maytag wringer washer questions.....

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update...

hi everybody!!!

well, i did make the 1 1/2 hour drive up to pick up the old maytag wringer washer. i picked up my cousin to have a guy with me to help me load the wringer on the truck.

so, here's "the good, the bad, and the ugly":

the good:
agitation - works (smooth & sturdy {it made me smile}).
agitator - came off pretty easy (the metal screen was still in place).
wringer - works in both directions, locks & unlocks into different positions.
drian hose - there's an extra drain hose in the wash tub (it has the metal hook on the end (you'll know why i mention this next)

the bad:
rear left leg - there was some oil drips down the leg (not pouring down but there).
also there was like one drop of oil under the washer, where they had it when we got there.
rear left leg - wheel falls off (the bracket the post goes into is broke off the leg but still around the post {i'm pretty sure}).
drain hose - drips where it connects to the pump. and the little metal hook on the other end of the drain hose is broken off. just barely a curve of a stump that will sit into the hook hole.
the drain pump - the lever moves but when i try to turn it on, the pump doesn't work and if i move the lever over all the way, it shuts the motor off. i think the wheel, that slides over to the moving pulley, is stuck or something, cuz i couldn't even turn the wheel with my hand.

the ugly:
i had it on the back of the truck & was driving away. i had wrapped a rope around the tub and pulled both ends into the cab & closed the back doors on the ropes, thinking this would hold the ropes tight & from coming loose. well.....
when i made a turn onto a well traveled street, the damned rope came loose!!! and the wringer washer tumbled over onto it's side and all i heard was a big bang and crash!!!
BUT...
luckily it just fell over inside the bed of the truck!!! i was so afraid and could already see images of the wringer washer falling out of the bed of the truck and tumbling over into the street!!! but luckily, i was making a slow turn and the washer stayed inside the bed of the truck!!!

adventure, right??
hm hm hm....

so, i ended up pulling into the first driveway of a business, right after the turn i made. and me and my cousin picked up the washer before alot of oil could leak out and that's when i see it!!! the wringer fell out of the post!!

i thought "oh no!! i remember stan saying there's a little trick to get it back on, and for it to drop into position". oh well, the wringer's already out of the post. so, i just laid it next to the washer, tied up the washer again but this time, we wrapped the washer with the rope and through the truck cab and through the sliding back window. and we started off again. but i still didn't feel confident with the rope job that we did, so i pulled off the highway again, and used a strap i had there to strap it over the top and hooked it onto the wheel well and also a hole with a metal stick that was in the truck bed. (i'm sure that is the purpose of that hole with the metal stick in it, in the bed of the truck).
and for good measure, just in case the washer were to fall over again, i took out the agitator, the metal screen, the extra drain hose and put them in the backseat of the cab.

well, we finally made it home safely with no more problems. thank you Jesus!!!
and i did see how to get the wringer back on and got it back onto the post without any problems. i slid it down onto the post and it didn't quite sit down all the way and i wiggled it and it fell into place. so that wasn't too bad or tricky!!
thank you God!! :o)

so, now my next plan is to see if i can figure out why the drain pump wheel seems to be "frozen/stuck" in place and won't turn. in fact, when i moved the lever far over (but not all the way), i started smelling like something was burning. i'm guessing the spinning pulley against the pump's "rubber" drain wheel? i say "guessing" cuz i don't know what the different parts of made of and i'm just guessing from a couple of looks down underneath. the best way to describe the smell is like what i remember the vacuum cleaner smelling like, if you had vacuumed up a corner of a throw rug or something.

so sorry for the long update message here. but i do have a question now that i've got the wringer washer here....

my question is, since it was possible to add a drain pump to other models of maytag wringer washers (from what i've read on here), is it really easy to take the pump off so that i can get a better look at what's going on & to find out why that rubber wheel isn't spinning?? i figure it would be easier to take the pump off and look at it standing up rather than have to lay on the floor and try to figure things out by looking up under the machine (like a mechanic has to do with a car).

thanks to all the reply & i'll be waiting to read your replies.

