Preparing Maytag N2L for transport

[radiopicker]

Hello all-
I am new here and I'd like to head out to an auction tonight where a seemingly nice (enough) Maytag N2L round tub wringer washer is. Trouble is the vehicle I have to transport it the 25 miles home does not have enough height clearance to allow for it to stand upright. I have a few questions for the gurus here, any and all ideas welcome.

1) I've read if it is transported on it's side, oil will leak out, but if I place it Maytag label face down (wringer mount tube at top) that oil will not leak. Is this true?
2) I've been told if transmission oil leaks out- transmission is garbage. I don't want to ruin this beautiful washer, so I am asking around seeking a definitive answer. If oil leaks in the car I'm prepared to assume the mess, but I am not prepared to ruin this washer. If I can top motor & transmission oil off when I get it upright at home, then that is fine. I just don't want to do irreversible damage.
3) Someone asked if I could remove the legs. I thought it was a great idea. Are the legs removable on this model.... unboltable? Or are they permanently affixed/a major PITA to remove? I read somewhere there might be a special wrench I'd need... If I can remove the legs then I can keep the main body upright. Surely that will then fit upright.

That's all the questions for now, but more coming later if I win the auction.

Thank you!

 

[d-jones]

Hello, and welcome!

This subject has come up here before. The link below will take you to a discussion that should answer all of your questions - at least as far as shipping a Maytag wringer is concerned.

MOVING A MAYTAG E2L

I just joined this club as I purchased my first vintage washer yesterday, a Maytag E2L, and will be bring it home this Saturday. Does anyone know if it's OK to lay these flat in the back of a truck or do they need to remain upright? My concern is that if I lay it flat and travel 30 miles that...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[scoots]

Moving a Maytag Wringer

(1) REMOVE THE WRINGER HEAD by moving the paddle switch at the side to point directly away from the rollers. This will release the head gearing and permit the head to be lifted directly up. Lift about 6" to uncouple the drive shaft. It will be heavy, so help is a good idea. Try not to transport the washer on its side without removing the head, it puts an enormous stain on the mechanism. If impossible to remove, rotate head so that part of it is contacting the "ground" to relieve stain.

(2) If the unit can not be transported upright, lay it down with the NAME FACING DOWN. There is a breather port in the gear case and this is where the unit will leak from. Putting the unit name down keeps the maximum amout of oil in the case. The case can loose oil without adverse effects (assuming it was fully charged to begin with.) There is no oil fill port, and getting oil back in is a PITN.

(3) DO NOT ATTEMPT to remove the legs. The No. 4 leg is incorporated into the shaft that drives the wringer. It's not something that can be done in the field.

(4) LAY DOWN PLASTIC SHEETING (garbage bags, etc.) there's more oil in the wringer head and washer transmission than you realize. Also bring sacrifice towels to wedge under the tank to keep the unit in place without rolling.

Good luck with the auction and holler if you have any more questions once you get it home.

 

[radiopicker]

Hi guys-
Thank you for the replies! Link was helpful, and scoots - exactly what I needed to know. Unfortunately I didn't get this message till now, but I won the washer for $50, just shy of $60 after bogus fees, but what does $60 get you these days??? Not much.

It just so happens I transported it precisely how you mentioned above, and all was well after the 30 mile trip. The only thing to note is that there was enough oil leaked to dirty a paper towel, but that's it. It didn't seem to drip from a weep hole, but on the inner side wall where the wringer shaft/mech exits the main wall and goes out and up into the exterior wringer assembly. The oil seemed to have leaked from that point and ran down the inner side wall a bit. Not a lot of loss. I will look closer in daylight, but *sigh of relief*.

I couldn't resist. I filled it half way with water and fired it up. It agitates awesome, the wringer rolls....the only issue is the pump is not pumping. When lever switched to ON- we can hear the pump engage but no water comes out. Unplugged the machine, removed the pump exit drain hose and all the water emptied out. Seems to me the brass impeller(?) inside is not spinning when engaged so it can't push the water up the drain pipe and out.

I won't have time in the next week to pull the pump and see what's wrong, but if someone has any idea what might be wrong and what I'll need to do to get it up to speed, holler back!

A friend sent me this link: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Use-a-Wringer-Washing-Machine . A good read. I look forward to getting set up.

I am thrilled. Thanks again, so much.

 

[abcomatic]

Pump

It could be that the pump has a built up of lime scale and detergent. Try pouring some vinegar down the drain at the bottom of the tub,enough to fill the pump and let it sit for awhile. When it is time to see if anything nasty comes out, make sure you use HOT water to help soften anything that may be causing problems. Try this and see what happens. More drastic measures may need to happen if this doesn't work? Happy washing. Gary

 

[ea56]

I read the link and there is a lot of useful info in it. But I noticed that the person who wrote the article is only partially filling the tub. The 2 screw heads at the top of the tub indicate where you should be filling the water to, especially if you intend to do multiple loads. It's also a good idea to start out with water as hot as you hands can stand, this way by the time you get to your last load it will still be warm. Add a little more detergent with each successive load. You really need to have that much water to suspend the dirt so you can wash more than one load. When I used a wringer in the 70's I had a large bathtub in an old apartment. I filled the bathtub with rinse water and wrung the clothes into the tub to rinse. I would then just take a broom handle and swish the clothes around before running them back through the wringer. I found that agitating each load for 15 mins. was just about right for washing. Have fun, you will really like using this Maytag. One more thing, after you've finished the wash, drain, rinse out the tub and pull off the agitator and lay it sideways in the tub so tub can air dry. Periodically apply a thin coat of vaseline to the agitator post. You will find that doing your laundry with a wringer is fun,fast and almost theraputic. I used to be able to do a weeks worth of laundry in about an hour. BTW the suggestion in the link to connect a hose to the drain hose is a good idea if you don't have a pump or the pump isn't working, this way you can drain the grey water out into your yard, then put the garden hose away. Way easier than using a bucket for draining. [this post was last edited: 7/3/2015-23:18]

 

[radiopicker]

I poured a few cups of vinegar down the drain and let it fill into the pump. Will let it sit overnight and flush with hot water. In fact I'm going away for a week, leaving in the morning. Would it be a bad idea to let vinegar sit inside the pump for a week? Not sure if flushing it out in the morning will have given it enough time to attempt a fix, but don't want to damage anything.

