Another new toy - 1954 Maytag A4MP

[ken]

After seeing the ad posted in SS on 10/31 I connected with the seller. Drove up Saturday and brought it home. Unfortunately the kick panel is gone. Only about four inches of the cord remains so a new one will be first order of business. Overall pretty nice except for the damage in the top panel and lid porcelain.

I know Maytag's first automatic was the AMP in 1949. There was an A3MP in 53 and then the A4MP in 54. It seems the last number of the year was used to designate the model number? Was there ever a 1 and 2? [this post was last edited: 11/9/2015-17:08]

 

[goatfarmer]

Nice machine!

 

My great aunt had a A2MP Maytag.

 

[swestoyz]

Nice score!  You are correct that the AMP was introduced in 1949. It was produced up until 1953.  At that point the A2MP was released in late 1953 with the adjustable water level control built into the lid handle, with a redesigned agitator incorporating a more sensitive float for the level control (barrel based on the AMP and a rubber diaphragm on the adjustable models).  The AMP and A2MP looked identical otherwise with the same knobs, one piece cabinet, and MAYTAG emblem on the front of the machine.

 

1954 saw the new 101P and the A3MP, both with the water level control found under the lid.  These models featured newly styled knobs and emblems, which is shared on your A4MP.  The A4MP came out at the same time as the 102P, either in late 1954 or 1955, and used a time fill timer and skinny style wringer agitator, which IMO works better in these machines anyway.  The water level control in these can be cantankerous (just ask Mark K!).

 

You can tell your A4MP is a later model as it has the redesigned wash basket with the different hole pattern vs. the earlier hole pattern.  I posted about the differences years ago but I can't find the thread. 

 

Keep us posted as you start to dig into your new find.

 

Ben

[this post was last edited: 11/9/2015-13:39]

 

[wringingwet]

What a Gem

This is one of my favorites. Have fun with it

Philippe

 

[combo52]

MT A4MP

Cool find Ken, the A4MP is a rare machine to find these days, this model was the most reliable AMP style washer MT built because it did away with the troublesome water level control switches in the lid completely in favor of an almost fool proof timed fill system.

 

I had a customer with this machine years ago that had a bad inlet valve and I installed a newer MT inlet valve so she could have either a hot or cold wash and the all cold rinses she wanted, even back in the late 70s people often could not believe how much hot water a top loading washer could use up with warn rinses.

 

The next service call I had to do on her machine was for a sized water pump, on this call I converted the washer to an even rarer A4M by removing the water altogether and running a hose from the outer tub outlet directly to the customers floor drain next to the machine. After getting rid of the two most troublesome parts of a MT AMP style machine this washer was still working when she sold the house almost 6 years later.

 

Ken it looks like your machine may be in pretty good shape once you get it cleaned up underneath, it certainly is not rusty in any event, the needed belt is one of the few parts that is the same as the main drive belt on the later helical drive two belt MT AWs.

 

John L.

 

[alr2903]

I am so glad you rescued this. Of all pieces to go missing the toe kick should be easy to fabricate and paint black. Did the motor run all the time on these time fill models? Was there ever a dryer with the same control layout on the front as pictured on the washer? Best of luck with it. Arthur

 

[frigidaireguy]

AMP Dryer

Yes, Maytag did make a dryer in the same style as the AMP washers. I had one for several years and it then went to another club member. It was gas with a pilotless ignition.

 

[ken]

The timer moves freely but the water temp control doesn't want to turn. Will need some freeing up.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I found one of these in a tiny house in Silver Spring, MD at an estate sale. Everything in the house was sort of tan from cigarette smoke. This washer was down in the basement and not for sale. John was out of town so I could not work a deal to get a replacement machine in there. I did leave a note with Alco's name and phone number, but nothing came of it. Since they would not sell me the washer, I took the owner's manual. In no other AMP manual does it say that if you added an item after agitation had started, you should be sure to push it under water, but then this machine dated from 54-55 and maybe by then Maytag acknowledged that it might not get pulled under by agitation alone.

 

[ken-n-nancy]

Congrats on the recent acquisition and good luck with getting it running again!

So glad to see that our having posted the ad over in the Shoppers Square resulted in your being able to purchase it. It's good to know that the machine is being kept in working order, rather than going for scrap!

Thanks for sharing the more complete photos. I'm really puzzled as to what could have caused the damage to the top porcelain shown in photos 6 & 11, as well as the damage to the underside of the lid shown in photo 9. Any ideas on that?

We're still looking for a comparatively new A806 / DE808 set -- trying to be patient!

 

[ken]

Thanks Ken for posting the ad. If I had to venture a guess as to the damage on the underside of the lid maybe its something to do with the mounting of the hinge? And flexing over the years from pushing it too far back or letting go of it cracked the porcelain? I don't really have a guess on the damage to the top panel. But the pattern is strange. Two rows with three evenly spaced spots.

 

[jetcone]

KEN

That looks like one nice Maytag to have. Congrats. And you have the later tub with the sediment removal system for better cleaning !!

 

We have the same Monitor Tops! Mine is a 1936 too and has the deluxe foot pedal !! I had to put a new capacitor into Charlie last year. I am the second owner, he runs like a top !

 

[ken]

Update on the A4MP

So I got the MT on its side to do some cleaning. And to install a new belt and a Kirby vacuum belt on the water pump pulley. I noticed mine had oil on the main pulley as Ive seen on others posted here. Not having a manual to go by I then realized it came from the black plug in the center of the pulley. I didn't know then but do now that that is the clutch as shown below. Much thanks to David (d-jones) for emailing a few images from the service manual.

Would it be a good idea to drain the old lube and replace with fresh? What oil should I use? Should the clutch be removed to do this? And how would this be done? If not the machine would have to be flipped upside down to refill with the clutch in place.

I also found three pieces (fourth is gone) of cork material about to fall out of place between the top of the damper housing and bottom of outer tub. You can see this as 2-18 in the manual picture. Pic of actual machine isn't mine. Just including as reference to show what Im referring to.

Is that a seal or just there as a cushion to prevent metal to metal contact? Is it okay to test machine with it missing? I can make a new one but obviously some disassembly will be necessary to install.

[this post was last edited: 12/16/2015-19:32]

 

[combo52]

That Cork Material

Is critical to the operation of the damper assembly, without it the machine will go out of balance easily and eventually you will destroy the outer tub if it becomes metal to metal contact.

 

How did you use a Kirby vacuum belt for the water pump?

 

[ken]

Saw here how others have installed a Kirby vacuum belt over top of the cork facing on the water pump pulley. Gives the original 60+ year old cork a break and gives a better grip. Had to do some stretching to install.

 

[combo52]

Kirby Vac Belt On a MT AMP Style Pump Pulley

Very clever, I guess that I didn't know what that belt looked like.

 

[jetcone]

Ken,

that is a NEAT tip for the pump! I'm gonna get one of those just in case for my 101P _Chester A.K.A Katie.

 

So if you have to stretch it do also you something like pliobond to hold it?

 

Smart !!

 

[ken]

Don't think it needs anything to stay in place. I had to really stretch it to get over the pulley. I got my finger caught and had a time getting it out.

The credit for the mod goes to Ben (swestoyz).

 

[combo52]

Kirby Vac Belt On a MT AMP Style Pump Pulley

I would think that you would want to take the orignal cork covering off before installing the rubber belt on the drive wheel, otherwise the increased diameter of the pump drive wheel would make the pump turn slower and reduce the already so-so pump performance on the AMP style washer even weaker.