MAYTAG TWO-BELT TRANSMISSION QUESTION

[jwpate]

HI
I am in the middle of overhauling the transmission on the MAYTAG from 1986. I had hoped to replace the input pinion bearing, which is made of nylon, and its two clutch washers. None of the items are available from MAYTAG so I will have to reuse the originals. My question regards the screw which holds the pinion gear in place. When I took it apart it seemed to be set loosely in place and prevented from changing position by the groove pin. As I am about to build it back up, I just wonder if another member has knowledge of how tight I should take the screw, before placing the pin.

Thanks

 

[beekeyknee]

Until the screw pushes the pinion down flush with the top of the splines on the shaft.

 

[DigAPony]

None of the items are available from MAYTAG

I think you can find a new pinion gear if you shop around. However, that one appears in good shape and should be okay for reuse provided there are no hairline cracks developing.

Lugs gears can be reused as well if not badly worn but should re-installed in their original positions. Again new would be best and they should be available somewhere, although parts such as these are getting scare lately.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?38714

http://www.appliancejungle.com/servlet/the-25220/210315-MAYTAG-PINION-GEAR/Detail

 

[jwpate]

Well that question did sort of answer itself when I started building up the transmission. After screwing down the pinion to the shaft, neither of the available pin holes would prevent the screw from backing off a bit. That is the slack I noticed during strip-down and seems normal to me now.

As to locating new pinions and washers, I expect you just haven't been searching for them recently. MAYTAG PARTS ONLINE.COM, PARTS DR., and REPAIR CLINIC all report the same sad news - NO LONGER AVAILABLE.

Thanks though, to digapony. I followed that link to Appliance Jungle and now have the pinion on order. [this post was last edited: 1/26/2014-18:53]

 

[jwpate]

While I certainly do not have the experience (none) to start in on a step-by-step how-to on this washer, I would like to post a few photos along the way in hopes that more experienced eyes may catch my errors before they become real problem issues.

I have the machine completely apart now and have found sources for just about all I believe I shall need. Nothing much is available anywhere I have looked for the transmission. Only the gasket.

In the below photo I have rigged up a threaded rod with appropriate plates to clamp the brake spring, then removed the ring of machine screws, and finally am backing off on the spring pressure and allowing the brake halves to move apart.

 

[jwpate]

Here the parts have been cleaned and I am inspecting the brake friction lining. It is only about 2 MM thick, at the spot I have the ruler on. I am working on finding a manual for this model A112, but without success thus far. So I don't know what the practical limit might be. All the rest of the assembly parts look good to my untrained eye, but I have placed a new brake on order because that friction lining looks too thin.

Everything is original from 1986 and so I haven't bothered to clean up the two bearings. I have new ones.

 

[jwpate]

The old mounting stem on the right looks to be a far higher quality part than the new unit on the left. It must be changed, of course, but the new stem uses a cheap rubber lip seal, unlike that nice original seal, which was spring loaded against the washer and retained by the wire clip. That spring loading would have continuously kept pressure on the rubber and helped it retain a firm seat around the shaft.

A fellow member of this forum has suggested that I use both the new stem seal and a new specimen of the original style seal fitted underneath it. I would have never thought of doing that, but most certainly will give it a go. First I shall clean the grease from inside both the seals and replace it with something else, in order that I don't go mixing grease types.

 

[jwpate]

I went through the transmission in order to satisfy myself that there were no obvious problems with any of the gears. They all look good. I can see slight wear on both the pinions, and would like to use new clutch washers - but we have already discussed that.

So it will be just a cleaning effort and new oil. I do want to fit a new central shaft seal though.

 

[jwpate]

Starting in 1986 when I bought this washer, MAYTAG switched from using an O ring located inside the transmission case (up near the nylon pinion in previous image) to a lip seal fitted right at the end of the lower case leg. The seal has a steel sleeve inside that plastic cover, and by means of a special tool it can be pulled off and changed, without opening the transmission or even removing it from the washer.

The new seal comes with a neat plastic protector for installing it. Here I just tapped it in with a hammer.

 

[jwpate]

And now for something really ugly! This is the lip of the outer tub. At this location was one of the two clamps for that stainless V-band which secures the tub seal. I start wondering about how to deal with this. Sure cannot just order a new outer tub.

How bout brazing, or silver solder, or auto-body lead? How bout some epoxy product, like JB Weld.

 

[jwpate]

Whatever is to be done, the first step must be to clean it back till reaching good sound metal. And, this step takes me past all the aforementioned ideas.

It will have to be a butt welded patch of steel.

 

[jwpate]

So, start by hammering out a patch to the contours needed, place it in position and scribe the edge pattern onto the tub, then cut out to match.

 

[jwpate]

Weld it in - grind it smooth- and move on to the next issue.

 

[jwpate]

And this will do. Here is the drain pipe of the outer tub, looking worse for wear. There seems enough length remaining for attaching a hose, but how sound is this pipe???

 

[jwpate]

Well, it actually looks better after the useless end is cut away. But I cannot just clean it up and expect it to be good-to-go. It will have to be really completely cleaned of rust and coated inside and out with a surface will protect it from further oxidation. What to do?

 

[jwpate]

This is what it looks like from inside the tub.

I have come around to thinking that the only acceptable thing to do is bead blast the entire thing, inside and out. And I mean the entire tub. That old finish was a baked on enamel by the looks of it, and I am thinking that it will soon have a baked on power coat. Just cannot think of any other way to make it last.

Anyone else been faced with this and found a better way?

 

[washman]

Good work

Your work with metal is most impressive.

 

[DigAPony]

The tub is porcelain enamel finish.

I'd suggest using POR-15 on the rough spots and use as is.

If you decide to strip it and re-coat there are places that can do a porcelain enamel finish for not much more that powder coating.

 

[jwpate]

Thanks DigAPony, but I cannot locate anywhere in this metropolis a firm offering porcelain enamel refinishing. So I am going ahead with powder coating. We don't expect to remove the existing porcelain where it is sound, but only etch is with the bead blasting then coat over it. The rust can be really cleaned up that way, including the drain pipe. I thought about other options, including reaming out the drain pipe and soldering in a thin stainless sleeve. The heat would be too much though, so I am going with powder coat.

In the time waiting for the tub to be completed, I can move on with other issues. Here the cabinet is outside with fresh paint. I cleaned the rust areas and coated with POR15. After that was dry it got a coat of Hammerite.