Avocado Maytag KA606 / KDG606 Parts Machine Pair

[lowefficiency]

The base of the machine looks fine. Not perfect, but infinitely better than the one on our A408, so I'll keep this one and clean it up. The prior owner mentioned replacing the damper pads at one point in the past. The pump is still of the older split type.

 

[lowefficiency]

The outer tub looks to be toast. Rusty pinhole leaks everywhere!
I'm surprised this was even holding water...

 

[combo52]

Holes In The Outer Tub

Hi Dave, That washer had water sitting in it for at least a few years,  I would look for a better machine, maybe use the green cabinet on a better machine if you like this model

 

Its a shame I still see often pretty minty DC and even center dial MTs on the scrap pile every month around here but no one comes and gets them.

 

Sometimes I pull them apart for parts but I already have more dampers and transmissions etc than I will ever need.

 

I do grab the consoles with wiring harnesses and use them to extend the life of some of our older customers machines when they have a timer failure because timers for DC MTs are getting expensive and scarce, but most DC MTs are being trashed with ad transmissions and badly worn dampers where they are metal to metal.

 

John L.

 

[lowefficiency]

Thanks John. I might have mislead with my wording - "so I'll keep this one and clean it up" was in reference to the base plate in particular, not the machine as a whole. I've taken the machine further apart, and it's definitely on the wrong side of the "too far gone / not worth rebuilding" equation. So much so that it's not even a particularly good parts donor. But I'll save what I can.

Have you considered putting some of those spare transmissions up on eBay? Even as-is, they aren't really something that is available on the marketplace...

 

[lowefficiency]

Continuing along... The top of the tub cover looked good... but the bottom, not so much. Quite a bit of rust around the seal line. Some of the discoloration on the underside is rusty / hard water stains, same as the inner tub...

 

[lowefficiency]

The first tub nut refused to release with the tool and a sledge hammer, but the cold chisel made quick work of it.

 

[lowefficiency]

The outside of the inner tub looks to have some evidence of rubbing?
The inside of the outer tub was a nightmare of sludge.

 

[lowefficiency]

The stem also refused to come off the normal way. The setscrew, once I found it, was stuck tight enough that the hex end rounded out before it came loose, so I drilled it out. I ended up using a Dremel to score it, then the cold chisel again to smash pieces of it off until it finally came free.

 

[drummerboy928]

Crusty Outer Tub

Holy cow! That outer tub is absolutely nasty. I thought the inside of mine was fairly bad but it’s nothing compared to the amount of rust and gunk build up inside this machine. Here’s hoping my machines never end up even close to as bad as this one.

 

[lowefficiency]

Yeah, and I don't know how you would ever know without taking it all apart like this?

 

[lowefficiency]

On to the bottom. A ring of greasy dust around the inner perimeter, and the feet need replacement, but otherwise in good shape down here. The belt has been in one position for a while judging by the shape.

 

[lowefficiency]

A peek inside the water pump. My phone shot isn't great, but I'm not sure there are any fins (vanes?) that were not damaged. A number of them were missing entirely. So this wasn't pumping nearly as well as it should have been.

This pump is old enough to be of the split type, so I'll pull the cover and look inside later just for grins.

 

[lowefficiency]

Motor, pump, and transmission pulley removed. It's interesting to me that Maytag gave the half-moon cutout so the water pump could be removed without removing the pulley, yet required the pulley removal for the motor? The set screw on the motor pulley took a 2' cheater pipe on my Allen wrench - I thought it was going to snap, but it came free...

 

[lowefficiency]

Then from here is where things went sideways. After removing the lock bolt and clip, I was able to hammer (with great effort) the brake package removal tool enough to get it to turn. But the brake just wouldn't come free from the transmission. Persuasion from the sides didn't work either - it moved, but wouldn't come free.

So I grabbed my large puller, and put some gentle pressure on it while I tapped around with the hammer. This is NOT a good way to do this, so there is a chance my nylon gear in the transmission is now damaged. I'll find out once I have it apart.

 

[lowefficiency]

... and here is why it was stuck. The large bearing is just completely destroyed. It was rusted/seized to the brake, the inner race seized to the transmission housing, and what was left of the cage was a mangled mess rattling around inside and the balls free to go wherever they pleased. The edge of the outer race had flared, leaving a large sharp edge on the bottom. This must have sounded horrible during spins!

 

[lowefficiency]

Out came the puller again to remove the inner bearing race. This was too far of a reach for my small puller, and the large puller barely grabbed the lip of the race, but it worked.

The socket over the input shaft is what I should have done the prior time I used the puller. I don't know why I didn't think of it at the time...

 

[lowefficiency]

Finally the transmission was free...

 

[combo52]

Maytag washer, disassembly or demolition?

Wow, Dave, fun to take something apart that’s in such bad shape but you’re not going to yield very many useful parts and when you consider how plentiful Maytag washers are not sure, it’s worth the effort but fun.

That washer definitely had some water sitting in it for a couple of years. If there was ever a washer that should be turned into a new Kia. This was probably it lol

But it’s need to see something difficult taken apart. Thanks for posting all the great pictures

John.

 

[neptunebob]

what might cause a Maytag to squeal at the end?

My sister's Maytag is doing that, it is the one I replaced the belts on. Is there something that should be lubed?

that

 

[swestoyz]

Oh my goodness. Dave, this is by far one of the worst outer tubs I've ever seen. But holy cow, look at that bearing! Let's hope that the damper is in good enough shape to make all of this effort worth the while.

Ben