A606 At Last

[sudsmaster]

Just picked up an older A606 today... a pre-'76 model, I think. It has the pilot light as well as the absence of the dreaded "cold rinse" buttons.

It was free, but the previous owner stated that he thinks it may need a new belt, since it's making kind of heated rubber sounds and doesn't agitate/spin properly. We looked at the belts and they do look a bit loose. I'm not sure what genuine Maytag belts are supposed to look like, but I'll try getting some new ones at the local appliance store this week...

Oh yeah, and it's missing the "Small" load level button. Any idea if one can get this replaced?

 

[sudsmaster]

The beautiful control dial

No chance of this baby having its numbers rubbed off!

 

[frigilux]

Wow, what a find! Congrats and good luck loooking for the SMALL load button. She's a beauty. And thanks for the close-up of the cycle dial. Ah, for the simple times...

 

[sudsmaster]

Lint filter in need of cleaning

He wasn't aware it was even there...

 

[Erkjoey]

Congrats Rich! That appears to me to be pre-1971. You should be able to order the button kit from Maytag. Very inexpensive, or perhaps your local appliance parts store may have it. I often get parts from Coast Appliance. Very big in CA. www.coastparts.com
Erik

 

[swestoyz]

Rich!!

You LUCKY dog! That is a 1966 or VERY early 1967 A606!! If you check the serial number the second to the last digit should be a B. It has the early 06 series mesh lint filter, along with the EARLY 8 fin Powerfin agitator! I've been looking high and low for an 8 fin agitator for my 1966 A806 - looks like you have scored. Buttons are available on other free, about-to-be-crushed machines, or possibly check with Maytag. I'll post PN's later tonight. BTW - that dial looks AWESOME!!

Ben

 

[sudsmaster]

The date code is "DB"...

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Date Code


= January 1967

 

[sudsmaster]

Thanks!

I think I was enjoying the flu around that time!

 

[drmitch]

Great find! along with new belts you might check the spring tensioners on the motor and make sure the motor can slide freely in its chassis.

 

[swestoyz]

A606 Panel

Steve,

I've included the parts diagram and list for you.

Ben

 

[swestoyz]

#2

The Parts List

 

[bpetersxx]

Ben do u have the list and diagram for a 606s with the perm press
cycle

 

[swestoyz]

Hey Pete,

No - unfortunately, I do not. Current part list stock for post 1965 is Series 00 (1966) A106 - A906, series 01 A906, then most of the X07, a few X08, and all the X10 - X12. I still have some gapping holes that I'm trying to fill. Anyone else?

Ben

 

[appnut]

Rich congratulations, persistance pays off. I had many hours playing with a washer just like this. It replaced a WI59 Frigidaire that had hoses bust while family was on vacation (hot water). The Myg wasn't as exciting as the Frigidaire, but I still got to do lots of laundry in the Myg.

 

[sudsmaster]

Ben,

Thanks much for the control panel parts diagram and list.

Mitch,

That I will do.

There is some grease splatter under the chassis; I'm hoping that's just from the lubrication for the motor slide, and not transmission grease/oil. We'll see. I'll have to pull off the front panel to take a closer look, but perhaps not till next weekend.

Bob,

Too bad about your hose burst. I make a habit of turning off the water to the washer when I'm through with a laundry session. That plus SS braided hoses gives a little peace of mind.

All,

Looks like I'm going to have to create a laundry area outside of my laundry closet. My former collection of two: Neptune 7500 washer and '78 GE Filter-Flo has been doubled with the addition of the Frigmore and now the A606. And I'm not done yet... would love to have a rigid-mount deco Bendix, as well as a Rollermatic.

 

[appnut]

Rich, thanks for the kind words, but it was some friends of my parents. I mourned when I heard they had gotten rid of the Frigidaire, either early Fall 1966 or 1967.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Hey Suds,
What a find, looks to be in great shape! Be careful, Don't scrub the filter- you can break thru the mesh. Soak it in hot water with vinegar and gently clean it with a toothbrush the next day. To see what's up with the poor action, first tip it up a little and turn the pump pulley. It should be free in both directions. It that is fine, check the motor carriage springs and be sure the motor slides freely. I bet it's one or the other. The buttons come together in a package, Small. Med and Normal. Keep us posted.
Bobby in Boston.

 

[sudsmaster]

I used water pressure

And some good old fashioned hand-rubbing to loosen and remove the bulk of the lint stuck to the filter. It wasn't all that bad. However I notice some stringly lint wound around the top of the agitator post under the lint filter area. How do I remove the agitator to get at that? Just pull straight up?

The belts do seem rather loose to me... and they don't appear to be anything special; they look like typical automotive fan belts. So I'm thinking maybe they aren't genuine Maytag belts? I haven't yet tried turning the pump separately... I will also be taking off the front panel to see if there is grease/oil dripping from the tranny. The previous owner said they hadn't noticed any oil on the floor, which is good.

