Maytag Dependable care with loose agitator

[norgechef]

Yesterday I picked up a Maytag Dependable Care washer, it works very well and even the belts are in very good condition, however the agitator, which is a straight vane type, seems very loose. It is moving properly during agitation and I suppose nothing is technically broken, but I have had a few older Maytag's with the ''helical drive'' transmission and the agitators were never this loose. I know there is a bolt or screw on the lower side of the agitator, but I don't know what size the bolt is, or if its even a bolt or just a screw, I cant tell. Is it the bolt that is most likely loose, or is it likely something else causing the agitator to be this loose?

 

[yogitunes]

1/4" nut driver will remove the screw...

 

[combo52]

Loose Agitator In A MT Washer

First of all What is the model # of the machine,

 

Note ALL MT two belt washers are Helical Drive, HD refers to the spiral cut of the main drive pulley and has nothing to do with whether is has the orignal or later style transmission.

 

John

 

[norgechef]

It has the Orbital Drive transmission

Short, fast stroke agitation. It has a white control panel and a white tub and agitator with polypropylene tub cover. I'm quite sure all machines branded ''Dependable Care'' are Orbital drive. I understand the mechanism is the same. Maybe I should of said my older machines had the Pitman transmission instead of helical drive. The screw is on there tight, so I'm lost as to why it's loose like it is.

 

[norgechef]

Guess it is a clip

http://www.appliance-repair-it.com/repair-Maytag-washer.html

Not worth repairing in my eyes. Just my luck I guess. This is why I stick to Dual Drive Maytag's. Easier to repair with less parts and better cleaning.

 

[yogitunes]

have we determined its the agitator or the shaft causing the issues?

 

[nmassman44]

I have to chime in here...on the Maytag LAT 9356 that I had..brand new...the agitator did go up and down on each stroke...the set screw was all the way in but that’s how it was ...even with the LoadSensor Agitator. With my A613 the PowerFin agitator also had a set screw and it too rode up and down the shaft. I found it annoying just a tad, so I found a Maytag washer that was trashed and I was able to pull out the agitator that was in pristine shape and removed the stop ring that held the agitator in place. I removed the agitator from the 613 and put in the donor stop ring and then put the PowerFin donor agitator into the 613...no more bouncy agitator. Also the 613 had the long stroke transmission like the donor washer.

 

[norgechef]

Huh...who knew

It must be an issue with some of the splines on the agitator on some models.

 

[good-shepherd]

Not worth repairing in my eyes

Did you remove the agitator to confirm the agitator shaft is the culprit?