tub once the lid is removed.

Is the top cover of this machine hinged like '66 and down or does it have to be pushed back and lifted off after the front top bolts and wires are removed?

The top is NOT hinged, so be careful there. '66 is the first year of the hinged tops.

Is the tub light bulb something that I can source locally?

I get mine from True Value. They fit and look like factory. It's a common bulb.

Has anyone had any luck repaining the white letters on the console buttons? They are embossed in the plastic and the embossed part is still well defined - just the white paint is worn.

There are a few members who have had very good luck repainting the letter.

These button kits seem to be NLA now unfortunately; most web sites list them as "special order." So far when I ask about anything for this machine listed that way it turns up NLA.

The buttons and switches occasionally pop up on Ebay both new and used. They were last used in 1965, that's why they're so hard to come by. Maytag did make them available up until 2002 or so, but people like me have been hoarding them the last few years

The worst part of the machine is the rear part of the base where there was a leak at some point and it got rusty. At least it did not appear to be leaking when I picked it up. I have dissolved/loosened up a good bit of it using "Evapo-Rust" rust remover, but some areas are still pretty pitted. For now, I am not going to do any more but will treat it and paint it with a close match gray paint. Any suggestions on a close match? Rustoleum gray enamel, etc...

I sandblast, powder coat, and clear coat all of my bases so I can't really help you out there. It would probably be best to remove the cabinet and go to town on it.

I pulled the agitator off easily (whew...) and realized that it was replaced (1979 date on the bottom.) It is a black poly Power Fin; the bottom has no baffle and looks like it never did. Is that typical of the replacements? I thought these were supposed to have a baffle but maybe that was just the older Bakelite ones.

Your machine originally came with a Bakelite agitator, but it was obviously replaced at some time. The only way to get a hold of one is to pillage a machine that has one. Even then, those f#$%ing agitators love to break during the removal process. Ask Revvinkevin ;P

I read the archives about transmission top bearing/shaft issues from lack of lubrication over time. This one moves easily and I want to keep it that way. Has anyone tried to wick some turbine oil down the shaft while running the machine on agitate with no water? just a thought...

Not possible. Gotta disassemble the trans and remove the top shaft.

The base pivot where the felt damper pads are seems to be OK and the tub moves around quietly. My thought is to leave these alone for now. Any reason to replace them? My thought is to let it be.

The damper pads themselves may be good, but I would certainly lube them up or you WILL be replacing the damper pads (they'll rip off the base due to lack of lubrication during the spin cycle). No telling how long Whirlcrap will be make the damper pads available. Probably not too much longer.....

 

[dnastrau]

Thanks Dan

I really appreciate your responses! At this point I will complete my clean-up effort to at least get it up and running. I am hoping to avoid a full tear-down for the moment - too many irons in the fire already around here!

Andrew S.

 

[goatfarmer]

What buttons do you need, and what color are they? Gray? I have a few set back, let me know.
In 20+ years of messing with Maytag's, I've had 1 hinge ball break when removing the lid. They're pretty durable.

 

[dnastrau]

Buttons

Hi Kenny:

Yes, the buttons are very dark gray. They are in very good condition - except for the lettering on some of them where the white paint has worn off. I am going to see if I can repaint them before I try to replace them. Hold onto the ones that you have for now. Thanks for the offer!

Andrew S.