Maytag A407 Washer Problem...

[adamwarlock]

We have my wife's grandmother's washer which is a Maytag A407 Washer. It has been a good a reliable machine for as long as we have owned it and it is now acting funny. It has been somewhat loud on the spin cycle in general but now it is extremely loud and knocks a lot as if it has a small unbalanced load even though it doesn't. My wife seems to think that there is a screw missing from the drum since she found one in the machine a while ago and attributes the increased noise and shaking to that. I am not so sure and I would like to diagnose the issue to see if it worth fixing or just replace it. I would like to avoid the hassle of getting a new one if there is a simple rememdy to this. I am hoping someone has seen this type of issue before and there is a simple thing to do in order to fix the issue.

Many thanks for any info and Happy Holidays!

 

[pturo]

There are no screws that hold the drum on, just a spanner washer with an agitator on top. Some of the newer models have a small screw that holds the agitator on. Any other screws in there are foriegn objects from pockets, or fell in. Often worn belts are the reason these washers are loud and unruly. There are two belts underneath the entire machine,the one for the motor to the tank/agitator, and the one from the motor to the pump. Both must be replaced at the same time for correct tension correspondence and only genuine Maytag belts because they are designed to slip at the right time during spin up time,as opposed to a regular belt of the same size, so don't cheat. They are remarkably easy to replace with a hand, no tools, by carefully tipping the washer on its side or front. The motor should slide with some force back center to release the belts and accept the new ones. The motor is on a spring loaded "sled", pretty much caveman technology,which is what makes Maytags simple and enduring. Might want to grease the sled too by taking the front cover off, but dont get any on the belts.

 

[sudsmaster]

A very simple matter is to check that the machine is level and resting firmly on all four feet. A machine that rocks when still will definitely act unbalanced in a spin.

It's a simple matter to remove two small screws from the bottom of the front panel, raise it about 30 degrees, and then unhook it from the top panel. With the front panel off (and the plug disconnected!!!) you can view all the innards of the machine - everything is servicible from the front.

I'd look for displaced bearing pads between the tub support and the base of the machine. If you can see the little felt pads peeking out under the dome shaped lower support, then they need replacing (relatively cheap to buy and simple to install). Other things to look for might be loose springs (there are three) or loose supports (there are three). Additionally look at the track the motor rides on to see if it's properly seated and the motor glides ok.

Be very careful if you decide to plug the machine in to observe the problem with the front off. The big heavy transmission swings around when spinning and it could cause very serious injury if you get too close to it. Not to mention the usual caveats about hot circuits and whirring parts.

 

[mayken4now]

Ok I am with Rich. The damper pads have been the most common cause of this issue that you are having.

Let us know!

Steve

 

[adamwarlock]

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't sure how to get to look at the innards. I was initially going to try and get new belts, but now I will take off the front panel and see if the pads may be the issue. I will post back my results when I get a chance to look at it better this weekend. This is a great forum! I would have never guessed there was a community out there that cared anything about old washers or dryers and this active. This is really cool.

Thanks

 

[adamwarlock]

OK! SUCCESS! Thanks for all the advice on how to take apart this machine and the information that helped me examine the issue I was seeing.

TO start out with my machine is level on the ground. Interestingly enough the solution did not involve any changes to the existing system but a makeshift addition to the machinery. Let me explain. With the front off and observing the issue I was trying to minimize the knocking by determing what exactly was knocking. After experimenting around awhile I determined in the spin cycle that when I hold the main drum with my hands and place force on it in a downward direction the knocking stopped. From this I determined the knocking was not coming from the drum hitting the sides of the chassis but the drum hitting the top of the chassis. I saw a little space between the bottom side of the upper chassis and the top of the drum when you look through the top loading compartment. I theorized that if I could wedge something in that space that would hold during a spin cycle that it would remove the knocking. I took an old pair of girl sandals that has ridges on the soles that is made of hard foam. I cut three pieces off and wedged them in the space I talked about earlier. I had them spaced evenly. Funny thing happened. Both spinning cycles in one of our normal washes operated more silently than I ever remember and the wedges physically moved from their original position to one spot on the circle opening and were loose but held. This solved my problem totally. Now I have to make sure this will continue to work in subsequent washes. Things look really good though.

Thanks.

 

[adamwarlock]

ADDENDUM to previous post. The wedges worked only light loads and the heavier ones eventually knocked them out. The ultimate solution was simply tightening the nuts on the bottom of the washer that tighen the 3 main springs that hold the tub in place. I don't know why I did not see that before. That has worked even on the big heavy loads. My only issue now is that I tighten 2 of the 3 springs really tight and the third would barely budge so it is a little off center but the noise factor went away.

Again thanks for all the information.