Maytag A512 02 Spins but Won't Agitate

[hosertp]

New here and I want to thank everyone in advance for any consideration, direction or advice offered.

So I never had any problems with this pair except normal easily diagnosed repairs. I feel so strongly to keep them because to me they represent a better time when things were built to last and the parts manager at the local Maytag store told me that they were keepers.
My problem started when I washed a rather large (3/4 full) load and when it tried to start agitating, it started to smoke the belt so I turned it off, removed the wet clothes and used the spin cycle to pump the water from the tub. I assumed that if it would spin that it would agitate without such a large burden.
I ordered new Maytag belts, replaced both and checked the motor spring tension on the drive belt and gave the 1/4" squeeze test on the pump belt. Fully convinced that I was golden, I sanded and put a fresh coat of hammered epoxy paint on them both only to find that I was still smoking the drive belt at the start of the agitation cycle (no agitator movement at all) without any clothes in the tub. Again the spin cycle evacuated the tub water and I am now suspect of the transmission which I believe is no longer available as a complete unit.
Now I am not afraid of the idea that this might be a rather technical project and I have great friends with talents in many fields who can fabricate, etc. However, I AM afraid of giving my wife subject matter to roast me in front of the extended family at the Thanksgiving table in a couple of weeks!
Any heads up and potential courses of action will be greatly appreciated.

 

[combo52]

Likely seized transmission in a 1980s Maytag

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end you might have to admit your wife is correct about this machine.

Good used transmission can still be found but it’s quite a job to put one in a washer of this age.

Good news is Speed Queen just introduced a flat black color that will look good next to the dryer. You can now go out and buy the best new washer built a Speed Queen front load washer or if you prefer you can get the Top load machines in black also.

If you want to fix the Maytag, it’ll be easier to find the updated orbital transmission. If you put that in with the load sensor agitator, you’ll upgrade the performance of the washer a good bit and it will hold more making it a little bit more economical of water usage.

John

 

[hosertp]

If you want to fix the Maytag, it’ll be easier to find . . .

John, thank you for your response.
So is an upgraded "orbital" transmission available new or is my only choice used? I believe my washers original transmission was a 20-6707. All I find when I search that part number are transmissions that are no longer available with no replacement anticipated or they have been updated to another transmission that has suffered the same fate.
If I can buy new, I would update the transmission and the agitator as you suggest. Every You Tube I have watched about replacing the transmission seem fairly straight forward? Is this upgrade much more involved because I would not be replacing like for like?
From what I see pricing wise, I am saving a lot of money over that Speed Queen?

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Paul

 

[DADoES]

 
Your original transmission is what's known as the pitman design*.  The transmission at the series 10 revision during the x12 production period was changed to what's known as the orbital design, the internal gearing was simplified and produces an agitation stroke that's faster and a shorter arc.  The agitator also changed to better accommodate the revised action, and later changed again to a dual-action auger design (the Load Sensor agitator that John mentions).

Your serial number indicates production date of February 1986.  I have an (a)L(mond)A512 produced in April 1984.

*The pitman transmission is often referred to as helical vs. the revised design being (correctly) called orbital.  Both transmissions are helical drive, which refers to the drive pulley/input shaft and is the same mechanical arrangement on both of them.  The internal transmission gearing which produces the agitation oscillation is the pitman vs. orbital difference.

 

[thatwasherguy]

You may be able to save your current transmission…

I’ve heard of a couple of people on here who have saved seized Maytag transmissions by rebuilding them. The transmission itself is not super challenging to work on, it’s getting to it that’s the hard part. However, with a tub nut wrench, a set of vice grips, a set of screwdrivers and a standard ratchet set, it is certainly not impossible. I’ve included a link to a thread that helped me tremendously with rebuilding the pitman transmission in my 1978 model. If you wish to replace the transmission with a brand new one, the orbital unit is an exact fit. Whichever route you go, I would advise replacing the damper pads if they are at all damaged, and re-lubricating them if they are not. I would also recommend lubricating the pump and motor glides.
Best of luck,
Thatwasherguy.

Rebuild of Maytag Transmission and Transplant into LAT 9800 AAW.

