1963 Maytag A700S

[322buick]

Good Morning,
I have this 1963 Maytag Model A700S. I've had it for many decades and use for washing my shop towels, etc downstairs [keeps me out of my wife's newer Maytag].
Apparently, the "out of balance" switch did not work one day and it shook 'til it broke the cast aluminum base at the bottom of the washer. I believe it may be called a dampner? At any rate, it's the piece that the three tub supports and springs fasten to at the very bottom.
My question is: Do you think this part is still attainable [at a somewhat reasonable price]?
Thank you,
Mike

 

[polkanut]

Hey Mike,

Where in south Central WI are you?  I'm in Wausau.

 

[322buick]

Hi polkanut,
We are in the City of Fitchburg which it geographically connected to the south end of Madison.
T'care,
Mike

 

[polkanut]

Best friends of my wife & I live in Stoughton.  Welcome to AW.org, and I hope you find the answer to your question soon.

 

[hydralique]

322 . . .

Must be a nailhead!

 

[MaytagA710]

I wouldn't know the answer to ease of availability, but here is a parts schematic anyways! The number is 2-1727 and it is listed as 'damper with pads' The very best of luck finding and fixing!

 

[swestoyz]

The early Maytag dampers have been vacant from the parts shelves for decades. Unfortunately the later post 1965 damper will not work on a pre 1966 machine. At this point a donor 1957-1965 machine would be the best bet to find a replacement. This is the one part you really would not want to break as it is specific to these early helical drive Maytags.

Ultimately, you could take a later center dial Maytag and put your A700 cabinet over the later assembly. I did so on my 700 - took a 1971 A806 washer and put a A700 cabinet over it.

Ben

 

[322buick]

Sorry so late to get back. Been working on the driveway for two days so PC off 'til now.

Thank you all so much for the fast and helpful info. It helps me a great deal!

And thanks for the warm welcomes!

T'care,
Mike

 

[322buick]

Hello,
Just reporting back. After researching this I see that finding a damper will be more than a struggle so I decided to try repairing the casting first. I at first had visions of making up reinforcement brackets to refasten the broken off damper leg. That was until I got it apart. The internal round rubber cushion is tightly against the casting so drilling and bolting brackets is now totally out of the question.

My next thought is to refasten the leg to the casting with some sort of super metal repair product like Power Poxy Weld, J.B. Weld or similar. Anyone have any product recommendations other than those two? I noticed after cleaning and inspection that this damper casting is VERY thin. Amazing for this part to stand up to 48 years of bouncing around is very impressive. So maybe, in addition, putting an extra wide bead of "Weld in a tube" around the outside of the breaks would make it a permanent repair. Of course nothing is really permanent; not even us!

At any rate, I'm sure I'll be very vigilant during spin cycles from now on.

Thank you guys,
Mike

 

[swestoyz]

Hi Mike,

At this point your remedies are not a bad idea as a last resort. I am curious though as to the extent of the damage - did the tub suspension leg actually break free from the damper, or did the damper crack at one of the three points where the suspension leg attaches?

I've seen many of the early dampers crack at the two fingers that hold the suspension leg in place. Rarely have I seen on intact.

Ben

 

[322buick]

Hi Ben,
By "leg" I meant one of the three cast "anchor extensions" that are part of the damper casting. The three tub supports bolt to them. I sent along a photo. I laid the broken piece next to the open wound. This is the inside view of the broken piece.

The piece fits real nice and solid when put back in place. So I figured I would J.B. weld the matching surface areas and let it cure overnight. Then put a wide bead of J.B. all the way around the entire external break area. Then give it 24 hours and see what happens. I am carefully optimistic [

T'care,
Mike

 

[swestoyz]

Wow Mike, I guess my mental picture wasn't quite on par with reality. Let us know how it fairs out.

If things don't go your way, there are always options of swapping out the guts as those dampers are hard to come by. (I feel bad as I threw one out last fall...)

Ben

 

[322buick]

Thanks Ben.
I'll let you know.
T/care,
Mike [

 

[combo52]

OLDER STYLE DAMPER SUPPORT

 Amazingly I have never seen one of these break and I also have thrown several away in the last year. I am sure that I will see more and I will be sure to save some in the future for other folks. The CA900 that I restored uses this part but I drought that it will ever break as this machine will live in the museum with only light use. After all the work of restoring this machine to perfect working order and using it for my laundry a few times it was quite a disappointment, but a cool looking piece of history.

 

[322buick]

combo52,
I found out after I got it apart that this failure was my own fault. My original post stated that the out of balance switch failed to work and was the cause. That's not exactly the case. When I got to the backside of the damper, I found that the bolt that fastens that tub support to the damper had back out and fell off. So there were only two tub supports fastened to the damper thus the nasty failure. Thinking back, I think I noticed the tub was not centered anymore when loading clothes and seemed to go out of balance much easier. Guess I was just to busy with other things at the time to think about what was going on behind the front panel. My Bad. Damn !!!

The wide and thick layer of J.B. Weld is now in place and curing. I won't even touch it for 3 days. Got my fingers crossed.

T'care,
Mike

 

[322buick]

Hello,
Well here's the report. The J.B. Weld repair was a complete failure! Just as I was starting to snug down the bolt fastening the tub support to the damper, the repaired piece broke right off. Barely 5 ft lbs of torque at that point.

All that planning, care, optimism and waiting simply wasted. So I got really angry and grabbed a hammer and started beating an old power steering bracket I found in my shop until I bent it into a curve. Then I started drilling "angry" holes right into the damper casting and the bracket. Then I started cranking big ugly, way too long lag screws, right down through everything. Even stacked nuts on the screws to make them shorter. It was the most ugly, cobbled up thing I've ever done in my life. I planned on just throwing the whole thing away after my anger subsided. I spent probably 20-35 minutes smashing this mess together. That was two days ago and it's now washing it's 5th load of towels and working like a dream.

Go figure. Am I baffled? Man, I'll say !!!

Take care guys,
Mike

 

[autowasherfreak]

At least she's up and running again,LOL.

 

[DADoES]

 
Picture?

 

[322buick]

I suppose I could send a picture but I'd rather not [not proud]. I'll sleep on it tonight, OK? [

Good night,
Mike

 

[322buick]

Ok then, here it is warts and all. I didn't even look for a short lag bolt to pretty it up for "picture day". There is another one just like it on the other side of the tub support.

Have a great weekend guys.
T'care,
Mike

 

[polkanut]

Fingers crossed in Wausau!

 

[322buick]

Thanks polkanut.

I honestly think it's going to be fine. Those bolts are really buried deep.

Thank you all for the help.

Mike

 

[76speedqueen]

As long as it works......

If it makes the machine work okay again and the cabinet hides it,Did it really happen?

 

[322buick]

That's right. It's not like I'm trying to sell it or anything. I'll end up keeping it forever or just throwing it away. Nothing crooked like filling your car's howling differential with sawdust so it's silent for a week after someone buys it.

T'care,
Mike

 

[dnastrau]

Let us know...

...how it works out. I have a '61 A700 that I cleaned up last year that is waiting patiently for its new home once we finish the basement.