Beginning Restoration on Maytag 101P!!

[geoffdelp]

Hi Everyone ... Here is the what I managed to get started on this weekend. I got the cabinet off and started to pull everything apart.

I like the ease of getting to everything; it is all very gunky. You should have seen the stuff come out when I tipped the whole unit over onto the drive. I used the pressure washer to get inbetween the tubs and the basin and there were globs of black gunk that poured out.

The agitator is stuck and I'm afraid I'll have to cut it out. I tried to get the Agitamer underneath, but to no avail. There is so much dirt, etc. under the agitator that the Agitamer won't fit. I'm very disappointed, because I think that this agitator is in really good shape. Red bakelite!! Once I get the agitator off, I can lift out the porcelain tub and clean, clean, clean. The torque clutch and braking system look almost perfect!! No need to disassemble.

I've pulled the motor off and will drop it off to be gone over thoroughly. The pump is fine and you should have seen the stuff come out of it!! GROSS!!!! The hoses are shot, but I expected that.

I'm really enjoying this process and am learning a lot. I can't wait to work on it more.

I have a friend who does electro-coating of metals and will have him do the cabinet and lid. The top console panel is near perfect and cleaned up well with No. 7 white rubbing compound.

I'll post another picture of the base near the water inlet; it's fairly water damaged.

Maytag sure made a solid machine; very heavy!!!

Geoff

 

[geoffdelp]

Base Shot

Here is the base shot. This machine must have been sitting in water; underneath is all rusty. The screens are all plugged.

I am so surprised nobody got electrocuted!!

The front half of the machine underneath looks brand new. The motor was near perfect ... just a light oil film from operation. The power plug was breaking near the plug and wires were soon to be exposed.

I love these "solder-less" connections. Just "plug and play"!!!

Geoff

 

[christfr]

hey cool

i did the same machine 2 years ago and loved it. the machine is fun to work on and great then its done. you should start lookin for a water boot and replace that while you have it apart i learned the hard way on that one.. looks like all your wires are there and thats a good thing. the one i have had all the wires eaten away by mice. i wish you the all the best of luck with it and i know youll love it when its done. if you need any help let me know be glad to chris

 

[lesto]

What is an agitamer? If you cut the agitator out will it be ruined or will you be able to reinstall it? I red bakelite is so rare I hope you don't have to replace it with a black one from some later AMP model.

 

[geoffdelp]

Chris ... I will check out the water boot. I just found out I can buy a new v-belt still through the local Maytag dealer; that's good.

Les ... an Agitamer is a bladder-like device that you insert underneath a stuck agitator and the other end hooks up to a faucet. You then s-l-o-w-l-y allow water into the bladder and as the bladder expands, it raises the agitator off the shaft. I'm going to try one more thing before I think about breaking it; there was an agitator remover that Maytag used for years. It's sort of looks like two small "claws" that grasp the agitator underneath by the fins and then you use a 2x4 as a brace across the tub. Then there is a screw that you twist down and it places pressure on the claws and board and pulls the agitator up ... if I can just get it started, I can use the Agitamer instead. If it pulls off the spline, I know of one more spline still out there. But, if it breaks the agitator, I'm sunk!!

The problem is the stop ring. I'm sure by now it is dried out and very brittle. Once you get the agitator over the stop ring, you have it made!!

Wish me luck!!

Geoff

 

[gyrafoam]

Oh Geoff, I sure do wish you luck with removing that agitator. I know how annoying it can be to have something really slow down the restoration process when you are really going at it full steam ahead!

I hope you will be able to figure out a way to remove the thing without breaking it. If you could just turn the whole machine upside down and using a straw or something to reach under the agitator skirt to spray some P.B.Blaster. Let that run down into the spline area for a while-----well----just a thought.

Best wishes!

Steve

 

[coldspot66]

Geoff,

You could try lubing the Agitamer with liquid soap/detergent and then slipping it under the agitator. Try not to get too much soap on you hands, as that will make it harder to fit it under the base of the agitator. Make sure none of the agitamer is sticking out from the base. Be sure it is all tucked in under the agitator and not bunched up anywhere. Using the maytag agitator puller may crack the base...says so in the service literature that I have. Hope this helps!!

 

[geoffdelp]

Steve ... Thanks!!!

What is PB Blaster? I'll try anything ...

I was even thinking of leaving it and removing the balancing ring to clean and paint it. I can get most of the gunk off the tub with a Brillo pad and elbow grease.

Maybe by just using it for a while with hot water will break up whats underneath the agitator ... I just don't know.

Geoff

 

[geoffdelp]

John ... thanks. I did use Palmolive this weekend without success. It is just too tight because of the "gunk".

I even took a heavy-duty piece of string and tried to "floss" out the icky stuff; it was worthless. I did get some out.

