Maytag A606 leak. Metal band clamps/screws rusted.

[raltrip]

Hi,

This is really a great forum and it has inspired me to attempt to save the vintage
Maytag A606 that came with our house rather than buy a new one. It has been leaking
a bit, only during the first part of the spin/discharge cycle and mainly when washing a full load. From reading this forum, I learned how to take it apart
and monitor the wash cycle. I think the leak is coming from where the metal
band binds the top and bottom parts of the tub together. I would like to try
to tighten this up, but both of the tightening screws are quite rusted and won't
budge. I have soaked them with WD40, but I'm afraid I am going to damage the
metal band or the clamps if I torque them too hard. Does anyone know if you
can still buy a metal band if I end up breaking this one? Any suggestions on
how to get these rusted screws loose? I am attaching a photo showing one of the
screws.

Thanks so much for any advice.

Rob

 

[bendixmark]

rusted screw

Cut the screw in half with a hacksaw then pry out the little band that is holding the square nut in place.They sell relacement screws and nuts through maytag or a hardware store may even have that,I did it that way years ago.

 

[qsd-dan]

I have soaked them with WD40....

Use a penetrating oil like PB Blaster. WD-40 is just a water displacement (hence the "WD" in WD-40).

Cut the screw in half with a hacksaw

I use bolt cutters on stubborn or rusted screws. Gets the job done quicker with less mess.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I had to replace the clamp on my 606, I bought a used one from a local Maytag dealer, for $20.00.

 

 

[raltrip]

Thanks all. The PB Blaster did not help either, but the hacksaw
took care of the problem. After re-attaching the metal band with
new bolts, it tightened up well. There is still some leaking, so I
think the rubber gasket might need replacing. Even more problematic
is the water shut-off. A bit earlier in this process
of attempting to understand the leak, the washer overflowed when filling.
This only happened once and the washer worked correctly after this incident.
Now, the washer keeps filling and the water does not shut off. I'm not
sure how this is controlled. Hopefully I did not damage something else
fiddling with this metal band.

Rob

 

[akronman]

water overflow

Hey----check the thin hose from base of exterior tub up to the water level sensor. It is skinny, easy to dis-locate, and needs to be properly installed to stop the water at the right level.
Rear right corner of interior of machine, lower right rear of outside of tub, then runs up into the controls, fits on the back of the water level switch.
Try that first, easy to knock off when working on that tub ring. Check it at both ends for secure fit. If there's any hole or leak, then the air pressure from the filling tub, pushing air up inside that little flexible tube, will leak out and the level sensor switch will keep running forever.

 

[combo52]

WASHERS THAT WON'T STOP FILLING

Any time any washer won't stop filling unplug the machine first and if the water continues to enter the machine you have a bad fill valve plain & simple. Replace the inlet valve assembly with a new one if available, don't even think of disassembling and cleaning-rebuilding unless a new one is not available for your washer. If the water does stop coming in then start looking at the water level switch and the little hose attached to it that runs down and attaches to the outer tub. A lot of MTs get a gunky buildup in the larger part of this hose where it transitions down in size that can eventually clog and cause the washer to over fill and flood. This clogging usually results from washing in too cold water with too little detergent and possibly too much fabric softener.

 

The band clamp and rubber gasket around the top of the tub usually doesn't leak unless it has been disturbed. But if you need to reseal this you usually don't need a new rubber gasket unless yours is hard & cracked, if it is not it can be reinstalled with some silicone sealant if necessary.

 

[raltrip]

Hi again,

Thanks for the suggestions on the filling problem. I finally had time to work on this again and first thing I did was check the water-level hose on the back right of the machine and it seemed to be okay. Then I started filling the machine and unplugged it and the water stopped right away. I restarted the filling process and as the water level rose, I saw that the water-level hose was leaking. I must of cut it with the metal band when putting it back in place. I removed the hose, taped it up real tight with duct tape, replaced it, and the water now cuts off at the right time. It is too late to start a full load, so I will have to do a full leak test this weekend, but before fixing the hose, I had to put the machine on the
spin cycle to get the water out and I noticed no leaks around the metal band. This may be a different story when full of clothes and water.

Thanks again for all of the help. You guys have been so great. I'll report back this weekend on what I hope will be success. If not, I may need some help on what part numbers to order for the rubber gasket or perhaps a new hose for the water cut-off.

Rob

 

[qsd-dan]

Don't make that taped hose fix permanent or it'll bite you in the rear end down the road by flooding your house. New ones are still available. Here's one on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380279170568&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[raltrip]

I will order that air tube to replace the one with duct tape. After running a full
load with the highest water level, the water cut-off did in fact work, but the leak
remains. This is the first time I have done this test with the top up and I can see
that the leaks are along about 1/4 of the diameter of the metal band, directly in the
back and around the left side. When I had the band off to replace the bolts, without pulling the drums apart, the gasket felt rough along that stretch. Is it possible to order a replacement gasket? Right now maytagpartsonline is not working right, but when I was on that site earlier this week, it was not clear to me which part I should order. How tricky is the installation?

Thanks for the help.
Rob

 

[volvoguy87]

Tub seal.

Are you referring to the rubber seal between the outer tub top and the outer tub bottom? This triangular seal is still available, and it's pretty inexpensive too. I just replaced one.

To replace: remove the tub clamp by loosening the 2 screws. Pull the tub top straight up, the rubber seal may stick a bit, so be careful in how you persuade the tub top out. Note where the tub seal is located on the tub top. Remove the rubber seal and clean up the tubs to remove mineral deposits and rust. Put the new seal in the same spot as the old one on the tub top and lower it back into place inside the outer tub bottom. The rubber seal determines how far down it will go. Make sure the rubber triangular seal is not twisted. Also, make sure the inner tub will not hit the tub top, pay close attention to where the water inlet is located (about 10:00). Tighten the tub clamp screws TIGHT! The new screws from Maytag have a hex head instead of a slotted one, I like this better.

good luck,
Dave

http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Tub-Seal/2068?modelNumber=A806