Help! Maytag washer dumping grease on my clothes from agitator shaft seal

[jon4maytag]

I have a Maytag A490 from 1985 which a friend gave me when it was 12 years old, it was theirs since new. It's been my wonderful regular use machine. About 2 years ago we noticed black streaks on clothes then suddenly a whole lot. I removed the agitator and found black greasy goo all around the agitator shaft where it comes out from it's center. I cleaned it off and noticed a retaining pin and removed it and the retaining metal washer. Inside I found lots of crumbled disintegrated bits of rubber and black goo and a spring. I removed all and cleaned thoroughly, even with a vacuum cleaner. I ordered a new agitator seal which includes a washer and a spring packed inside the rubber bushing which has a grease in it too. Reassembled and it worked fine for abut the past two years until this week when the problem arose again on the next load or two after I had accidentally left a blanket in to soak and forgot about it for over 2 days. I found the same issue as before but the rubber bushing wasn't disintegrated, and since I had originally ordered two of these bushings, I decided to install the fresh one but I discovered I had not removed the original washer that was installed in the bottom of the original bushing installed in the factory under the spring because the first time, everything was so disintegrated the washer had come out of the bushing so I thought it belonged there. This time I've taken that washer out before installing the new bushing assuming that might be why the grease leaked out, if the washer caused a poor seal between the bottom of the bushing and the brass base of the top of the transmission where the agitator shaft comes out of it. I've put it all back together, run a load again and there is a little tiny bit of this black grease again around the agitator shaft above the bushing cover washer if I wipe it with a tissue, but not a lot, and not enough to get on any fabrics. The grease packed in the bushing was a clear brownish, not black. But I'm wondering if it is turning black from the agitator shaft rubbing on the black rubber bushing during agitation. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if the grease is really needed in the bushing. Everything is working fine and I can't imagine why they would need the grease in the bushing, I understand the purpose of the spring is to help the bushing make a good water tight seal because to get the top cover washer and it's retaining ring on, you have to apply downward pressure on it which is therefore spring loaded from the bushing and the downward pressure makes the bushing expand and make a good seal around the outside of itself. I hate to think of getting rid of this wonderful washer, with it's pittman style long stroke transmission and the machine is so quiet. I love the minute long spray rinse too, so much more efficient than using a full second deep rinse and I know the newer models cut down the spray rinse to 15 seconds and have the short stroke orbital transmissions which seem to struggle at getting the clothes to circulate nearly as well unless we put a wider agitator from the pittman drive machines in them. Anyway, I wonder if anyone who has experience with these wonderful machines out of the Newton Iowa factory could give me some insight into this. I've looked all over you tube and other places and all there are is videos on changing the tub seal, this is not the tub seal, that is below and around this whole areas, this is the agitator shaft seal. It doesn't stop transmission oil from coming out of the transmission and I know it's not transmission oil because below the bushing where the shaft goes into the transmission, it is dry and clean brass. It's just this weird grease in the bushing that's coming out. I'm wondering if there is some corrosion around the metal the bushing is suppossed to seal against around the outside of it causing soapy water to leak into the bushing (especially when soaking clothes for an extended time) and mix with it's grease and thin it to the point that it can ooze out where the shaft comes through the bushing. If that's the case, I wonder if this grease is really needed, if I just wiped it out and put the bushing back in I may not have any more issues, otherwise if it's needed and keeps leaking out I think then then I might have to send the machine to the graveyard despite everything still working on it because a transmission replacement would be too pricey and too much work on a 32 year old machine that isn't full featured to begin with. That's all the information I know and can think of, anyone else ever have this issue and if so, how did you fix it, any other thoughts? I'd love to pick the brain of a true Maytag repair person who used to work on these machines to get them to tell me what to do to fix this. It seems so simple.

 

[norgeway]

I must have

Touched it, because EVERY Maytag I ever fooled with slung grease, either out the bottom, all over the floor, or on the clothes.

 

[combo52]

The spring loaded seal is important and should have at least some grease in it.

 

How does the agitator shaft look in the seal area ?, it should be smooth and not rusted. Also check if the agitator shaft moves up and down or does it have any side to side play ?, any of these conditions requires a new transmission.

 

If these things look good put the replacement seal in with less grease and use a light colored grease, Also do not soak clothing in this washer for more than 30 minuets max.

 

John L.

