Maytag brake assembly

[stuftrock1]

I just bought a Maytag A512 a couple days ago manufactured in the first half of February 1987. It definitely needs some work, but is overall in pretty good shape. However, the brake on this thing is bad. Before I picked it up on Saturday, it hasn't ran since January and I was easily able to turn the tub with my hand. I washed a single blanket in it on max water level (could have been washed on medium) and the tub still indexed.

I know these brake assemblies require some oil, but beyond that I have no idea how these things work. When I got the washer, I did notice that the drive pully was covered in oil so perhaps some oil is all it needs. New assemblies cost $70-$100 and I'd really rather not spend that kind of money. I also know that these brakes can be safely disassembled and repaired, but I have no idea how to do that.

Any advice you can give me on how to safely disassemble this thing and repair it so that I won't have to buy a new one would be much appreciated.

Sorry I do not have any pictures at the moment. I'll be sure to post some when I'm back home this weekend.

 

[qsd-dan]

Weak Internal Spring

Your brake package is old enough that it can still be disassembled and repaired, the only problem is that Maytag discontinued parts for them 30 years ago when they went to the sealed design.

In commercial settings (laundromats), the brake lining wears out before the internal spring goes weak. In residential settings, the internal spring goes weak before the brake lining wears out.

Replacement is about the only way you can correct the problem today.

I do have an NOS internal spring and NOS brake lining in my parts stash. I fiddled with the idea of having them both reproduced (maybe add an additional 15-20 pounds of pressure over the stock spring rating) and make them available for enthusiasts. Then I had to remind myself that it's 2021, not 1970, where we live in a sue happy world and people don't take responsibility for their own actions. After all, we are dealing with 200 pounds of pressure here. Then I fiddled with the idea of rebuilding them myself but once parts, labor, and shipping is accounted for both directions, one is probably money ahead to just buy a new one...while they're still available.

 

[combo52]

Maytag Helicial Drive Washer Brakes

Hi Sean, The slight indexing while agitating on a MTW will never hurt anything,

 

In almost 50 years of working on Maytag washers I have never replaced a single brake package on a MTW, I have occasionally added a little oil on older 60s machines that started to screech when the machine went to stop to get a little more life out of an older tired washer.

 

I also asked my partner Jason who has been repairing washers for a living as well for around 25 years and he has never replaced a brake on a MT as well.

 

There are at least 20 other things to be concerned with on a 1987 MT washer before you probably need worry about a slightly weak brake.

 

If you ever visit I will give you a MT brake from a latter model that has the stronger brake spring that was required by UL standards [ Note: the brake springs do not get weaker over time, the earlier model machines just didn't stop as fast ]

 

John L.

 

[stuftrock1]

Slight indexing on a Maytag washer won't hurt anything

I agree. The indexing was not bad at all (only oscillating an inch to an inch and a half). It only concerned me because it was happening on a very light load (small to medium level worth of laundry on max water setting). This weekend when I'm back home I'll run a full and heavy load through it and see how bad it is. If it doesn't appear to negatively impact rollover then I won't concern myself with it.

I bought this washer so I could refurbish and resell and hopefully make a decent profit, and I take way too much pride in my work to be able to sell it knowing it could be in better condition. I realize I probably won't be able to sell an A512 for much, but this is the first washer I bought for this purpose and I wanted to test my abilities.

Thank you very much for your input, John. I know there are many other things to worry about (such as the damper pads which definitely need to be replaced), but the brake is the only thing I didn't know what to do about which is why I came here to ask. I'll be sure to update you on how it performs with the heavy load this weekend.

 

[qsd-dan]

Do a full load and watch for tub indexing. If the tub indexes, hold the tub stationary and watch rollover. An indexing tub hinders wash performance on these machines.

 

[stuftrock1]

Ok, so I did several loads over the weekend, some large some small. The first load, which was a full load, indexed like crazy. The next load, which had even more clothes than the first, did not index at all. And on the third load, which was a small load, again indexed like crazy.

I tried holding the tub stationary while it was indexing and only noticed a small improvement in turnover. I also noticed that while the tub was indexing, there was a very noticeable banging noise coming from what I'm assuming to be the brake every time the agitator switched directions during the wash and rinse cycles.

I'm not really worried about the indexing anymore since it only made a small difference to the turnover. However, I would really like to get rid of that banging noise. I plan to sell this washer for a profit so I'd really like to avoid purchasing a $100 replacement brake assembly if I can.

Are there any youtube videos or online guides on how to service these brake assemblies?