Maytag Neptune dryer restoration

[tecnopolis]

For What the Neptunes cost new, they ALL should have come with tub lights. I guess one more MOD I'll have to look into.
Shame on Maytag, an advanced space-age LCD touch-screen on top and the dark stone ages below. Way to go Maytag.

 

[yogitunes]

Don't you remember the commerial on TV.......the HOT Maytag guy had spilled something on himself, and then out of the clouds came this space ship, and when landed, it was a Neptune, and these "ALIENS" appeared, about three of them, jumped on this guy, and his cothes got ripped off, and were sucked into the machine, and then placed back on him all clean.....

for the life of me I can't find the actual commercial.....

 

[tecnopolis]

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[tecnopolis]

...Sounds more like a Jeff Stryker film than an attempt to sell a washer, but I get where they were going.
I guess nothing is as risque as the new Liquid Plumber commercial with the two sexy guys as plumbers. "I'm here to snake the drain", says one to the lonely housewife. "" I'm here to clean the pipes" says the other. LOL

 

[tecnopolis]

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[DADoES]

 
There were numerous engineering changes on the Neppie from the first MAH3000 to the final revision.

Recirculation pump eliminated.
Dispenser valves changed from wax motors to solenoids.
Door lock changed from wax motor to solenoid.
Boot revision.
Motor and control board revision.
Tub light eliminated.
Water level pressure switch moved from console to drain pump.
Other electrical and design changes.

 

[tecnopolis]

Dodoes, "Recirculation pump eliminated", I kept seeing a reference to a recirculation pump in my repair manuals but had yet to see one so equipped out in the field. There is only a cursory explanation on how to replace one, but not on it's specific purpose. What does it add in regards to the was cycle? Shades of a vintage Whirlpool Combo? IIRC Neptune does not have direct injection but rather a divertor flume in the outer tub top directed to the front of the wash basket.

 

[DADoES]

 
There's an MAH4000 with recirculation pump been in my garage for several years (pending bearing replacement for a friend who had already bought a replacement machine). Purpose of it is to pick up detergent water from the sump and return it to a port at top of the outer tub ... presumably to deal with detergent stuck/settled in the sump. There's no recirculation shower directly onto the tumbling clothes.

A check valve of sorts was added to the sump when the recirculation pump was eliminated.

 

[tecnopolis]

So I am skimming through the local Craig's and I see an ad from the Thrift store I purchased the Commercial Neptune from and decided to see what she was selling and what do I spy with my bloodshot eye? Not sure which model they are, but there are 3, THREE of them in a row! C R O S L E Y style Neptunes in the background of the photo she uploaded!!!!! They are closed at the moment (it's 2am Easten), but I am calling her in the morning to see if she can hold one for me whatever they are.

 

[tecnopolis]

I called the seller this morning and she says there are 2 washers and 1 dryer available. She said One washer needs a "sensor" because it would not operate, so they bought a second washer to use for parts. The washer and dryer will be available for approximately $289. I told her I was only interested in a washer. They just got them in so it will be a few days for them to get them sorted and she will call me when I can come and take a look at them. I always liked the look of the Crosley versions of the Neptunes. Especially in that battleship grey "colour".

 

[tecnopolis]

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[yogitunes]

Never seen them before....or even knew they existed....really nice looking......love the color too

 

[tecnopolis]

...What?, never seen them before? This is what Whirlpool did with the Neptune range.
Sad to see it happen, but glad to see them live on a bit longer.

 

[tecnopolis]

These Neptunes always remind me of those pesky Dalecks Dr. Who is always bumping into. The Crosley version especially so.

 

[tecnopolis]

I wonder if Davros uses HE detergent?

 

[tecnopolis]

I purchased those "old" Maytag laundry brochure. Nice pictures and specs on the entire Maytag Laundry line for the early 2000's.

 

[tecnopolis]

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[tecnopolis]

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[tecnopolis]

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[ovrphil]

Chatty Thread but...

I was supposed to be somewhere else about a half hour ago, and instead, I kept reading this thread.

