MOVING A MAYTAG E2L

[wringer]

Joking aside

I always spin my clothes in the auto after rinsing in my gals. I decided to measure how much water came out by putting the hoses (my auto is a GE portable)into a 5 gal bucket and catch the water. I was totally surprised by the amount of water the wringers do leave in. I get different amounts of water in the bucket depending upon which gal I do the final rinse in. Saves a lot of dryer time especially since my dryer is 110 and portable also. At least the water in the pale is clean when I dump it in the terlit. Washday is an interesting and fun filled day here LOL.

Jim

 

[e2l-arry]

Hi Jim

I don't run everything through the spin. Just the heavy stuff like towels. But my dryer is a 220 and they have a lot more ummph than the 110's.

I had a portable set of Whirlpools in the early 80's. My first set! Small neutral drain washer that really worked well if you didn't overload it. The 110 dryer worked well too. It just took about an hour to dry a load.

How do you vent yours? My first apartment was a converted 2nd floor of a house and was vented to the outside. Then I bought a condo and there was no venting in the kitchen. Some people would use an old stocking over the exhaust to catch the lint. But I could see those clogging up to easily. Then I found this contraption at the Hardware Store. It's a small bucket you put water into. Then, the flexible dryer duct attached to the top part that has holes in it and you snapped that onto the bottom part with the water in it. The water caught the lint and the dryer air escaped through the holes in the top cover. It caught most of the lint. It was nice in the winter but you didn't want to use the dryer on a hot humid day, I was still in the Chicago area at the time, or with the A/C on. It just worked counter to the A/C.

Here's a rinse pic from the other day. I put the washed and wrung out clothes back in the washer and fill it with water with the clothes already in it. Once the water hits the line, on comes the agitator for 3 or 4 minutes and it's ready from the second wring and pump. Somewhat like a manual- automatic. Only better!

I think next summer I'll put a clothes line up in the back yard. Then it won't matter how much water is left in the towels. They can take all day to dry for all I care. Plus, with the low humidity in Colorado, most stuff dries as fast outside as it does in the dryer. Not that I'm going all "GREEN" or anything. I just like the old school ways.

Take Care,

Larry

 

[wringer]

Hello Larry,

Well, I did a bit of "venting for dummies" with my dryer. Since it is only 110 it takes a long time to dry some things as you stated. My dryer is on a stand (which you can partially see in my pic that the auto is supposed to wheel beneath. The E wheels in there now tho) and is close to my stove vent. I removed the motor and fan blade from the stove vent, took out the filter, cut a piece of plexiglass the size of the filter, slid it into the slot. I cut a round hole in the plexiglas to allow a piece of vent pipe to fit through and then bent it around the top at 1 inch intervals and then sealed it with epoxy. So, now my dryer is totally vented to the outside and I don't have to worry about lint or humidity. Since I live in a condo with restrictions I can't have an outside clothes line, even an umbrella one :-(. I hope this makes sense to anyone who may want to vent a dryer out a stove vent in the kitchen. Works for me and has for 10 years. I do however take it all apart and clean it often to have free flowing air. I doubt that my dryer would ever get hot enough to start a fire in the vent system but one never knows. My dryer doesn't take an hour to dry towels but does of course take longer than a 220.

Jim

 

[stan]

Clotheslines

Drying racks, ect, I use whenever wherever possible, when I use my E.

For tee shirts or anything that get too wrinkled from the wringer, I found if you put in the dryer for about 10 min, the hang up outside or on a drying rack wont be wrinkled,

I'm lucky here, I can hang out most of the year!

 

[e2l-arry]

EIPLOGUE

Remember those TV shows from the 60's that were "QM Productions" "In Color!" Like The FBI and The Fugitive? They had act I II and III, then the Epilogue to tie up the ending.

So here we go and it's grim news. Two weeks into this and yet another repeat of the oil/water coming out the vent mess. At this writing the unit is again disassembled waiting for a few parts (gaskets) to arrive. I should just order them by the case!

