Maytag Wringer

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Great News!!!

I finally got my friend (Alisha) to look inside and she said that it has a turquoise agitator! YES!!! And I am getting the machine on friday! I will be able to answer most questions then. I hope to get it down stairs, and at least plug it in to see how she runs. Should I remove the agitator first? and check to see if it needs petroleum jelly? But, I don't think I will be plugging it in for a while yet. Alisha said that on the way home it leaked grease, oil or something and so I think thats a sign that it may need a new transmission seal. Is this a problem? (It was taken home on its side.) What should I do? Can anyone give me list of things to check all over the machine to make sure its okay to plug in and start? What should I buy? Will any stains result of the petroleum jelly? How should I apply the jelly? How often? How much? My guess is that it will be used at least once every week, or it could do all the for a whole week (around 5 hours worth with three washing machines.) It just all depends on how I am feeling. Once I get it restored and its humming dreamily away I will take out the video camera and make a movie for everyone to watch, but I need all the help I can get to help save this beauty. Is there anyone who can answer all of my questions? How many Maytag Wringer experts are there out there? Please help me! And THANK YOU anyone who does!
 
Congratulations! Can't wait to see pictures!

As for the leak, it *might* be the wringer head; wringers weren't meant to be transported on their sides and I've heard a few stories about the wringers leaking oil when tipped over; I'm not positive though. Also, if you apply Vaseline sparingly to the agitator shaft only, you won't have to worry about it getting in the wash. You just have to use a very small amount.

--Austin
 
I would ramove the agitator and put a gob on the splines. Just spread it so it has a coating. I think some people remove the agitator after washing to prevent the frozen agitator problem. When the machine is filled with water there remains an air pocket under the agitator so it shouldn't wash the lubricant out.

When we used to haul Maytag wringers we would lay them on the side with the agitate knob down, this keeps the oil from leaking out the air vent hole or leaking out the wringer drive hole, which is what probably happened. Before replacing the seal, clean up the oil so you can see where it leaked from. If the drive shaft seal is leaking it will show up there. Try to determin how much oil leaked out. If you need to add some, the easiest way is to turn machine upside down and remove the drive pulley and then the two bolts holding the drive worm gear and remove it. then fill with oil.
 
Thank you! I will try and do these things as soon as possible, but I have a few more questions. Whats the best way to get the machine downstairs? what the best way to transport it? If mine has the pump, (don't know yet) how is it activated? Also, I here what your saying but I am kind of foggy about it. What kind of oil? what kind vaseline or petroleum jelly? and whats a spline? I know nothing of wringers at all. Please help me! Do I need to buy a new O-ring for it? What does the O-ring do?Besides lubricant and oil is that all I should buy? Any info is appreciated!
 
Jamie ...

Remove the wringer head before you move it downstairs. As "fixerman" said, if you have to tip the machine, do so with the agitator control facing down; that will keep the oil from coming out of the breather hole on the right angle drive (ANOTHER new term!).

I have mailed you a repair, an Owner's, and a parts manual. I put them in the mail today, Tuesday, and I would think you would have them by Thursday/Friday at the latest. Should be just a couple of days from Minnesota to Michigan. I think you'll find these manuals to be a wealth of info to you. They will demonstrate the various controls on the machine, as well as tell you how to dismantle (if you wish), and any routine maintenance you should do.

The lubrication for the agitator shaft is just plain old Vaseline. A jar will last you forever. You don't cake it on the agitator shaft, but just give it a good coating. You'll get the hang of it!

These machines were built to last and last if they are well taken care of. Here's your chance ...

Geoff
 
Whats the best way to get the machine downstairs?

Two strong people , one holding the top and one on the bottom.

what the best way to transport it?

Stand up and held securely with straps or rope, or if you must lay it down make sure the drive post is on top.

If mine has the pump, (don't know yet) how is it activated?

A pump model has a lever on the bottom outside of the tub that moves the pump pulley into contact with the drive pulley. The pump models have a drain hose with a hook screwed to the end to hook over the drain tub or drain stand.

What kind of oil? what kind vaseline or petroleum jelly?

Actually it is graese. you should be able to buy it from appliance parts stores. You may want to ask for Maytag brand.
Part no. 056080

Vaseline is Vaseline. Ask your parents, They will know.

and whats a spline?

Splines are grooves cut into a shaft to prevent it from slipping when agitating.

Do I need to buy a new O-ring for it? What does the O-ring do?

