My new Maytag A407

[robbinsandmyers]

Just picked up an A407 ser# 459759UB from a friend and cleaned her all up and washed my first load and love it. How do I find the year it was made? I know right off the bat its going to need belts they look original and stretched. The slides on the motor are kinda sticky and will need cleaning. I was surprised the trans didnt have a fill plug to top off any oil. The pilot light also flickers when the machine is on so that will need replacing and I noticed after the machine came to the end of the cycle and shut off the light didnt go off either until I pushed the timer knob in. Is this normal? Other than that it runs great and was worth the $50.00 plus free help getting it home.I hope I get some years out of it unless an older model with back lit panel in better shape comes along first.

 

[fester]

Good score !

I dig those center dial Maytags. My faves have the one with the back lit glass, but the blue/green and gold backs are a close second.

 

[wayupnorth]

Yes, you do have to push the timer in to shut the pilot light off. It is definitely from the 60's but is the same as my 84 Maytag as far as its construction.

 

[robbinsandmyers]

Thanks for the info. Where is the best place to buy the correct belts online? Is that pilot light something impossible to find? Its a small issue but I want it to be on solid like it should when running.

 

[scoots]

Hi John and welcome to the club

Somebody will be along to look up the build date from your serial number, but I'd guess you have a late 60s model. You'll notice that half the dial is taken up by a timed soak? This was for the enzyme pre-soak detergents that were popular at the time but the cycle is now pretty much obsolete.

You'll also notice a button for "Permanent Press"? The permanent press fabrics of the time required elaborate water changes in the rinse cycle to cool the fabrics down correctly so that they didn't take wrinkles. Fabrics are now no longer made this way, so this feature is also obsolete and would be a real water-waster.

Hold off on replacing the belts, they may be old but Maytags MUST have Maytag specific belts that are much slacker than you'd expect (the motor deliberately "slips" at some points in the cycle.) They are super-easy to replace, perhaps take a few pictures for expert opinions on condition. One belt runs the agitator and this is the unit that typically needs replacement. The other just runs the pump, and these are rarely in need of a change out.

Maytag gear boxes typically don't have an oil fill plug: The transmission is intended to be a permanently sealed unit and the grease is replaced at the time of a pull out and rebuild.

Nice looking machine. Have fun with it.

 

[wayupnorth]

To get original Maytag belts its either Whirpool parts or e-bay. Grandson of the Maytag dealer I bought it from came and put a new motor pulley and belts in 15 minutes, told me my motor slides are fine and its good for another 30 years.

 

[scoots]

Regarding the Pilot Lamp

On some lower models, the pilot lamp was a dummy, on the upper end units, they actually worked. The 407 is towards the top, perhaps somebody knows specifically if it should work.

 

[70series]

The pilot light will definitely work. A neighbor who lived across the street from me had this model with the matching dryer. I believe this is an early 70s build.

 

[robbinsandmyers]

re:belts. They look really worn and stretched esp the pump belt. In fact the pump has been adjusted to its farthest point to take up as much slack as possible and the machine does make some chattering when it goes into wash mode for a few seconds that could be similar to noises refered to as bad belts in a post I read on here. The lamp does flicker which I cant see how its possible seeing as how its a neon bulb like those cheap 120v outlet testers have only it has a resistor on it in the socket. Its a pet peeve and wont make the machine run better but Im the kinda guy if something was made to work a certain way and it doesnt anymore than I replace it. Not sure if Im going to find this part unless its from a junk machine.

 

[rp2813]

Pilot

If it's just a small neon lamp, you can likely replace only the lamp and not the whole assembly.  I've done this with indicator lamps for old coffee makers and on vintage lighted dial GE clocks.  Snip or un-solder the bad lamp and solder the new one on. 

 

I'm sure someone here will be able to advise on the specific lamp number you will need, such as an A-2-B or something like that.  It would look something like this:

 

 

 

[DADoES]

 
The pump belt normally is quite loose ... almost alarmingly so.

Correct adjustment is by pinching the pump belt together halfway between the pulleys. There should be 1/4" space when the motor carriage begins to move against the spring tension.  More than 1/4" indicates the pump is adjusted too tight.

 

[mrsalvo]

It's a beautiful machine and I hope you get 30 years out of it trouble free. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Maytags, this model is definitely something I could live with, very much so. Always thought they were they were more of the quiet machines built and just went about there business quietly. Sure were a lot of them in laundrymats that had this model, in years past. Nice machine, very nice.

 

[hippiedoll]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I looked up your serial number & got this information:
Brand: Maytag
Type: Clothes Washer
Country: USA
Model: A407
Serial: 459759UB
According to the serial number this product may have been manufactured January of 1974.

 

[askolover]

all kinds of neon bulbs on ebay

 

[appnut]

The pilot light staying on after the load finishes is just to remind you there's wash in the machine that needs to be put in the dryer.  Incidentally, the user manual also said that if you wanted an extra rinse, to simply use the perm press cycle.

 

[ken-n-nancy]

FYI, there's a matching dryer (DE407) for your washer for sale in Rhode Island not too far away.

I have no connection with the seller -- I've just seen the ad while waiting for an A806/DE806 pair...

http://providence.craigslist.org/app/5342933282.html

 

[ken-n-nancy]

There's also a DE606 for sale in Manchester, CT.

http://hartford.craigslist.org/app/5342995538.html

 

[robbinsandmyers]

Many thanks for the replies. The driers look tempting but alas I have the landlords drier to use and space is scarce. I ordered a pair of FSP belts online and will install them in the next day or so. It really needs them as the agitator barely works with a large load and it doesnt spin as fast as it should plus I can hear the belt chirping its slipping so bad. Prob original belts. The neon bulb has a resistor on it, Im wondering why? I thought of getting just a plain bulb but they must have installed that for a reason. Also, my motor has red wheels and not square slides. Whats the best way to clean the muck from the tracks and should I lube the rollers or leave it dry? I was thinking Zoom Spout on the wheel axles. So far I love this thing its really made well. Thanks again.

 

[robbinsandmyers]

UPDATE:

I installed the new belts and even hit the rollers with some Zoom Spout but I still get a belt noise so I think maybe the slides need a good cleaning and greasing. The tub still takes too long to come up to speed and pretty much drops to its knees when the rinse cycle is happening its slipping so bad. Almost comes to a stop. Im deff gonna order new motor springs also as I think these lost some tension. Minor set backs but hopefully it will be working as its supposed to in short order. Any suggestions?