Maytag HA806 restoration update.

[d-jones]

Last year I picked up an HA806 for my parents to replace their aging GE Filter Flow. Before I go any further, I'd like to point out that the Filter Flow has been an excellent machine, but after more than thirty years of service, corrosion issues are finally taking it out. So if you're a big fan of Filter Flow washers, I'm not putting them down. Anyways, I spend a few hours every Friday at my folks place helping out around the house and yard, and when time and circumstances permit, I work on going through the Maytag. It's been slow going, but after six months of sporadic effort I'm finally close enough to reassembly to share some of what I've been doing. Proper access is key to any in depth maintenance, so one of the first things I did was pull the cabinet off. I was glad I did, because once I had it off I found pitting corrosion all the way around the cabinets inner and outer surface where it hung below the base plate. Left unchecked, this would have eaten its way through the sheet metal leaving me with ugly holes in the cabinet. So I sandblasted it away, filled the pockets left behind by the corrosion removal, and then had the cabinet refinished at a trusted local body shop. The paint is a catalyzed automotive enamel and was custom matched to the washers front panel edges(it's an older machine with the two tone front panel).

Here it is in all its refinished glory, waiting to be reunited with the rest of the washer.

 

[d-jones]

Here’s the tub just prior to a major cleaning. I guess the rust colored staining is fairly common, but it had to go, as did the build up of various forms of scale and debris under the agitator.

 

[d-jones]

As you can see, the tub cleaned up nicely. A combination of CLR and Bon Ami, applied to the coarse side of a basic kitchen sponge, were used to restore the sparkling white finish to the porcelain.

By the way, I was wondering if the top of the ballast should be sealed to prevent water from getting in. The ballast has separated slightly from the sheet metal that forms the rolled inner edge. Clearly, water can enter at this point and it just seems wrong to leave it that way. Am I worrying about nothing?

 

[d-jones]

The same treatment was given to the tub cover, with the same results. The little gutter was a disaster. It was covered in scaly mineral deposits, all of the drain holes were thoroughly plugged up, and the underside was the color of rust. Now it's as spotless as the day it was made. Stay tuned for more photos next Friday. I should begin reassembly then.

 

[stan]

Can't wait

to see more!

What a nice job your doing!

 

[goatfarmer]

Great job! That machine will be better than new.

 

[d-jones]

Better than new?

Now you've done it, Kenny. You've set the bar so high for me that I'm doomed to failure. Thanks a lot!;-)

 

[rockland1]

Great pix d-jones. The pix of the tub brings back memories of a tour thru the
Newton, Iowa plant years ago. I can still remember seeing them packing the concrete in those tubs. ED