Damper Pads.
I recently got an A308 for free. The reason why I got it was because the damper pads had dried up and come off. The aluminum damper riding on the steel base caused the damper to shatter. Trust me, that is a BAD THING!
To fix it, I removed the front and opened up the top of the washer. I pulled out the agitator and the inner tub. I removed the belts, transmission pulley, and brake assembly. I removed the cabinet from the base. I leaned the inner tub over so I could unhook the springs one by one and lifted the outer tub out of the washer with the transmission and 3 support arms still attached and placed them gently on a pad on the floor. I unbolted the support arms from what was left of the damper and removed the arms from the inner tub. I pulled the remains of the damper off of the transmission. Finally, I pulled off the remains of the damper pads and sanded the area down.
To reassemble, I primed and painted the area of the base where the dampers go, letting it dry as instructed. I glued the new pads down with Maytag high temperature adhesive, let it dry, and then lubricated the pads with Polylube. I used a good damper that I had in my parts stash, and reassembled the machine. I also installed new feet.
It was a fair bit of work, but it wasn't too complicated, just a long process, primarily waiting for paint to dry and cure. I put the washer in service in my 4-family house for one of my tenants to use, and she is happy with it. It runs quietly, always balances on spin, and doesn't walk across the room.
Now I'm replacing damper pads on every Center Dial Maytag I rebuild, just because it's not difficult and prevents major problems later. Also, given that the newest Center Dial washer is a 1980 model, the original pads have a whole lot of time on them and aren't too likely to have been re-lubricated as often as they really should have been.
Dave