It would be a good idea to replace it. Maytag part no. 015494. The O-ring holds the agitator down. If they go bad the agitators tend to come off when washing. There is a lip at the bottom of the agitator that slips over this O-ring.
 
maytag agitators

I took the time to look at geoffdelp's maytag wringer agitators and must tell you that you are missing one. I once had a model NX (gray skirt & wringer-speckled porc. tub) and it had a black bakelite agitator with no shaft sticking up-kinda like the washer version of a manx cat. It was really fun to watch this one, except when you washed sheets the whole sheet would get sucked down over the agitator.
 
MAYTAG WRINGER

IF YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH THE WRINGER, LET ME KNOW, I'VE WORKED ON A FEW FRON THE THIRTIES MODEL'S THRU 1980, SOME OF THE GEAR RATIO'S CHANGED BUT THEY'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH ALIKE, I HAVE MAYTAG WRINGERS FROM 1920'S GAS ENGINE, 1930'S GEAR SHIFT, 1946 SQUARE TUB,REMOVABLE LID, 1964 CHROME BEAUTY, 1978
ROUND TUB, 1983 SQUARE TUB LID ATTATCHED, W/WRINGER SAFETY PEDAL, GOOD LUCK AND HOPE IT ARRIVES SOON
KIM
 
Partscounterman ... you're right! I forgot about the NX agitator! A rare speciman, indeed. There was an NX for sale on Ebay a while ago that had that agitator. That would have been great to have. I had an NX once, but the agitator was the black bakelite with the shaft. I was never sure how efficient the agitators with no shafts were.
 
Robert's clear-tub demo model J has a glass agitator made like the NX's. Until I saw that NX on Ebay, I'd never seen that style washer and didn't know that this shaftless agitator had been used on actual machine meant for home use.

Doesn't the NX also have two black rollers, rather than one white and one black?
 
NX

Yes mine did anyway. I think the black roller was the "soft" roller and the cream colored one was harder. That way they could talk you into stepping up to a "better" model with both kine rollers.
I wish I could go play with Roberts demo glass tub washer. Too bad we did't meet 'til just before I moved here-Oh well, its not like I never be back in the twin cities (shiver!)
 
The NX was a lot lower in price, wasn't it? I think, as you say, Partscounterman, they used those machines to convince the buyer to upgrade to a different model. They made them look ... well ... sort of like a canner, don't you think?

I couldn't believe it when I saw the pictures of Robert's demo "J" ... complete with a Pyrex shaftless agitator! Wow!! One of the Maytag News I have from the early 1950's has a picture of a glass tubbed "J" with the shaftless agitator and they were doing a demo where you braided 3 towels together and then put them in the washer. The towels would become untangled in just a couple of minutes!! If I don't load my queen-sized sheets properly in any one of my machines, I pull them out all tangled up; not sure how it would untangle braided towels?? Maybe it has something to do with the shaftless agitator?

The "magic" to the gyratator was that it created water currents that kept the clothes moving towards the center of the tub and not the agitator dragging the clothes through the water.

Wasn't the original gyratator a shaftless one? What was the purpose of putting on a shaft? Does anyone know?
 
agitator shaft

Yes, I think your right. In 1987, Maytag did some promotional/historical thing at Newton. So we drove like bats outta heck to see it. Jesse White was still Ol' Lonely at the time and he filled a time capsule. One of the thing they put in the capsule was the original shaftless agitator. I'll bet they added the tall shaft to overcome the very problem I had with the NX-sheets would get sucked down over the agitator, which didn't do the sheet a lot of good (bet it got really, really clean though)
With a load of smaller items, the NX was fascinating. I miss it. It ended up some where in southern MN 'cuz I moved into an apt. and couldn't deal with it at the time.
Sidenote-I haven't seen a single wringer washer(other than pics) since I arrived on Maui a year ago. They were always so plentiful in the midwest.
 
You're right. If you go estate sales regularly, rarely a week will go by when you don't see at least one wringer washer. Most times there's also an automatic but not always. It's the whole basement thing; storage and keeping things was simply not a problem for most.

Prior to my going to estate sales a few years back, I never would have imagined even here that there were still as many around as there are.
 
Unfortunately...

Unfortunately due to bad weather I was not able to get my Wringer last friday as planned. I will be recieving it in about 2 weeks! EEEEEEERRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so tired of waiting! I got all of these preparations just waiting! Well, I will update when it FINALLY arrives.
 
I have not thought about that "shaftless" Gyrator in years!!! I remember them. Went camping with my Dad when I was a child (lets say mid-'50s) and I believe the campground was in central Florida somewhere, a huge place---, and they had a laundry area--with attendant--that had a half dozen or so Maytag Wringers with that "shaftless" Gyrator. I watched them in operation for hours, never having seen them before (or since). Thanks for jogging my memory!! -Steve
 

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