Maytag Atlantis Transmission Replacement

[classiccat]

My wife & I purchased a Maytag Atlantis washer/dryer ~12 years ago (after graduate school) and have been quite pleased with the performance...especially the large capacity.

Recently* it has been going out-of-balance making a horrible banging sound...*ok, i have to admit that I allowed it persist for over a year!

Originally I couldn't find where to purchase a snubber and I didn't think that I had the tools to fix the suspension...perfect excuse to procrastinate!

Over the holiday, i decided to take action and download the service manual. And once i saw a cheap solution for removing the brake on the forum, I would fabricate the other tools necessary to complete this project.

After removal of my front panel, I could see the telltale white shavings of a wiped-out snubber.

I tilted the washer to remove the belt and transmission oil (accumulated in the brake & dustcap) began pouring all over the floor.

I do some small-engine work where changing bearings & seals is commonplace.

Unfortunately my wife is short on patience so I simply purchased a new transmission...which will allow me to rebuild the existing tranny and keep it as a backup...as long as the internals aren't shot because I can't find individual transmission parts.

The tranny was IMO a great price considering that I'm able to keep a washer that we love (and i now know how to fix).

it also included a new integral spin-hub...good news since I damaged the chinzy plastic one with my "fabricated" spanner adapter.

With new brake, springs, snubber, belt and "High-torque" tranny, she's running like the day we bought it...maybe better!

Excellent forum! alot of useful information for a DIY-er!

 

[classiccat]

what prompted the overhaul...

 

[classiccat]

brake replacement "tool" (6) 2" 10-24 screws. (I would've preferred hex-heads):

 

[classiccat]

home-made spring tool made with aluminum scraps that I had laying around. I underestimated the utility of this thing!

 

[classiccat]

~ 10 loads in the books with zero issues!

 

[foraloysius]

Congratulations to a job well done! What model Atlantis is this?

 

[classiccat]

Thanks! This is a MAV6257AWW.

 

[classiccat]

if anyone about to embark on a similar journey, here are some additional pictures:

http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?dir=/COLLECTIONS/CLASSICCAT/

 

[foraloysius]

That is an earlier model, with push buttons, right?

 

[classiccat]

It has a bit of everything

 

[classiccat]

and the electric dryer to match...

 

[pdub]

Excellent tutorial in pictures. Thanks for sharing. Now I know what the internals on an Atlantis model look like. You did a great job.

Patrick

 

[foraloysius]

Thank you for the pictures. That's the series I had in mind. I like TOL models, nice machines.

 

[scrubflex]

Thanks alot for the step-by-step and the great pics... I'm really excited to hear that Atlantis can last so long. I like to swap my Whirlpool Gold DD for an Atlantis MAV9750.

 

[classiccat]

I appreciate the comments guys!

To be honest, I'm not sure how the MT Atlantis measures-up against other machines out there but we're certainly happy with it. Knowing that we can keep it in service indefinitely (as long as parts remain available) is a pretty good feeling.

Once my workbench is clear of an outboard gearcase rebuild ('83 35HP Evinrude), I'll post the break-down of the old tranny and we'll see if it's salvageable

 

[goatfarmer]

I've done those snubbers before. I have it down to about a 45 minute job. NO special tools are needed.

 

[combo52]

Maytag Washer Repair

Good job on saving your washer, this machine was the Norge washer design after MT got hold of it. The transmission was designed to be a throw away unit, that is why the cover is crimped in place and no parts are available to repair it, although I am sure with a little determination it could be fixed.

 

[classiccat]

Honeymoon Almost Ended Early

I thought the new tranny was hosed already. I even went as far as contacting RepairClinic (and dropped off as soon as I realized that I purchased the tranny from AppliancePros...muhahaha!)

I tore the washer down for further investigation and discovered that the new brake rotor lining had delaminated and was binding things up.

luckily i still had the old brake rotor...albeit coated with tranny oil...cleaned-it up the best i could until a new one arrives. 2 loads down and a 3rd in progress...all-systems-GO!

any ideas what would cause the rotor to tear apart like this so quickly? I'm hoping that it's not a symptom of something bigger...

 

[oldschool88]

Over 7 years later, I wanted to thank ClassicCat for his detailed and informative post...I just rebuilt my 2005 vintage Atlantis MAVT754EWW when the transmission failed (gracefully) after 15 years of hard use with two growing kids. It developed a clunk during agitation, followed by a bang during spin when the motor accelerated to high speed. It continued to clean well, but couldn't spin at full speed and clothes came out dripping wet. Despite being a NorgeTag single-belt machine, it served our growing family for 15 years with only belt replacements (two that I can recall) and a failed water pump replaced under warranty. In addition to the transmission failure it was prone to imbalance banging, and the brake squealed when the tub stopped at end of spin. I figured it was ready to be scrapped honorably.

After researching the limited 2020 top-loader options that have agitators and actually clean well, I decided to study up on washer transmission replacement. ClassicCat's writeup tipped the balance and made the decision easy.

The Whirlpool 35-6615 "high torque" transmission kit cost $260 locally with veteran's discount, and I added a snubber ring, suspension springs, and belt while I was in there. Studying ClassicCat's writeup and pics, and watching YouTube videos, I was able to disassemble/clean/reassemble the washer with the new transmission and included bearings & seals for about $320 including a used tub spanner from eBay. I even put the upgrade sticker on the outer tub as specified in the kit instructions. We've run over a dozen loads through it since then...it's quiet again, no leaks, and the finicky imbalance issues are gone.

It was a $450 Home Depot special when we bought it in 2005, before I knew the nuances of Maytag and their rebadged Norge machines. Plastic/composite inner and outer tubs seemed an acceptable balance of cheap and durable. A few months later we grabbed a semi-matching Neptune dryer as shown in the pic below, and it's only needed a set of drum rollers and 2 or 3 belts over the past 14-1/2 years.

Thanks everyone who has shared knowledge on these repairs, it was a very satisfying project during this crazy pandemic.