Although the water wasn't evident as soon as the last reassemble, when it did appear there was plenty. At first I thought maybe I would replace the water seal again around the agitator shaft and maybe run it empty to try and get the vent to stop leaking. But then I realized that the oil will float on top of the water and there'd only be one way to remove the water. And we ALL know what that means! The good news is that I had the whole thing disassembled and open on the garage work bench in 20 minutes flat. A couple more times and I'll be able to do it in my sleep.

So where does this water come from? Well, I was able to rule out the screw hole since I had that plugged. Also, I was able to rule out the bolts that connect to power unit to the tub/center plate as I sealed them on the tub side as a precaution. There were no leaks between the plate and the tub this time either so water could not have seeped in that way. That my friends leaves only the shaft as a leak path. Hence my decision to replace again that water seal. A funny thing though, once I got that off I noticed that the shaft had a LOT of play in it. Never noticed that before and didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Up and down and side to side it moved. Consulting with our in house expert, Geoff, he told me it should have NO play.

Ah HA! A bad center plate? No doubt something in there is hosed. It either came that way or I did it by beating the hell out of it trying to get that spline off way back when. Either way, I'm 99% sure that's my problem. Well, my number 1 problem anyway.

So you all remember the EBay power unit I bought for $35.00 as a spare? Well that came with a center plate and horizontal drive with it. I almost threw them away but am now glad I didn't. So I went to work on that plate. It was very tight and dirty. A little spray out with cleaner and then WD-40 and it's all clean and loose again. AND no play in the shaft so that's the one going back in. I also have NO complaints on that EBay power unit either. That thing worked 100% fine. No leaking at the pulley shaft either. In the few weeks it was in there anyway.

So in a few days I'll have it back together and try again. But I have a good feeling this time that I've finally figured out the problem. I'm ready for the Maytag E2LP Olympics! If I get another Exxon Valdez thing going on my basement floor, the only thing to do will be to stock up on ammo and start climbing up the watch tower!

KIDDING!!!!

It's a good thing one of my other hobbies is drumming. I have that big over sized 70's style kit I bought years ago from Nigel Olsson. Playing on something where you're supposed to hit, strike, beat, crash, smash and bash, does wonders for getting rid of one's hostilities!

And so on . . . .

Larry

 

[wringer]

Holy Crap !!!

I was not wanting to read this news Larry. I tell you my friend, you have to put out a shingle for trouble shooting Maytag Wringer Washer problems. I am happy you have all of this in you because I have none of it !!!! Please keep us posted on this latest problem. We are all here pulling for this to be the last tear down. Best !!

Jim

 

[qsd-dan]

Phil has new shaft bushings for reasonable prices, if you need to go that route. The lower shaft bushing for the E J N wringers is the same ones used on all pitman transmissions from 1948-1988.

 

If wringers behave in the same manner as the automatics, it'll be the upper bushing that's toast.

 

[e2l-arry]

YEP,

I saw Phil's center plates on Ebay for $115.20. BUT! if I have a good one from my EBay power unit purchase in the garage all set to go. I'll try that first. If I get yet ANOTHER Valdez I'll order the new one from Phil. I figure it HAS to be getting water through that shaft.

Geoff said that one of the signs of a damaged/cracked shaft was a knock, knock, knock, noise they make while agitating. And mine did that.

None of my stuff came in the mail today. N.Y. I figure, probably Super Sandy related. Why does everything happen to me?

Oh well, it'll give me something to do Tuesday night. I couldn't watch election returns!

 

[shankstr]

You are the Phoenix!

Larry I think you have raised the dead! At least when it comes to E2's. I think the only thing left for you to do is forge your own parts. I'm really bummed for ya but I think you are the right track as far as the shaft leaking. I happen to notice on mine that I had about a 1/16th" side to side play. Don't ask me how i noticed it but I did. Phil said the same as Geoff that there should be NO play so I bought a new center plate rather than install new bushings. I figured the factor could do a better job than I. I pray I don't have any water / oil leaks but we will see. Still working on the cosmetics at this time.