Like I said, maybe if I can just use it with hot water for a while; who knows?

So close ...

Geoff

 

[alr2903]

oh geoff

I hope you get it out, but if the thing works, like it is wash rags, rags, rags with hot water and bleach. I hate to see you loose your red bakelite agitator. I have never restored anything... but I wish you the best with your project. alr2903

 

[gyrafoam]

Geoff

Sounds like you need some industrial strength de-greaser and your pressure washer to shoot a stream under the agitator and get the gunk out. Then after it has a chance to dry-------P.B. "Blaster" is found at the auto parts store. A number of folks reccomended it to me and once I tried it I was hooked! It is the best stuff to loosen "frozen" parts I have tried----and in trying to restore my '55 Unimatic---I've tried them all! The information on the can says manufactured by B'Laster/B.C.C.I. of Cleveland, Oh. Phone# 1-800-858-6605. Once you try this stuff you will be convinced!
Best wishes! -Steve

 

[geoffdelp]

Oh, vey!

Alr2903 ... I will try to preserve it; thank you for the well wishes! I think I will keep "flossing" it with string and tonight I'll try some Brillo pads and scrub, scrub, scrub all around the tub. I can get the balancing ring out because it is fastened to the tub and the screws are quite accessible.

Once I have that out, I can really clean all around the tubs. I looked inside to the basin that I "blasted" with the power hose this weekend and it is pretty clean! That's good.

Hopefully, I will save the agitator. It really is in too good of a condition to lose.

 

[geoffdelp]

Steve ...

Thanks for the info!! I'll stop at the auto parts store tomorrow on my lunch. I've never heard of PB Blaster before.

You're right, if I can just get under it I KNOW I could really blast it out.

 

[westytoploader]

Good luck Geoff!! I am one of the many members that swear by PB--it's really helping out on the 1-18 (which I am working on now)!

The Agi-Tamer is a very effective tool, but may shatter a bakelite agitator, so be careful. However, if you're going to toast the agitator anyway it won't matter...just make sure nothing flies in your face!

 

[goatfarmer]

PB Blaster is in a white can that looks like an infomercial.Says "As seen on TV",in red and yellow letters.Very colorful!

Have you tried baling string,like used with hay bales,to loosen the gunk under the agitator? It's a little rougher,and might break more of it loose.

kennyGF

 

[fixerman]

The agitamer doesn't work well on agitators with the splines on the bottom. I wouldn't use it at all if you want to save the agitator. I have built a tool to remove Maytag agitators that works well on later plastic agitators that have some flex to them. Basically support the inside of the agitator with a steel tuhe the exact size of the inside of the agitator then make a clamp out of 2x4's with cutouts in the middle to match the outside diameter of the agitator top. Use threaded rod and nuts and washers to tighten these two halves together. This will give you something to grab on to. Then used chains attached at 2 points on this clamp. Then used a tripod like device I built myself to place on top of the tub and attached the chain ends to it. If you wanted to try this convaluted method I could make a sketch for you. Or just try making the clamp with the chains attached to either end and use a long 2x4 placed under the chains to try to leverage the agitator out. Hope this maks sense.

This worked well on the later flexible plastic agitators but may be dangerous on bakelite.

Just another idea you might ponder.

Good luck

 

[toggleswitch]

Degreaser?

Try Lye in the form of spray oven cleaner. It is an awesome degreaser. ...I would test it on a sacrifcial piece of bakelite first, though

Barring that:

Ammonia...even weaker still..automatic dishwasher detergent.
This stuff packs a lot of whallop as a degreaser as it very "basic" [oposite of acidic]

GOOD LUCK!

 

[westytoploader]

Looks like you'll definitely need POR-15 as well. Probably the best (although messy) rustproofing paint ever made!

I agree with everyone else; if you can get it working, try agitating with very hot water and DW detergent to dislodge the gunk. Maybe you'll be able to get the AgiTamer in there after that.

 

[geoffdelp]

Update

Good morning, everyone ...

Thanks for all the great advice!! That's what is so wonderful about this forum, there are a lot of people who have done things that work and they are willing to share their knowledge!

I was able to remove the balancing ring last night and the pump without any problems. Now, I've got a straight shot to super cleaning the tub and the basin.

I decided to keep trying to clean underneath the agitator. I forgot all about automatic dishwasher detergent!! That's super "bleachy" and should help. The suggestion to use baling twine to "floss" is great, too. I agree, these bakelite agitators can get so brittle and I'm afraid a brutal type removal will just shatter it. I also don't want to destroy the float system; I understand the diaphragm is hard to come by and difficult to re-install.

Austin, what is POR-15? A vehicle paint? Like a primer? I was going to use Rustoleum's primer gray.

I'll try to remember to take a camera home tonight to give you another shot of the clean-up process.

Thanks again everyone; I am most grateful!!

Geoff