POD 1-20-11 Maytag 106 washer

[tomturbomatic]

Is that a polypropylene Gyrator or was it still Bakelite?

 

[swestoyz]

I don't have the exact date on hand, but seeing that the brochure is from 1966, it is indeed the original Bakelite agitator. These were 'used up' on the A106 until later in the washer's production life. I have seen a few in my travels.

I would suspect it was around 1967 or so when they went to the black integral spline agitators.

Ben

 

[bajaespuma]

Great minds obsess alike.

As soon as I saw this ad I went downstairs to see if a turquoise lint filter/fabric softener cup would fit into my bakelite agitator.

 

Of course it did.

 

Pity they changed them. I wonder, was there ever have been a small black Power Fin configured like that first version Power Fin?

 

[swestoyz]

small black Power Fin configured like that first version Pow

No, this did not come to play. The A106 and A206 were originally built with the earlier gear set to produce 54 OPM. The others bearing the new polypropylene Power Fin in '66 came with the revised gear set to produce 63 OPM. The 63 OPM gear set would have tore clothes to shreds with the original Bakelite agitator, or at least have worn the tubs down faster.

Once the integral spline agitators were introduced by '67, all the transmissions were produced with the 63 OPM gear sets.

Ben

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thanks, Ben. I knew the new trannies were not introduced across the 06 line at first. It was just that the agitator in the ad was so shiny that I thought the high gloss was due to it being poly and, of course, they did make the narrow post Gyrator out of Poly for the wringer machines. John has an early turquoise large cap agitator that is still of the design with the double skirted base like the Bakelite lint filter/detergent dispenser agitators introduced in 57/58(?).

I tried running a Gyrator in my 806 with the original 60 cycle pulley and it was a total mess. It did nothing to improve the turnover. All it did was set up huge waves and got the load so balled up that it had to be redistributed at each drain when it went OOB.

My baby A102 now has a commercial standard cap. Black Poly with set screw in it. With the 50 cycle pulley and the old pattern of holes with the tub solid opposite what was the Gyrator fin area, the agitation is outstanding; not at all like a Maytag.

"The A106 and A206 were originally built with the earlier gear set to produce 54 OPM" So it was not really a washer comparable in performance to the rest of the 06 line.

 

[peterh770]

Does anyone know why the washer timer turned clockwise and the dryer timer turned counterclockwise?