Need help with 1980s Maytag LA710 Agitator Shaft is stuck

[maytag710]

Hello all, new member here.

My question is I have an early 80's vintage Maytag washer LA710 which has it's agitator shaft stuck. In the picture is the shaft and I'm not sure but looks like maybe a collar where it goes into the transmission housing. I'm afraid to try to bang it out of there as I don't know what's holding it. Also could someone tell me if the seals for that are available?

Thanks!
Brian

 

[swestoyz]

Maytag Agitator Shaft

Hi there,

Are you trying to remove the agitator shaft from the upper housing? Have you removed the groove pin and pinion from the shaft on the bottom side? If not, the shaft can only be removed once the pinion has been pulled from the shaft. Driving the groove pin out can be tricky and may require a new pin upon reassembly.

Which seals are you looking to replace?

Ben

 

[good-shepherd]

LA710 which has it's agitator shaft stuck.

If you mean "stuck" as in seized and won't agitate you've got a problem as that would require a new donor trans or tracking down a new agitator shaft and refurbing the trans, both big jobs for a average DIY'er.

If, on the other hand, the washer is working okay and you want to replace the stem seal here is a how-to link:

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?25520

 

[maytag710]

Need help with 1980s Maytag LA710 Agitator Shaft is stuck

Yes, I'm trying to remove the shaft to see if it can be cleaned up and lubricated. Is there a bushing in the housing that it rotates in?
I tried pecking on that pin that holds the gear on but stopped to ask questions when it appeared to be really in there tight.

The seals in my pictures were on the upper agitator shaft outside the transmission.

Thanks again for the replies all!!!

 

[qsd-dan]

Having been in many of these transmissions and removed the upper agitator shafts in them, I recommend not doing so unless there's evidence that it's seizing up. Removing the groove pin is very tricky and the process usually ends up damaging the sleeve bearings, sometimes the shaft, if one follows the manual. The correct way to remove the pin it to ignore the manual and press it out. Keep in mind the groove pin is a once use item and finding a new one is getting extremely difficult now. Maytag provided every single part for theses washers up until it's demise in 2006 and beyond until parts ran out, however, the agitator sleeve bearings is the one and only item that they did not provide. You will be on your own having those made by a machinist. Replacing the entire upper housing was advised even though they provided a shaft and all other associated parts (minus the sleeve bearings).

 

A fun bit of trivia. Maytag did provide new sleeve bearings for the upper agitator shafts in their EJN wringer line. The shaft in the wringers is almost identical to the automatics from 1956-1989. The lower sleeve bearing in the wringers is identical to the lower sleeve bearings in the automatics but the upper sleeve bearing in the wringer....while the same diameter, is shorter in length than the autos. I posted a picture of this 10 years ago in Reply #15 https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?45944

 

[good-shepherd]

seals in my pictures

That is the stop ring and whats left of agitator shaft seal.

The new design replacement stem eliminated the agitator shaft seal.

 

[maytag710]

Need help with 1980s Maytag LA710 Agitator Shaft is stuck

Ok so since I need a new stem anyway and those appear to be available that will eliminate the need to find that old style agitator shaft seal?

The internals of the transmission look fine the only problem is I can't get the agitator shaft shown to move at all. The big sleeve and bushing for the tub look fine too but the agitator shaft won't budge in the upper housing. I'm guessing water leaked past the old seal and got it stuck. The washer runs great outside of burning the belt off when it tries to agitate.

Anyone have an upper trans housing with shaft?

 

[good-shepherd]

Anyone have an upper trans housing

I think John "Combo52" might have some that he salvaged.

The tub bearing should probably be replaced unless in excellent condition and the wicking relubed with turbine oil.

 

[maytag710]

maytag agitator

After squirting some penetrating oil down the weep hole in the inside of the upper trans housing and letting it set over night I was able to put the shaft in a vise and was able to break it free. It now moves up and down plus rotates with a little pressure.

How were these things supposed to lubricate? There's no grease zirt and since it's on the top side of the transmission not likely for trans oil (80W90) to make it up there.

 

[qsd-dan]

Centrifugal force during the spin cycle forces oil up that passage and lubricates both the upper and lower sleeve bearings. Overtime, the oil thickens with age and doesn't quite make its to the upper sleeve bearing. A leaky stem seal will also wash the oil out downwards from the bearing through the topside.

 

While you may have broken the shaft free, both the shaft and the sleeve bearings are permanently damaged and there's always much more "drag" in that area which hampers washing performance. This is why I always urge a new owner to immeadilty replace the stem and boot seal (may as well replace the spin bearing while you're in there too as those are usually parched and worn). This greatly helps eliminating this problem if caught early or before leaks occur. Replacing the newer crappy designed lip seal every 10-15 years is also recommended. I will be replacing mine soon...again, since it's around that timeframes but I did use the old style A4298 seal underneath as added protection.

 

[maytag710]

maytag 710 transmission gasket

Thanks a ton for all the great information!

Is there a site that has the gasket for this transmission? All I've found it appears is discontinued. I did find the stem on genuinereplacementparts.com.

 

[robbinsandmyers]

Im no expert and mostly come on here looking for advice from the pros. But having a mechanical nature tells me that if the shaft is seized you've got too much rust on the shaft to save it and the bushing in the trans is lunched as well. You're best off getting another good used trans and doing a full service on it before installing in your machine.