Got a Maytag wringer today

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Well it got laid on its back before bringing to me and there was some oil on the truck bed when it arrived. And more ran out of the back leg after putting it upright so it definitely had oil in it. Also it didn't look at all like it had been contaminated with water.
 
That's encouraging!

So it's got oil. Doesn't appear to be water contaminated. Now you just need to see if you can manually move the pulley on the power unit. Make sure the agitator is in the off or neutral position. The power unit should move freely. If not it's likely a broken or chipped gear inside. That rarely happens but it did with mine.
 
Mine had to be put on its back to get it thru a door and it seemed everything locked up after righting it and when trying it, hum, trip breaker. My agitator is locked solid regardless if the red knob was in or out. I'll use my '48 Kenmore wringer instead. You want the Maytag, for sale for free. I am not tearing it apart and I dont want it to go to a dump. Would make a nice patio cooler for beverages. Lower the hose and melted ice is gone, Amazing!
 
Success

Limited though. Laid it down and loosened the bolts holding the motor to the brace and slid it over to loosen the belt. Turned both the motor pulley and the power unit pulley. The power unit pulley seemed a little stiff at first but turned easier after the first couple times around. Turned both in both directions until they seemed to be turning easy. Found that the water pump is seized.

Stood the machine up and slid the motor back very close to where it was originally and tightened the bolts. Plugged it in and the motor kicked over and ran like it should. Pulled the knob out and the agitator agitated correctly. But the wringer wouldn't turn in either direction. The handle on the wringer turns to all found positions no problem. And the wringer assembly releases and rotates like it should.

Even though I laid it down on its front oil leaked out. You can see in in pic 1 on the bottom right.

ken-2017060219593305955_1.jpg

ken-2017060219593305955_2.jpg
 
Wringer

You could lift wringer off the post (heavy) plug in and look down the shaft (torque coupling) and make sure it's turning. If it is then at least you know somethings wrong with the wringer head. That wringer head and its function can get complicated.. Lots of parts a pieces..
Try lubracating what you can, replace, try again.
 
Good for you, don't stop now; keep going.

Plug in the washer and let it run for ten minutes or so without agitation. Then engage the agitator for ten or whatever minutes. Am guessing this machine has been sat sitting for a very long time and things have or had seized up.

If you can drain the tub manually (simply lowering the hose to floor level) and either don't mind a bucket brigade and or have another way to drain; fill the tub with hottest water you can, then go with the above advice. Idea here is to get things softened up (in particular the various lubricants), and flowing.

Happily Maytag built these machines like tanks and to some extent over engineered them for their purpose.

Service manual (available onsite from the library), tells how to detach and dissemble the pump for cleaning, trouble shooting and or repair. If the thing is also "jammed" it could very well be years of not dissolved detergent/soap, crud and God only knows what else has dried into a mass that needs cleaning out.
 
I'll let it run and see what happens. I can tell you it did sit for many years unused. Sister's boyfriend made the comment last Saturday that his mother had the Maytag to use if the automatic developed a problem. So I couldn't begin to guess last time it was ever run.
 
Might also be a good idea to put some hot water in the tub and allow it to sit in order to get the seals rehydrated.

You've been around vintage machines, so am sure know the drill. Hot water in tub, then after a period peek underneath to check for leaks. Though one usually choses to place machine over some sort of paper (news, old shopping bags, etc...), to ease some of the bending and scooting under.
 
Let it run for a while today. I removed the wringer assembly and saw the shaft that supplies power to the wringer is turning. So the problem must be in the wringer assembly. Should I be able to turn the lower roller by hand? I can't at this point. Wouldn't be surprised its just stuck from sitting for such a long time.
 
Its

Normal for the lower roller to not turn when not in operation. The upper roller should spin freely.. During non operation.
Dose the wringer control handle click into all 4 positions?
As I mentioned, the wringer assembly is a bit tricky to work on, or adjust.
You'l need a service manual (with pics)
 
The upper roller turns fine. The control handle does lock into all four positions. I watched the underside of the wringer when I had it removed as I turned the control to the different positions. The sliding parts that lock/unlock the assembly in place and engage the lower roller moved freely.
 
Do

You have a service manual!
One of the memembers here took his wringer head apart and took pics as he went along.
If you type into the search "wringer gearbox" youl find the thread. If his email is on his profile.. And contact him..He will probably help you out. His name is Bruce.
HTH
 
Stan

Well I did a search for "wringer gearbox" and got two matches. Your comment in my thread and one from 5/2014 where "homesteadgal" got a Model 30 and had questions concerning it. But no thread covering the teardown of a wringer assembly.
 
If right angle drive is functioning then that leaves only two main other areas IMHO. Wringer head assembly and or upper roller itself.

Am still going with one or both are "stuck" from long period of inactivity, not being lubricated and perhaps a build up of "gunk" somewhere.

Checked my wringer yesterday night and yes, the lower roller does not move but can easily turn the upper.

Thinking out of the box for a moment....

Only other thing can think of is the wringer rollers need to be "reset". That is you or someone over the years the thing sat sitting triggered the safety mechanism thus releasing tension and rollers cannot engage.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?91

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?34718

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?24933

If the right angle drive is receiving power and turning, something is either binding the wringer mechanism and preventing movement of rollers, or somehow tension is not properly set.

Tend to think the wringer gears would at least make attempts and or give off some sort of sound indicating gears were "stuck".
 
Ken

Try the search again, but type in "winger head/gearbox"
Just checked and Bruce's email is there.
Agree with Laundress..what's she has sugested is very possible. Sounds like your right angle gear is functioning..if it wasn't then you wouldnt have seen it turning when you looked down it after you removed the wringer head. Check out her links.
Somethings up with the wringer head.
 
Rember Ken

The lower roller is not suppose to turn when not in use.
Somehow mechanical turning from the gear is not engaging the action of that bottom roller.
When working properly.. It's only the bottom roller that is suppose to turn. Top roller alway spins free.
I would think that if bottom roller is stuck, you hear noise when you but your not. Something is not engaging it.
Check trigger ring.
 
The wringer assembly is all the way down where its supposed to be and it must be engaging the shaft because the whole assembly spun around when the control lever was put into the unlocked position. If the "trigger ring" is the assembly underneath that slides in and out when the control lever is moved into the four positions that moves as it should. I see no damage to it.
 
Sliding in or out when the control lever is moved

Is a part called a "index slide"
The trigger ring is something else. I'll try and send u a pic of what I'm talking about.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top