Steve

 

[stan]

OMG!

It's name is not Bessie Mae, It LINDA BLAIR!
The SOB is going to spit spit pea soup next! I'ts EVIL!

After all this ...
if mine shits on the foor, I'm just gona let it! LOL

 

[e2l-arry]

It's evil all right!

I think it needs an Exorcism. I'd have to get the Maytag Repairman to perform it. It's doesn't spew pea soup but it spews Bosco. And farts at me! And one night I thought I heard it say "Your Mother sews socks that smell!"

Steve, mine has about 1/16" of play top to bottom. And some side to side. This washer hadn't been used in at least 25 years. I don't know if the shaft was cracked when I got it or if I did it beating on it trying to get the spline off. How I finally got that off, after 4 days, was I took a saber saw to it. Cut a nice line in it from top to bottom, not quite all the way through. Then took a hammer and chisel and tapped it open. Real nice. But that was after 4 days of random beatings. It's still paying me back for that! So like Dan says, it's usually the top bushing that's toast so I think that's where my water leak is. My parts will be here tomorrow so one night this week I'll put her all back together ans see what I have.

Also Steve, did your new center plate have the hole for the screw or is that all filled in? From the picture on EBay, it didn't look like there even was a screw hole? That's one of my parts I'm waiting on. Another rubber plug for my replacement center plate. I'm leaving nothing to chance!

Larry

 

[shankstr]

The New Centerplate

Still has the screw hole. I did buy the rubber plug for it though..

 

[scoots]

"Your Mother sews socks that smell!"

How I laughed at this. Thanks.

 

[wringer]

Larry,

I bought a new after market "agibitator" from Phil for my E. The old one needed a new spline and I didn't know anyone who could put it in for me since I didn't know the Amish back then. Anyhow, the new one has a bad habit of knock knocking when it reverses since it has a plastic spline in it. I don't like that so don't use it. I took the original down and had a new metal spline put in it and it is as quiet as a mouse when reversing now. I don't know if all the white plastic spline ones make the noise or just the one I have. Just thought I would throw that in. Good Luck on your next moves with Bessie May.

Jim

 

[stan]

Jim

Glade you mentioned this!
I'll keep my metal one then !

 

[shankstr]

So larry

What kind of grease did you put into the lower verticle wringer shaft? I was re-reading your post but you didn't say for sure. I saw the part where Phil said to use synthetic grease but Geoff recommended the original Maytag grease because it was oiler. So what did you do?

Steve

 

[e2l-arry]

You don't put anything

In the horizontal shaft. It appears to be self lubricating. I coated the shaft with grease but you don't pack it out with anything. The one UNDER the washer that is.

The lower section of the vertical shaft, where the gears from the horizontal shaft and vertical shaft meet up, that is where you put the 1/4 pound of grease. I didn't even look for the old Maytag grease. I just went with what Phil said and put about 1/4 of a pound of what appeared to be all-purpose synthetic grease I got at Ace Hardware for about $10.00 and used that. So far that's worked just fine.

I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for the Maytag grease. I'm sure back in the day, synthetic grease didn't even exist. But Phil said synthetic so that was good enough for me.

Larry

 

[shankstr]

I'm thinking I'll do the same

OK cool. I bought the synthetic so I guess I'll go with it too. I checked around the net and couldn't find any original Maytag grease anyway. I also bought the Maytag transmission oil online..34oz worth...just in-case I have to pull it apart again

Steve

 

[e2l-arry]

I bought the trans oil on line too.

I used the link Dan sent for Amazon at something like $17.99. 34 oz. The unit is supposed to be filled with 12 oz. Since I've filled mine twice already I only have 10 oz. left. So to make up the 2 oz. difference I'll use some 90 wt. gear oil I bought at the auto parts store. It was about 1/2 the price of the "official" stuff. And all I need is 2 oz. . . . I hope!

Larry

 

[stan]

Larry

Looking back on this from where you are now... Is there any reason that the 90 weight gear oil couldn't have been used in the first place?
(for the P.U)