 

[jon4maytag]

Thanks, John L. I much appreciate your knowledge and response. I will heed your advice to not soak clothes for more than 30 minutes. Just last month I gave my spare 1995 dependable care model to my mother in law which had a 10 minute automatic presoak in the regular wash cycle. I now regret giving it to her because that would keep my urge to excessively soak clothes in check! I really don't need to over soak the clothes, not sure why I'm doing this. The A490 doesn't have a soak option so I've just been turning the machine off after a few minutes of agitation. Perhaps I'll just swap machines with her or try to find another Newton Iowa built machine used somewhere, in fact I looked at one today, but it seemed pretty heavily used even though it was a 2001 model so not sure I wanted to buy that one and I think it needs belts as I could hold the tub from spinning at the beginning of the spin cycle, but it became hard to stop it once I let it start after about 10 seconds.

The agitator shaft does have a bit of up and down play in it but none at all side to side. The agitator shaft does have some rust on it but it looked like the rust was below the point where the shaft seal seals against it. That rust must have occurred when the first shaft seal disintegrated and water was likely getting in there repeatedly. The metal ring that the shaft seal seals against on the outer part isn't perfectly smooth, it looks as though it may be pitted a bit, or have white rust on it, perhaps aluminum corrosion? I did try to sand lightly both parts the first time I changed the seal. I wonder if I could use silicone lubricant instead of the grease? I have a swimming pool and that's what I have to use on all the rubber o rings and seals for it. Any thoughts on that? It seems thicker and stays clear and it is unaffected by soapy water as when I get it on my hands, it's a bear to wash off even with soap. I hate the idea of throwing the machine away when everything's working, but of course, if parts are corroded and it's spewing grease, that would constitute a death of sorts of the machine. I just don't think changing the trans is something I would do, my partner would think I'm absolutely nuts to rebuild a washing machine and tell me to just go buy a new one!

 

[good-shepherd]

I hate the idea of throwing the machine away

Heres a link to give you an idea of what things should look like.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?25520

Ideally, the inner tub should be removed to see whats really going on in there. But that may be a lot more work than you want to get into.

Keep checking on Craigslist something should pop up.
Here are two, one looks like a A512 set, the other an orbital trans, but could be a nice machine with a load sense agitator:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/wan/d/maytag-wash-dryer/6617519819.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/app/d/maytag-washer-and-dryer-set/6628928249.html

 

[jon4maytag]

Thanks Good Shepherd, I'm originally from NJ myself. Morristown area, Morris Plains to be exact. Parents still live there.

Anyway this is a help. I have seen those sets on craigslist and was going to jump at the newer one but the dryer is gas and I need electric. Between craigslist, 5miles app, and Facebook marketplace I'm finding them, and I'm being fussy because I want TOL models with all the features. Particularly I want one with the automatic presoak but I may have to wait longer.

I think rust has set in and may have killed my machine. Unless I can get a Pittman transmission I don't want to throw in an orbital into this machine. I could just buy a used one with an orbital tranny in it. I just love the sound my A490 makes washing not to mention the full minute spinning spray rinse, gone on the orbitals. My laundry room is a small room off my family room, running a wash cycle immediately after lunch relaxing with a cup of coffee, I'm fast asleep to a nap with the wonderful smooth agitation hum hum sound of the Pittman transmission sending me into a daze. Fortunately, my Grandmother's 1979 Maytag is still in use at my parents house on Cape Cod. It gets little use as they are only there collectively about 4 months out of the year on and off, 2 1/2 months constantly in the summer. It saw little use when it was at my Grandmother's house as it was just her and her one daughter, then she died in 83 and my Aunt didn't do much wash maybe a few loads a month and then it got moved to the Cape Cod house in 1996 after my Aunt died and my Mother wanted it to replace the tiny Kenmore that came with the Cape Cod house. So I think it will last much longer than mine did. I was going to replace the agitator seal preventively 2 years ago when I had the issue on mine, hence why I bought 2 but I couldn't get the agitator off and didn't want to break it. It doesn't have the set screw and is really stuck on there hard. Only repair we've had to do on that 79 A608 machine has been the belts when I noticed it thumping on a visit there and I could stop the agitator during the wash cycle. 39 years and counting...I'm going for 50 for sure on that machine. Ultimately I'd like to get a coppertone set from the 70's. Love those control panels. Or I'd settle for a late 70's Almond set. All of this makes me want to make a better effort to replace the agitator seal preventively on the next visit to Cape Cod.