:o)
 
i forgot to mention...

i couldn't get much history on this wringer washer. i asked the lady if she was the original owner & she said no. so she had boughten it used. couldn't really get much of a conversation going with her. but the husband was more of a talker and was talking with my cousin about where he worked etc...
they were friendly & nice. but i couldn't get much out about the washer history. except that the lady said her son thought & said that she should get $100 for the washer cuz it was an "ANTIQUE".

she wanted $25, in the beginning, for the washer. but once we seen that the drain pump wasn't working, and the little hook on the end of the drain hose was broken, and the left rear leg's wheel falls out, i asked her if she would take $15 to which she quickly replied "no".
so, i stayed quiet and was thinking about it to see if i even wanted it and she knew at this point that i was seriously thinking about it and she added "i'll take $20 for it". and i thought about it for a few seconds and said "alright, i can give you $20 for it, considering that i already drove all this way for it".

so, i got this wringer washer for $20. not too bad, is it???
 
$20 is a great price!

 

 

CONGRATS Christina!

 

I'm sure you will enjoy it (once you get the pump working)!

 

On another note, this is too late now, but for anyone moving any appliance in a truck, I would like to strongly suggest going to Home Depot or Lowes and buying a 4 pack of ratcheting tie down straps!   They are only $15 and will save a lot of worry and possible frustration.... in other words, cheap insurance!   I have 8 or 10 in my truck at all times and have used all of them on a couple occations to make sure nothing will move.

 

Kevin

revvinkevin++5-6-2014-14-34-48.jpg
 
pictures..

i'll post pictures later on tonight. i was just out there taking pictures and i notice that the tip of the aluminum drain "hook" was pinched like it had been squished (maybe like up against a wall while the washer was being pushed to a wall?).

i should have taken a "before" picture to show the tip of the aluminum drain hook. but i just got done straightening the tip. i stuck the handle of a socket? into the hole and used the plastic handle of a screwdriver, to tap/hit the sides of the tip that were furthest away from the screwdrivers handle. so that i could tap the tip into a more circular/round shape. and it seems like i got it into a pretty round shape now. so, the aluminum drain hook is now almost in it's original round shape. and i slid the black rubber tip over the end of it now.

sorry i didn't take any before pictures of it.
(i shoulda known better!!!)
;o/
 
thanks kevin....

the strap i used was similar to those ones. but the ones i have must have been cheapies cuz they are orange and only tightened up so much. i don't know how they work, but from what my cousin could do, he could only tighten up so much.
not that i've worked much with these straps, so my mind can't grasp just how they work??? especially the cheapie ones that are in the truck that we used
:o(

but now i know where to get, some like the ones you posted in the picture. they definitely look like they are way sturdier & stronger!!!
thank you so much kevin!

:o)
 
Christina,
Congratulations! You made a great score for $20. Once you get that pump up and running you'll have a great time with your new play toy.

Make sure you keep us posted with your progress and give us some pictures along the way.

Rick
 
SCORE !!!

(Kidding & playful) That old bag was "considering " trying to get a hundred bucks out of you. Nice try, and to think you were worried about being nervous, but  you offered her only 15. Christina that's hilarious. And I loved your long story. Many here cherish long stories and there's no need to apologize. Read it during tea after biking. The drama was anxious and exciting about almost losing the TAG on the curve. Nice save. What a riot !

 

Sorry about the pump. Putting a nice gallon or two of really hot water --even boiling--if you're willing into the tub and letting it soak for a while, and maybe the pump will free up. The impeller may be stuck or gunked up.  That would be the best case senario. Other then that, let the pros come forward to assist. 

 

Great that you got her for 20 bucks--total steal!