Are the Neptune machines worth fixing? Don't shoot me. I thought they were just a gimicky design, but so true, they reminded me of the Dr. Who and the Daleks(I couldn't remember their names).

Just love this thread...really interesting, really impressed with what you did with that MT Neptune dryer - holymotherofpearl, that thing was a mess. Isn't there a design department that focuses on minimizing these things happening to the degree seen there? Jus' askin'

Good job and nice finds, tecnopolis! Great photos, too.

 

[tecnopolis]

I personally think the Maytag Neptune and Atlantis lines and are special enough to warrant restoration. Now that Whirlpool owns almost everything appliance-wise out there, it's getting harder and harder to find an original design with engineering from outside of Whirlpool's labs.
Maytag also has a rich and storied history that spans over 100 years and it was founded by a smart man of the same name, not a collection of corporations~~!
**Yes, this thread started out on fixing that first Neptune dryer, but has since spread out to include the Neptune and Atlantis Washers and Dryers and all their variants**
Of course, none of this would be possible without the input from other members on AW.O, and the content here is provided for those who may also want to adopt the famous slant nosed front beauties from Maytag.
As far as the pictures go, I was always the one who ran the projector in grammar school, so including the visual aids may have been drum into me when trying to make a point.
I hope others are motivated to start their own collection.
-Alex

 

[tecnopolis]

. Fred Maytag hanging out with two of his peers. Perhaps you've heard of them, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone?

 

[ovrphil]

Worth saving

I recognize the friends, but will do a little background reading on Fred Maytag.

There's some good and bad in the big fish swallowing the smaller fish - but more cars today look more alike, as do the appliances. That speaks something.

Somewhere in my reading, I read of several complaints with the Neptunes.

But you make a good point, and like many of the other decades of appliances designed, if not for you and others, they would eventually become scarce, vanished next to a rock or weeds in one of the prairies or fields.

 

[tecnopolis]

If you look hard enough you'll find complaints from all across the appliance market, so no brand is immune.
But Maytag was a pioneer in more than one time in their history. Sometimes things need to be changed once new models get into users hands. Case in point, the older iPhone that if you hold the phone in the lower left it dramatically reduced the ability of the phones antenna. Bad tires from Firestone who's tread would separate at highway speeds, GM's x-cars (Chevy Citation/Olds Omega/Buick Skylark) whos brakes would prematurely lockup and would send the car into a spin. Toyota Camry floor mats, etc.
All of the earlier Neptune's faults were addressed and sorted in later models.
So technology as a whole has it's share of teething pains...What's important is how the company handles the issue.

 

[tecnopolis]

RE: big fish swallowing the smaller fish

If you really want to get the Hornet's nest in a frenzy, ask members how they feel about Frigidaire by General Motors and White Consolidated Industries. That thread would be an eye opener.

 

[ovrphil]

White Consolidated Ind.

Westinghouse was a great brand, as far as I knew back when I knew far too little. I just read a little bit about White Consolidated Industries(Thomas White)..and the company buying Westinghouse (White-Westinghouse). and now being owned by Electrolux. Goodgrief, on and on. Frankly, I don't want to know. I'm enjoying the perspective as a new member and enjoying the collections and knowledge/skills/restorations. Think I'll sit here for a while.

 

[tecnopolis]

This is a great site. It has a little bit of everything.
Welcome to the club and enjoy!

 

[tecnopolis]

This is one of the books I bought about Maytag's history.
The booklet was published by Maytag back in 1993, in commemoration of the centennial of the company's beginning. It consists of 36 pages of pictures, and history about the company. Starting in 1893 as a farm implement manufacturer, and eventually settling on washing machine production in the early 1900's. Through the decades the company grew and prospered. By the time this booklet was produced in 1993, the company had expanded by buying other brands in the industry. This eventually led to it's demise. Lots of historical photos and information here. An interesting book for all Maytag collectors, showing what made the company great.

 

[tecnopolis]

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[tecnopolis]

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