Long: Brake R&R without tool achieved - damper pads relubed
Good evening everyone:
Today I attempted to remove and replace my brake assembly in my '61 A700 in order to raise up the tub and damper to relube the damper pads. I was successful - here is how it went:
The washer was already raised up about 10" off of the floor. This allowed access to the bottom without having to tip it over. This in turn keeps the tub/damper/brake centered in the chassis at all times.
My damper is the older style that holds the brake package in place with an Allen-type setscrew. I removed that first with a long Allen key; I removed the Allen screw completely and could see that the screw had made a nice round dent in the threads of the brake package. This is good - I can use this mark to put it back exactly where it came off!
Next, I removed the pulley, stop lug, dust cap and lower bearing. This exposed the brake which was the original type held together with hex head screws. I then used a long flathead screwdriver and a large hammer and was able to tap the brake assembly (on the sides of the screws) around counterclockwise until it came off. This took about 10 minutes as the angle was a bit tedious. This would have been easier with the washer tipped over, but I didn't want to have to deal with supporting the tub/trans/damper assembly once the brake came off.
I then removed the adjusting nuts on the suspension springs and used a floor jack and a block of wood to raise up the tub/transmission assembly until the damper pads were fully exposed. The old felt-type pads were in great shape so I relubed them with "Moly-Graph" grease (messy.) This grease is similar to what was used at the factory on the early models. In contrast, the '66 and newer Polypropylene pads take Poly-Lube silicone grease in case anyone was wondering.
I cleaned up the outside of the brake housing a bit while it was off. The original bearing in the top of the brake backage seemed to be OK (made in Japan!) I tried to wick some turbine oil into it but it was pretty much sealed. I cleaned out the old grease in the hub of the brake where the bearing goes and replaced it with fresh grease upon reassembly.
I removed the floor jack at this point and replaced the adjusting nuts on the suspension springs and set them at the initial setting (only for '65 and prior machines) where the bolt just barely starts to come through the other end of the nut. Nice smooth tub movement now!
I put a dab of grease on the threads of the brake package (it had some there from the factory so I followed suit) and screwed it back into the damper assembly by hand until the transmission started to move. Then I took the hammer and long screwdriver and tapped the brake clockwise a bit until the circular dent in the brake package threads lined up/centered in the screw hole. It seemed to want to stop tightening at this point anyhow. I tightened the allen screw firmly (don't strip it or the damper threads!) I am now ready to put the pulley/bearing/stop lug/dust cap back on. That I will do with the machine tipped over as the adjustment of the lug is critical.
My last chore is to disassemble the original GE motor and relube the felt wicks and bearings with some turbine oil, check the start switch, etc. Then I can put this baby back together and let it rip! After all of the work is completed I am going to have lots of pictures that I will post on Photobucket and share more about my major Maytag tune-up.
Whew...(!)
Andrew S.