 

[Larry, I think.......I remember......that I learned that........and forgot I knew it, AGAIN !  LOL. If Geoff said that, then it's Maytag Law] Thanks
 
Yes! You gotta watch those freezing temps in Tucson!

Just kidding Wayupnorth. I guess sometimes we forget there are places that don't have winter.

Congratulations Christina on your $20.00 WIN!! That's a GREAT deal on a working Maytag. Fixing or replacing a drain hose is nothing. The pump does sound like it's seized up. That rubber wheel will just burn and it would smell like a rubbing vacuum cleaner belt. You can try the hot/boiling water method. I've heard sometimes that's all it takes. Or just gravity drain will always work. The pump is 100% mechanical. All that lever does is pull it into the pulley. Then the rubber coated pump wheel makes contact with the pulley, turns itself running an internal impeller which forces the water through it and out the drain hose. They are very simple and available, reconditioned from Phil in Ovid N.Y for about $35.00. That's where I got mine. I LOVE the pump. My floor drain was awkward to reach. You can also drain into a bucket and dump. But lots of lifting and hard work. That's what I remember Grandma doing with her washer in the kitchen. But it was funny watching an old lady man handle buckets of water out the kitchen window! A different time for sure!

The oil on the leg and underside is normal for any of these older Maytag's. Most of them operate for years like that. So a drop or 2 occasionally is just "normal". When they get like mine was is when you have to take action. Mine was just spewing oil all over the floor like it was Possessed! I didn't know if I should call the Maytag Repairman or a Priest! Anyway, mine was so far gone it had to have the power unit taken apart. So do a couple of loads and check it out. 99% chance it's fine. Like I said, NORMAL for these old troopers!

And HAVE FUN and keep us posted!!

Larry
 
Gad

You got a deal on this.
I didn't want to ask what the asking price was, but now that we know... you can't go wrong for $20.00
Hopefully the hot water trick will work out. There's also a adjustment to the tension on that pump. It's connected the to rod that is connected to "ON" "OFF" lever.
Surprised you didn't put a dent in the machine when it fell over LOL
Hope to see some pics sone.
 
thank you so much......

washdaddy/rick:
i took some pictures earlier today and i'll be posting them on here right now.

mickeyd:
thanks for liking my long stories. i am definitely guilty of sending long emails too!! LOL...
i will definitely be filling the wringer washer with boiling water and see if that does the trick for the drain pump!! if i get a chance, i'll try that tomorrow. i'll have to dig out out biggest pots again for this. this is the same thing i did for the 208, when i switched out the agitator.

wayupnorth:
that's what i kinda figured, that i would have to do the gravity drain if the pump won't work. that's how we empty the washer at the seller's house, when i filled the washer partly, to check for any leaks. and thanks for the "freezing temps" tip. i will definitely try to remember that during the winter!!

e2l-arry:
for letting me know i can get a reconditioned pump, for about $35, from phil in ovid, ny. i hope that the boiling water tip will do the trick. but if it doesn't, it's good to know that there is someone that sells them. if i did the gravity drain, i definitely won't be using the wringer washer in the house. i'd rather just use it outside and let it drain on the ground outside! ha ha ha...
no buckets for me!!! :o)
i looked over that back left leg again, and the oil doesn't look too bad on there, or at least, not as bad as i thought it was.

i have taken pictures today and i will be posting them now so that everyone can see what's happening.

another thing i wanted to mention, i didn't notice this before but, the metal screen that goes under the agitator, i just figured out today, while i was showing my aunt the washer, that the 2 cut outs have to fit over the 2 tabs, at the bottom of the agitator post. and then, you have to turn the metal screen counterclockwise to tighten that metal filter screen. i didn't know that before. but than again, this is the only the first time that i've looked over the washer, cuz i was showing it to my aunt.
pst..
(and moms was home. so we couldn't stay out there in the backyard for too long. moms still hasn't seen the wringer washer or she doesn't even know that i got it yet!!!)
shhhhhh.....
LOL....

