Maytag A806 drain pump repair or replace

[hobbyapocalypse]

Hi folks, this is my first post in this wonderful helpful forum so if you'll bear with me I'll give a little background before the main question.

My 1973 vintage A806 was causing concern because of a loud squeal at the end of the spin cycle, and running out-of-balance almost all the time, even with an empty basket. I could see the damper pads hanging out, so it seemed that replacing them could fix the balance problem, and I decided to get to them by removing the whole tub since I wanted to check the brake too because of the squealing.

The brake looked like it just needed to be cleaned and oiled. But taking it apart damaged the paper gasket so I cut a new one out of a file folder of the same thickness. It is glossy on one side but I don't think that will hurt anything.

So with the tub out, it made sense to also remove the pump and motor and clean the whole inside since there was a lot of rust in some areas. I am in the process of painting right now.

Now my main question is about the drain pump. Hoping to save this one, I have searched the forums but found no comments on the subject of repairing the pump. Are they not repairable?

The pump did NOT seem to be leaking. The only problem was that it was hard to turn. I took it apart, and it looked like it just needed cleaning and fresh lubrication.

The thing is, I don't see why it would not leak. Looks like the only thing keeping water from running out along the shaft is a plastic washer thing pressed up against a metal shoulder on the shaft, and maybe a little bubble of air that might be trapped there. Doesn't seem like much of a water seal. Also in the relief where the shoulder meets the shaft there was something that looked like thick old grease but I don't see how that would make a difference.

I'm wondering if I can put this pump together again, and if there is a trick to putting it back together so it won't leak. I would appreciate any comments, thanks.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Now my main question is about the drain pump. Hoping to save this one, I have searched the
>>forums but found no comments on the subject of repairing the pump. Are they not repairable?

The pumps absolutely are repairable!

The reason you're not finding information though, is that the labor time for a repairman to rebuild one generally costs more to the customer than the parts cost to simply replace it, as well as taking more time for the service person to do so. Maytag figured this out sometime in the late 1970s, and actually dropped the pump assembly diagrams from their service manuals, reducing it down to just the procedure to remove and replace the pump as a unit.

I'm not a huge fan of this mentality, as I've seen it backfire in the classic car world - Everyone replaces parts as assemblies when parts are cheap and plentiful, and over time the rebuilding know-how disappears. Pretty soon, large numbers of people become so dependent on this approach, that they are SOL when a part assembly becomes discontinued and is no longer available, even if the generation before them would have thought nothing of rebuilding the worn/failed part. It contributes to our throw-away society, and many projects are scrapped or abandoned for simple problems that really shouldn't be terminal.

That being said, Maytag made a million of washers of different series' which all used the same type of Poly Pump, so even though Maytag/Whirlpool doesn't make them anymore, several different aftermarket parts suppliers do, and old-stock pumps are also still being listed regularly. So they are still readily available if you decide to go that route.

If it helps, here are a few pages form the 1972 (1975 revision) of the washer service manual, describing the pump rebuild process:

 

[combo52]

Maytags Poly-Pump

Was probably the best longest lived water pump ever used in an automatic washer, in my almost 50 year career repairing major appliances I ave probably only replaced about one of these pumps a year.

 

That said when they do fail throw it in the recycling bin and replace it with a new or a good used one. Whirlpool still supplies this high quality pump, there are over 100 in stock in this region alone.

 

Maytag [ wisely ] back in the 70s started heat sealing the pump body together rendering the pump unrepairable. I greatly supported this move for many reasons,

 

First of all the sealed together pump was more reliable with out a body gasket to ever leak.

 

Second, it cost less to build and used less materials helping slow climate change.

 

You can purchase a new pump from any WP parts dealer under Pt# WP6-2022030 [ original Pt# was 2-2203 ] or there are probable over a 100 new and used ones for sale on the internet.

 

John L.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Whirlpool still supplies this high quality pump

I stand corrected! I had thought they were all third-party non-OEM parts at this point, didn't realize Whirlpool themselves were still producing them.

 

[hobbyapocalypse]

Thanks for the replies and for the service manual pages! Looks like simply put it back together, no special tricks. I'll give it a try and if it don't work I'll throw it in my junk pile and buy a new one. Does your town actually allow water pumps in the recycling bin? Mine does not.

Pump Belt Adjustment step 2 looks like a good trick "with washer in an upright position..."? Never seen it done that way. In the instructionals the machine is always tipped so you can work underneath. Of course, the wording "AN upright position" is interesting. Could mean any angle other than falling over!

 

[combo52]

Recyling Appliance Parts

We recycle things like your old WP just by including it with the load of old appliances we send to the crusher every week.

 

When they recycle our old appliance loads they basically crush the whole mess then shred it and start separating out ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

 

We throw any part in the mix even if it is 90% plastic and only 10% metal, it is easier for them to extract the little bit of metal than mining ore from the ground that is only 1/2% iron. Pretty much anything that is loose and all plastic we just throw in the dumpster, but you are correct that they probably do not want water pumps in the household recycling bins, although people throw far worse stuff in recycling bins.

 

I suspect that they would add your old WP to a pile of miscellaneous metal scrap that they have as they separate the recycled if you included it however.

 

To change belts or adjust belt tension on DC MT washers I just tilt them back against the wall, with the front off the washer I can change and adjust the pump belt tension with the washer raised only about 2" which is very handy on the stack models.

 

John L.