Later on this week I'll check with my local appliance parts distributor about the buttons and belts and anything else this lovely thing needs. The control panel needs a re-spray to cover up the worn area on the upper right hand portion. Is there any particular color code to ask for? It looks like a sort of cream/off-white. It's interesting that the whole piece seems to be chromed underneath...

 

[fixerman]

The belts will feel loose on a Maytag. They are tensioned by the motor slide. The belts are special fabric covered to allow for slipping as the Maytag has no clutch.
You don't have to remove the front to look for leaking grease. Just tip it back and look at the center pulley.
The agitator just comes off by pulling it up....Ir your lucky. Sometimes they get stuck from corrosion on the agitator shaft and can be almost impossible to get off. If its a problem try filling it with very hot water before trying to take it off.

 

[foraloysius]

Congratulations!! Just a few more machines and your collection is bigger than mine!!

 

[sudsmaster]

The center pulley looks like it has grease on it, which it has flung across the bottom of the washer.

Is that bad?

 

[fixerman]

The leaking grease probably caused the problem. The belts get grease on them an the belts slip too much. To cure it the trans will have to be replaced or rebuilt. I guess I would have to say it is bad. If you can find a donor machine with a good trans that would be the cheapest way to go. They do take a bit of work to replace them though.
Did you get the agitator out? That's sometimes half the battle right there.

 

[sudsmaster]

I have good news, and bad news...

Fixerman,

The bad news first. The agitator is quite stuck onto the post. I'll have to wait until the weekend when I can wheel this washer over to a hot water supply to try to loosen it up.

The good news is that while there is grease flung around the underside of the machine, the transmission itself is spotless, with absolutely no sign of leakage. My guess that the flung grease under the washer is from a previous transmission failure, and that this one is a replacement. This is corroborated by signs of someone cleaning old grease off the top of the base, inside the machine. They probably did that when they replaced the tranny. Unless the trannies leak through the shaft that connects to the bottom pulley, I think this one's in great mechanical shape. Additionally, the outside of the outer tub is spotless - no sign of rust, not even any sign of overflow or dripping.

The motor glides quite nicely on its tracks, and the springs are spotless. There's even some clear grease showing on the tracks. The motor looks original, with the original metal shroud and drip cover. I say this because the motor I purchased to fix an older Maytag (500 series?) came with a plastic drip cover.

Anyway, the belts are genuine Maytag, but are quite glazed. So I will be shopping for new belts, as well as the load size button kit. Before I install the new belts, I'm going to clean all traces of old grease from the underside the machine.

Everything spins easily - the drain pulley, the tub, even the tranny. Well, that has some resistance but that's to be expected, I suppose.

I'll know more after I renew the belts, hook it up to the nearest tap, and give it a workout.

 

[rickr]

Sorry to tell you this,but...

The oil leak comes from the shaft seal,not the transmition seal itself. The oil is from the transmition,however it leaks out via the shaft shown in the photo.

 

[rickr]

and it runs out on the pulley...

Which spins the oil all over the belts,floor and inside the cabinet.

This unit did not leak,but it had sat unused for 30+ years so I had all the seals,and trans. oil replaced anyway.

I guess some guys just switch the nice vintage Maytag center timer cabinet with a "junker donor" machine that doesn't leak, instead of replacing the seals. These machines still seem to turn up quite often,so perhaps that may be an option for you.
Best of luck!
Rick

 

[sudsmaster]

Rick,

Thanks for the information.

I'm still thinking that this machine once had a tranny leak but that it was fixed... there is evidence that there was grease in the upper part of the cabinet, which was cleaned up. Like I say, when I replace the belts and clean up all traces of grease from under the cabinet (and what's left in the upper cabinet), I'll keep a close eye on it and check for any additional leakage. In any case, it sounds like I'll have to run the thing anyway to loosen up the agitator. Some good STPP in the mix could help to dissolve any corrosion holding that thing on so tight.

It's possible the previous owner cleaned up the grease in the upper cabinet... but I think he would have told me. After all, he was giving the thing away. I did ask him if the machine dripped any oil, and he said definitely not.

Also, the belts themselves are not greasy... I don't mind rebuilding this machine if it needs it, but I'm thinking it doesn't need much more than new belts.

Time will tell!

 

[rickr]

I could be wrong,but...

I meant to say the oil leaks UNDER the cabinet,as in the area of the photo posted. The leaking oil would not be present inside the cabinet,only UNDER the cabinet.

If the machine doesn't leak any more oil that might be fine,however it might mean the transmition is out of oil also.

 

[sudsmaster]

seeing is believing...

Here's a shot of the upper cabinet

 

[sudsmaster]

Seeing is believing...

Underside of cabinet... which looks better than the one you say doesn't leak...!