To the best of my recollection this is my step by step rebuild, with photos, from last summer of a Maytag Newton style trans. put into a newer LAT model. I hope this is helpful to someone. Here’s the HA408 machine’s top. Almost hated to take it apart. It was salvageable. It came with a HDE606...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[qsd-dan]

Sounds like the upper agitator sleeve bearings are seized up. To confirm, remove the transmission belt and turn the transmission pulley counterclockwise. It it's difficult to turn or is frozen, the bearings are seized. You live in a very populated area so finding a donor machine for a transmission should be quick and easy.

 

[maranoman]

Worth a Shot...

This video on YouTube (by a member of AW.org, I believe) might have at least a temporary solution for you to get the washer up and running until you have the chance to find a new transmission or rebuild your existing one. I have not tried this method before but know others here have had success.

 

[good-shepherd]

Ugh..

You painted over a porcelain enamel finish with gray spray paint?

Put them out of their misery and part them out now..

 

[hosertp]

Wow, that rebuild!

So thanks to you all. I am still going through not only the links that you sent, but as well, the attached links to those links. The machines are my garage set, so I don't have laundromat visits to accelerate my course of action.
Good-Shepherd, thanks for worrying about the psyche of my appliances, but one is on life support, so I must stay focused.

That transmission rebuild was inspiring and the only concerns that I would have as I researched parts availability is the real possibility of having to source parts or seals that are no longer offered by OEM. That is a huge commitment. So I am leaning toward the replacement with a donor or replacement with an orbital as suggested.

Does anyone have experience with buying from eBay? Some like transmissions are available at $179.00 and they claim them to be tested for operation, in good "used" condition, I'm sure as-is. I would rather buy from a recommended seller?

I have talked to two reputable Maytag OEM parts suppliers in the area and neither of them had ever heard of buying a more contemporary orbital transmission that would match specs of my 206707 broken transmission. In order to price this option I need either a model number of the compatible machine or a part number of the transmission that I would buy. If I go this route, I think I would also update the agitator as suggested by John's post above. It sounds like the transmission and agitator would be from two different machines? With the expense of this option, I have to make positive I am buying the right parts.

I read and re-read all of your posts and try your troubleshooting directions, so thank you very much to all who have taken their time on my behalf.

Thanks for all of your considerations,
Paul

 

[DADoES]

 
An orbital transmission is (or should be) a drop-in replacement for your pitman.  The only operational specifications that are changed for pitman --> orbital are the agitation degree-of-arc and strokes-per-minute.

 

[thatwasherguy]

Orbital transmission model number…

The A512 came from the factory with orbital transmissions series 10 and later. However, I do have a couple of orbital-exclusive model numbers on-hand that you could use to order a transmission. They are LAT9406AAE and LAT9206AAM. It’s part number is 6-2097750. It was recently discontinued, so you may not be able to get a brand new one, unfortunately. However, I have had good luck with Ebay in the past. There are currently a few used orbital transmissions on there that look promising.
Hope this helps,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[hosertp]

Purchased

I took your advice Washerguy and bought an eBay used 6-2097750 that the seller claims was tested and proven to function correctly. Seller offers 30 day returns/refunds and is in Vegas, so not too bad. Most importantly, 10's of thousands of satisfied eBay buyers.
Now I have the option to buy the "Load Sensor" agitator correct? I assume it would be smart to buy the seal kit along with the damper pads and the special lubricant. Anything thing else I should source?
Thanks to all for your help!

 

[opticalpopsicle]

Poor washer

I’m so sorry to hear about your situation. I have no advice but I’m in the same boat. I have the same washer (mine has the slider instead of push button for load size, it’s a LA512) and tonight the agitator stopped moving during the rinse cycle. Boo! It still spins and drains. Tomorrow I will troubleshoot more. My fault, I think I overloaded the washer. …. I do happen to hoard these Maytags so if I can’t get it working I’ll just part it out and switch it out for one of my working ones. Good luck! And if you do figure out the problem be sure to update us so we know how it went!
My husband says our washer just needs to rest and tomorrow it will work. As if all this washer needs is a nap!

