MAYTAG TWO-BELT TRANSMISSION QUESTION

[jwpate]

The wire ties form a sufficient curve to fit it in there well enough. But I do wonder if there is somewhere available some sort of double-ring plastic affair to make a better job of it.

 

[jwpate]

Thanks for the advice Drew. Get with it James - and don't ask for expert advice unless you are prepared to heed it.

Now the square sliders are well lubed and in place. The old round sliders are in the trash, and all is back as it should be.

Thanks again!

 

[norgeway]

Its great to see!

Someone do something RIGHT! You should be able to use it another 30 years! My Kenmore is 31 this year and I dread the thoughts of something happening to it, i certainly would never tackle what you did!

 

[jwpate]

Thanks norgeway - and if I do manage to get it right, it will thanks to the experts on this forum.

One more question though, and I bet someone knows the answer!

In the image below, we are looking in at the washer motor carriage, which was completed today. There are two belt-tension springs there, one on each side. But notice that provision exists also for another spring. We could set this carriage up with two springs on one side, or one each side as I have done it, or then again we could use three springs.

I of course, just set it up the way I found it.

But what is the real story on that extra set of holes. I imagined that they most likely were used to provide increased belt tension on models with larger capacity tubs???

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Sometimes, you'll see a third spring. Usually, the way you have it is just fine.

RCD

 

[jwpate]

Thanks Drew, I will not worry further on that point.

Just about caught up now, and so decided to take a closer look today at the control panel items. After carefully drawing out a diagram, I realized that actually most of the contacts are labeled and most of the wire ends also are numbered for reference. Better safe than sorry, but now I do have a wiring diagram so the drawing will just make it easy.

My model A112 has but three switching items in the control panel. Water level, water temp, and the timer.

 

[jwpate]

We shall begin with the water temp switch. From having earlier been inside the inlet water valve, we can just about guess how this functions. There are no partial settings on the solenoid operated hot and cold inlet valves. They are either open or closed, so we know before starting that this three position switch will have the hot solenoid open on the hot button, the cold solenoid on that button, and both open in the mid position.

What I don't know is how exactly this switch accomplishes that job. So we shall have a look inside. First take note that the push buttons are not centered on those actuating shafts, and the long side is up in this view - away from the mounting-hole side.

 

[jwpate]

These switches are easily available but the buttons alone are not (once they were). So we need to be careful, and hand pressure is all that is needed to persuade them off the shafts in one piece.

Then there are four plastic jaws keeping the top in place, of which we see two on the lower side here.

 

[jwpate]

I was very careful taking the top cover off, in case there were little springs just waiting to dance across the room. Can be more expeditions if there is ever a next time, for this switch has no springs.

What it does have is two contact breaker points, and a pair of fiber sliders that respond to the rounded ends of the button shafts. It is right in line with our expectations, and when the center button is pushed, neither of the points are opened giving us both hot and cold inlet water.

 

[jwpate]

When one of these temp switches begins to give us trouble, I would first wonder about the contact points. So here I give them a few strokes with a flexible point cleaning strip. Just enough to clean them of any oxidation which may have formed there.

 

[jwpate]

The three actuating shafts were each one corroded at the outside, or button end. Clean them up with fine steel wool and put a film of heavy grease. That Bosch grease is also helpful on the rounded ends which move the fiber sliders.

 

[jwpate]

Button it back up and check that my tomfoolery hasn't ruined it. All seems well, the button action is smooth and continuity checks out with no resistance through the contact points.

 

[jwpate]

Not much we can do to maintain the water level switch. The button system requires no lubrication, and the single set of contact points is safe from me, being inside the diaphragm housing. There was corrosion on the outer metal surface, there under the buttons. I just cleaned it up and painted with POR15.

 

[jwpate]

On to the timer switch. From the link Brian provided a few postings ago, it is understood that this unit is called the Late Mallory model, and much less complicated than earlier timers. Good!

 

[jwpate]

First we take out two fastening screws and remove the timer motor.

 

[jwpate]

Then remove one more screw and the plastic cover comes off, revealing what I believe is referred to as the escapement gears. That small one, into which the motor pinion was situated, has but two teeth on its bottom side, contacting the next gear only once each revolution. Brian tells us this moves the neat gear in the train along once every minute.

Interesting, but I am here only to clean out dust and old stiff lubricant.

[this post was last edited: 2/2/2014-16:37]

 

[jwpate]

Don't believe it would have occurred to me to try this, had I not read Brian's thread. But here goes, in a high tech kerosene bath and completely submerged to soak a while. Later I used a small brush and removed all the old lubricants. Also pulled out the timer shaft and ran it through all the settings a few times.

 

[jwpate]

After it came out, I blew it out well and from every orifice I could find, using compressed air.

And it really does seem clean as a whistle.

 

[jwpate]

Will now allow the timer to air out and completely dry from the kerosene.

Tomorrow I will lubricate it again with silicone spray generally, and grease for the gears.

 

[jwpate]

Yesterday was cleanup day for the timer switch, and today shall be lubrication. That spray can is a product of Sherwin-Williams, the paint people. Its lubricating ingredient is polytetrafluoroethylene. That is a real mouthful, so SW refers to it as P.T.F.E. Polytetrafluoroethylene is also known as TEFLON, but that trade name belongs to DuPont and therefore Sherwin-Williams cannot use it. We can though, and I have labeled this can teflon spray.

I tried it here because fellow forum member Brian has experienced better results with it than the silicone sprays. And I can say this Brother, it works well. There is a noticeable and pleasing improvement in turning the selection knob after treatment. I just shot it in there through every opening and turned the shaft at the same time.