;oD
 
another picture...

#2
this is a picture of the wheel that is on the left rear leg, that keeps falling off/out. maybe you can make out what part exactly is broken? they had tape around it with a cork stuffed in there. but i think it might be possible to weld the piece back onto the leg. any thoughts???
sorry if it's too dark of a picture...

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-27-6.jpg
 
another picture...

#3
this is a picture of the inside of the left rear leg. after seeing this picture, i seen that it wasn't as bad of oil leakage as i first thought it was....

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-30-7.jpg
 
another picture...

#4
this is a picture of the end of the drain hose. i was showing you how the hook part, that goes into the little ring on the side of the washer to hold the drain hose on the side of the washer, is broken off.

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-33-19.jpg
 
another picture...

#6
this is a picture of the inside of the washtub. it shows the extra drain hose that was with the washer and the metal filter screen. you see how the extra drain hose has the little metal hook on the end still, so that the drain house can be hooked onto the outside of the washer....

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-37-49.jpg
 
another picture...

#7
this is a picture after i straighten out the aluminum hook end of the drain hose. it was smashed and instead of the opening looking round, it had an oblong shape to it. but after i "fixed" it, you can see it looks pretty round now.
(and yes, that's my 208 in the background)
hm hm hm.....

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-40-14.jpg
 
another picture...

#8
and this is the last picture of the drain hoses aluminum hook end.
i will try to see if tomorrow, i can move the washer out of where i have it located, so that i can take a picture of the serial numbers & see if we can figure out when this wringer washer was made.
stay tuned.....

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-01-43-38.jpg
 
question.....

how do you separate the wringers, when not in use, to keep them from forming flat spots??? would you just hit the "RELEASE" lever and that's it? they are separated enough so they won't get any flat spots? or do you have to do something else to release them more?
 
Christina,

 

 

Once when the boiling water didn't work, I bought a gallon of white vinegar and boiled that instead, and it worked. Really hoping you get the pump freed up. After that, and a new leg wheel, 

the rest is just cosmetics, and you being a hippie doll, it should come natural. ;'D 

 

The inside tub looks well cared for, and of the little peek at the Gyrator, that looks good too.  Nice job on the hook; looks brand new.

 

We have matching Gold Tags. Sweet.

 

 
 
Forgot to say that

Hitting the release bar takes the pressure off, but the purists lift the wringer head up to open a space, and leave it up till the next use. All of Geoff's resting Maytags are pictured this way.   
 
You separate the rollers by ..

Hit the release lever. Then turn the tension control on the top counter clockwise 1/4 turn. That's actually as far as it should let you turn it. Then, while you lift the top roller, I do this by putting one hand between the rollers and lift it evenly upward a couple of inches and hold it while with the other hand you move the tension rod back a quarter turn and slowly let go with the other hand and the rollers should sit open about an inch or so. Practice it a couple of times and you'll be a pro in no time! Same thing to cut it loose. Do the same thing and let the top roller lower with your hand so it doesn't just drop. Then turn the tension rod clockwise all the way and it will tighten the rollers down. There's a YouTube video of some guy using his E2L and you can tell the rollers aren't locked into position. It's obvious the upper roller is just gliding upwards and he's not getting maximum wringer action at all. The people that think they can make instructional videos . .

The oil leak doesn't look bad at all. Normal is how I'd describe it. The rest looks like you got a good little machine there! I'd sand, prime then paint the underside of the lid with some spray Epoxy White Appliance paint. I'd have to look but I think Rustoleum makes it.
 
another picture...

#9
here is a picture of the "gyrator" agitator. sorry i didn't think about adding this picture. i just took it right now, as i was boiling the water in the biggest pot, to hopefully free up the frozen/stuck drain pump!

keep your fingers crossed that it works.........