 

[thatwasherguy]

You are correct...

While it is generally recommended to replace the agitator with the newer one that is designed for the orbital transmission, it isn't absolutely required, as the old Power Fin agitator will fit just fine. If you wish to use the Load Sensor, it's part number is 22001821. However, this doesn't include the softener dispenser. This is part number WP21001905. In terms of stocking up on parts, I would recommend getting a spare set of damper pads (PN 203956), a transmission lip seal (PN 207843), a tub bearing kit (PN 6-2040130), a set of motor glides (PN 205000), both water injector components (PN WP216201 and WP213015), and stem seal kit (PN 6-2095720). You will also likely need to replace the seals on the tub bolts. You can buy the OEM bolts (1X PN W10175939 and X2 W10175938), or you can do what I did, and take the bolts to your local hardware store and buy some rubber O-rings that fit on them. As of right now, the motor glides and stem seal are already discontinued, and many more parts are likely to follow. In order to replace the damper pads, you will have to have some sort of glue. Maytag used their own (PN WPY055980), although I have heard of people also using Whirlpool's adhesive (PN WP279368) with no ill effects. I have removed my fair share of both adhesives, and I will tell you that the only way you are getting rid of either will be to spend hours with a scraper and some sandpaper. The main difference seems to be that the Maytag adhesive is very springy and rubbery, while the Whirlpool adhesive is very rigid once dry.
Hope this helps,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[hosertp]

Wow!

Opti-pop, I hope your machine wakes up from its coma.

What a gift you gave me Mr. Washerguy, I have them all on my shopping list. I am to receive the transmission today and with the long weekend, I am going to try to proceed as far as possible. I will keep a tab on the $ and spend lots of time watching YouTube.

Thank you very much for all of your help.
Paul

 

[hosertp]

Demolition complete

So now it is clean-up time. I don’t know exactly how far to go because I hope to have it together in a week or two at the most. I found a tub seal kit online. Anyone bought one from whole Parts on Amazon? Have no choice but to outsource a 6-2095720. Let me know if you see something I should concentrate on.
In one of the pictures below I took from on top of the new transmission where there is no hole! So I need the latest agitator that uses the retaining screw down low on the side. If the shaft is the exact right height, I suppose you could drill and tap? Not sure if the top screw mounted agitator is any better than the side, they look the same?
Well, thanks again for everyone’s help along the way!

 

[thatwasherguy]

You may not even need the mounting screw...

My Maytag washer from 1978 didn’t have any sort of mounting screw from the factory. Instead, the agitator is held in place by friction created by some grease on the splines. I think the load sensor has the side mount screw, though. If worst comes to worst, the agitator shafts are solid steel, and won’t be hurt by drilling and tapping.
Looks like you’re making great progress! At the rate you’re going, the machine will be back in service in no time!
Hope this helps,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[combo52]

Changing out a Pittman transmission for orbital

Hi, Paul, looks like you’re making great progress, there is no hole ever in the agitator shaft, the later models that used to screw. It just goes in the groove underneath the spines to keep the agitator from pulling up until the screw is removed or loosened.

On the original design, there was a rubber ring in this groove that helped lock the agitator in place, the grease on the spines, obviously does not hold the agitator in place.

Maytag went to a screw because of injuries and damaged caused when the agitator would occasionally fly off The agitator shaft, this, probably most often happened because somebody removed the agitator, and did not push it all the way down when reinstalling it.

You will need one of the newer agitators that go with the orbital transmission, the load sensor, of course is the preferred one.

John

 

[nmassman44]

The agitator is held onto the shaft by either a set screw in the agitator base or a rubber stop ring. If it is a stop ring just take a thin screw driver and pry it from the original transmission and put it onto the new one, same place . It will slide down the shaft and snap into the area you need if you want to use the original PowerFin. Using the original PowerFin will turn over a load fast since it will be moving at 150 opm instead of 63 with original transmission. The Orbital will have a much shorter stroke arc at 90 degrees compared to the 190 degree stroke of the Pitman transmission. Keep in mind with the set screw agitator it will bounce up and down n the shaft during agitation. Stop ring agitators do not bounce.