Getting a Maytag Orbital Washer Home

[gusherb]

I've been given a roughly 25 yo Maytag washer by my uncle and don't have a big enough vehicle to get it home, so I'll have to take what I can get.

To those of you with more experience than I with transporting machines is it gonna wreck that machine if I have to lay it on it's side? Do you have any suggestions for fashioning up some kind of shipping brace? (I don't even know what the original would've looked like, just a plastic cap over the agitator/opening?)

 

 

 

 

 

[yogitunes]

finding one of those original braces is next to impossible.....

for the most part, not like it would hurt to lay on any side of those machines, done it plenty of times with many machines.....

but if you feel compelled, and you would have to take off the front, but in using something like what is used in this thread, it would secure and stabilize the inner workings...

GE FilterFlo transporting help

Many members have had a few problems when transporting GE FilterFlo's on their back or sides, main reason is that tub to trany seal popping off..... and I have to transport one, on it's back, for delivery and I don't want this to possibly happen.....so I came up with this..... went to Dollar...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[gusherb]

Hmmm, a noodle isn't a bad idea! Might have some laying around too... I'll have to open it up and see what I can do with it, I'll have plenty of time to figure something out since I'm going over there this week to dump some RV antifreeze in it so it doesn't freeze between now and whenever I manage to get it home. I'll probably figure out where the fill tube is leaking while I'm at it too (it's trickling out the rear left side of the cabinet) 

 

[goatfarmer]

I've used duct tape to hold the tub in place.

 

[gusherb]

I went and checked out the machine again today and got some proper pictures. I poured some RV antifreeze in so the pump doesn't crack if it freezes before I get it home. When I went to plug it in and pump the excess out the lights basically browned out and the motor turned very slowly! I thought something had jammed the pulleys but everything spun freely, so after a few more tries I finally daringly let it run longer and it managed to get up to speed then i realized this motor has a start winding that cuts out when it gets up to speed. Wow does it need a lot of inrush current to get moving! I assume there's no run or start capacitor on this motor. The jenky 14 gauge extension cord I had to use seemed to have been the culprit (though the lights dimmed like crazy so it might've been an issue with the circuit)

I also found what was probably leaking, the plastic clip that the fill hose goes in then out of. Looks like a super easy repair, a shame they bought a new one before letting me look at it! But I'm not complaining, I get another bulletproof Maytag for my collection!

 

[DADoES]

 
Very clean under the hood.

 

[combo52]

LAT Series Maytag Washer

Looks Like it is in great condition.

 

I would just drain the water from the pump by taking one of the hoses off the pump, otherwise you will spill antifreeze in your vehicle when you lay the machine on its side.

 

Maytag helical drive washers can have heavy power draw issues when starting because of the lack of a real spin clutch. You can easily add a start capacitor to make the starts more positive.

 

Another really great upgrade to this washer is a MT Load-Sensor agitator, they really help the turn over and lessen clothing damage while actually being able to wash decent size loads.

 

The other thing that is a great upgrade if you are going to use this washer much is to find a 50 cycle motor pulley and set of 50 cycle belts, the 15% speed increase really gets the lead out so to speak and ups the performance closer to a vintage WP [ BD or DD ], KM, GE FF or even a Norge washer.

 

John L.

 

[losangeles]

LAT Series Maytag Washer

Very nice and clean.  Great pictures.  I just brought home a Maytag Model 282  except my transmission is looking nothing like yours.  Mine does not have the cone shaped piece on the shaft. Question:  I have some light scattered rust on the base.  1.  Is it better to remove and paint or just leave it alone?  2.  What is the difference between a ORBITAL DRIVE TRANMSISSIONS and a HELICAL TRANSMISSION and which is the better, or is this a topic for different opinions?  Thanks 

 

[combo52]

Real Maytag Washer Transmissions

The newer washers went to the easier to repair Orbital Transmission, the older washers had a Pittman style transmission,  

 

All two belt MT washers are Helical drive the rest of the drive systems are interchangeable.  

 

John L.

 

[DADoES]

 
Both transmissions are helical-drive.

What's commonly called "helical" is more correctly called "pitman."

The difference is the internal design & gears.

Pitman has a longer, slower stroke similar to a classic WP belt-drive.  Orbital has a shorter, faster stroke similar to a WP direct-drive.

This thread has internal diagrams of both types.

This video at 5min 17sec briefly shows how the orbital gearing transfers oscillation to the agitator shaft.

 

[gusherb]

When the knob is pushed in is it supposed to have to be held down to actually adjust the timer? I didn't remember it being like that a year or two ago but I also didn't take notes at the time either.

 

[combo52]

That Operation

Is completely normal.

 

[yogitunes]

that's almost a Maytag trait.....

for years Maytags had a spring loaded cycle knob for the washer....you always had to keep tension while turning the knob...

I want to say it started back on the Highlander machines....

until this was mentioned, I don't know any other machine to have this....

I do recall certain Kenmore/Whirlpools that had a push-to-start, rather than pull..

I figured the push-to-stop was incorporated as a panic stop device!

 

[gusherb]

It’s been a little over a year since I made this thread, the washer sat at my relatives house for about that long but I finally managed to get it home last month! The leak was a simple injector - only a $12 part and it runs great! Going to order a new belt however as there seems to be a little squeal when it starts off in spin, and the clothes wring out very poorly which I’m not entirely sure if that’s just the low spin speed on these or a worn belt on top of that. Either way it’s about 25 years old and doubt the belt has ever been changed.

Meanwhile I made a short preview of it. I plan to plumb in shut offs so this thing doesn’t have to connect to the utility tub faucet.

 

[eurekastar]

Congratulations!  I have an A606 on which I installed an orbital transmission.  I really like it!  And aren't you glad the water leak was a simple fix?!?!