;o)

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-17-37-44.jpg
 
mickeyd...

thanks for tip on using boiling vinegar, if the boiling water doesn't work for the drain pump. i just went outside & tried the lever and still the same results, nothing happening. but the hot water has only been sitting in the washer for about 20 minutes or so. am i anxious or what?!
LOL....

i did post a picture of the black skinny agitator for you & everyone to see what it looks like & what shape it is in.

so, we have gold "twin" tags, huh??? "outta sight"!!! which model do you have?? mine is a 208 (& lovin' it!).

as for separating the wringer rollers, that's what i did was just hit the release bar.

:o)
 
This is how the wringer

should look when properly in the "Parker" position. This is how the Owners Manual says you should store them.

Also note how I rigged a hook out of a plastic coat hanger and fastened it to the hose with an adjustable clamp. You can do something like that with the broken hook end on your "pump" drain hose. That's the one with the straight threaded end. Then you connect the hook that you straightened out to the hose and and it hooks over whatever you're draining it into. For using gravity drain, the hose with the angled end is the better choice.

e2l-arry++5-7-2014-17-56-13.jpg
 
YAY

Didn't want to be pushy, greedy, rude, or demanding LOL, but a money shot --the tub and agitator--is pretty much required around here. And with you being so sweet to us, no one said a word.  

 

Really have my fingers, toes, arms & legs crossed in hopes that the impeller swings free.  Remember the white vinegar, if needed. Cheap gallon jugs at Walmart. Sending you  a strong vibe, listening to the Beach Boys.   Good, good, good..... good vibrations, la la. 
 
e2l-arry....

thank you for explaining how to separate the wringer rollers more, by turning the tennsion control counter clockwise. i didn't know there was a difference if you turned the tension control one way or the other? but now i know that when you turn it clockwise, it tightens the tension. not sure which way i was doing it? but now i know.

i did try to lift the top roller slightly a few inches and tried to turn the tension rod back into the original position, but i don't know what i'm doing wrong, cuz it doesn't seem to "catch" onto anything, to hole the top roller suspended a few inches higher. maybe i still need to practice doing this a few times to get the hang of it? but as long as just hitting the release bar is good enough to keep the rollers from getting a flat spot, i guess that'll be good enough for right now, for me.

as for the oil leak, i thought it looked so much worse, when i first looked at it. and that wheel that falls out/off, looks like it is oily too. so, i figured it was a pretty oily mess on the inside of that left rear leg. but now that i seen the picture i took and you describing it as "NORMAL" looking, i am satisfied with that. thank you for the confirmation e2l-arry. :o)

and thank you for the suggestion about sanding, priming, and painting the underside of the lid and what kind of paint to use. that is something that i do want to take care of.

also, i noticed that it looks like someone wrapped black electrical tape around the egde of the lid. it looks like there is piece of the rubber (gasket?) that is missing, so someone wrapped it with the black electrical tape to keep the rubber gasket in place so it wouldn't fall off.

thank you so much for all the great tips! it is much appreciated!!

:o)
 
ok guys.....

now i know this is probably the wrong group of people to ask this question too but...
is it possibly wrong to have too much fun with a washing machine???
LOL.....

i am having just a little too much fun figuring out this wringer washer!!!
and the bad news is that it's almost time for moms to come home. so, i've got to be "closing up shop" here soon, before she gets here and discovers my new "toy"!!
LOL.....

by the way:

e2l-arry
thank you for the picture or your beautiful wringer washer, so that i could see how the wringer rollers are supposed to be separated.
good new, I DID IT!!!
i figured out that i have to turn the tension control over more than just putting back into the original position, so that it will "catch" & hold the top roller in the higher position.

here's a picture i just took:

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-18-21-19.jpg
 
hey mickeyd....

here is a better "money shot" of the washtub & the wringer!!
is this better??

it's got the "HOT" water sitting in the tub. i took the agitator out, after i took the picture.

;o)

hippiedoll++5-7-2014-18-22-46.jpg
 
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