If that doesn't work, I suppose I'll have to remove the pump, and crack it open. Not sure what's involved there, but I suppose I'll find out if need be when I get a chance. If there's anything I should know, don't be shy. I have a lot to learn.

Thanks for the heads up on filling the washer with more water when washing, and also the vaseline trick. I tried lifting the agitator up but it didn't budge. Didn't try too hard, didn't want to break it. Will inspect that also later.

Where does one suggest I get a fresh belt for it & a service manual? Is there a free download or should I grab the $17 copy from Dave's repair site?

Thanks all! Stay tuned...

 

[scoots]

Pump Doesn't move water.

Glad to hear you were able to get the machine home OK. Regarding your pump troubles:

There is a black rubber drive wheel that revolves the impellor. Turn this over with your thumb to be sure it's moving easily. If it's not, it could be the pump has seized, or is full of sediment or limed up and it will have to come out. Note that the pump is the low point in the waste water plumbing. As such the water that they hold can do real damage (one of my impellors was so badly coroded, it could be broken up in one hand.)

If the pump revolves smoothly, check to besure that when the pump linkage is moved to the "ON" position, that the rubber drive wheel is making solid contact with the lip of the pulley. If not, it will have to be adjusted.

You may want to hook a garden hose to the end of the drain hose (it's got a male thread, so you will have to make a female-to-female coupler out of a scrap of garden hose)and blow-back the system with water to clear it out.

Don't let any caustic solution sit in the machine longer than needed (pretty vague, I don't know what you might be using.) A week is too long.

 

[radiopicker]

Morning Scoots- I attached 3 photos, depicting this mornings batch of questions.

I moved that black friction wheel with my finger and it seemed to be free spinning , though the pump shaft with knurled nut was frozen.

I went ahead and removed the pump and it was caked with lint inside, enough for it to definitely be frozen. Removed all of that, cleaned the impeller shaft and got it spinning better than it was (not spinning before)...

Another batch of questions:

1) How free should the impeller spin with no load... pushing it around with my finger..it goes around a couple revolutions but doesn't spin much more or very fast. I presume water would have enough pressure to push it.
2) When tightening the knurled nut that holds the impeller in place in the pump.... it seems to seize the impeller again? It's a left hand threaded nut, and hand tightening it down locks the impeller. Not sure if this is proper or not. Not much going on. Don't understand that.
3) There was a large (maybe 1/2" ID spring washer that I believe was behind the knurled nut on removal. I forget now, I believe it was there. But is that correct, there should be a washer of some sort behind that knurled nut?
4) Suggestions on gasket replacement/sealer? I can make a gasket, or maybe use RTV... not sure if I can buy one,, would be nice.
5) The black rubber friction wheel doesn't seem to be stripped? but when set onto the knurled nut, it spins freely. This seems like a definite problem to me. Shouldn't it jam on there snug? I might have to build up the knurled nut, or find a replacement friction wheel?

That's all for now. I can't do any more until the week after next, but these questions are important in getting this pump operating, and I presume you or someone here has ripped one of these pumps apart and know how it works.

Thanks for the help. We'll be washing soon enough.

 

[scoots]

Pump Parts

Hi Vincent,

I'm going to say right off that my pump was SO screwed up I just bought a complete rebuilt unit. They are pricey however (about $70) , so if your metal parts are in good condition, consider overhauling what you have. My supplier's name is at the end of the message.


1) How free should the impeller spin with no load...

A: I don't know what the RPM, but it should go fast. As you suggest there's probably slippage somewhere at the rubber wheel hub.


2) When tightening the knurled nut that holds the impeller in place in the pump.... it seems to seize the impeller again? It's a left hand threaded nut, and hand tightening it down locks the impeller. Not sure if this is proper or not. Not much going on. Don't understand that.

A: This may be a gland adjustment screw (a screw that controls how tight the packing material is around the pump shaft to prevent leaking). In practice, you tighten it up as much as needed to stop leaks... over-tightening causes the packing to act as a break as you describe.


3) There was a large (maybe 1/2" ID spring washer that I believe was behind the knurled nut on removal. I forget now, I believe it was there. But is that correct, there should be a washer of some sort behind that knurled nut?

A: The only spring I can think of is part of the engagement linkage as seen in the photo at the lever bracket attached to the skirt.  (Photo courtesy of Larry)


4) Suggestions on gasket replacement/sealer? I can make a gasket, or maybe use RTV... not sure if I can buy one,, would be nice.

A: I think these can be purchased as indicated below.


5) The black rubber friction wheel doesn't seem to be stripped? but when set onto the knurled nut, it spins freely. This seems like a definite problem to me. Shouldn't it jam on there snug? I might have to build up the knurled nut, or find a replacement friction wheel?

A: You may be able to do a temporary repair with epoxy, but I would check to see if replacement parts are available.

Questions embedded in photos:
I don't believe it makes a difference if the MAYTAG logo faces towards or away from the pump. Away is probably the factory installation.
Regarding a washer between the wheel and the pump casing, that seems reasonable, but you'll have to ask somebody else.


Parts Sourcing:
There is a man in upstate NY that specializes in Maytag wringer repairs. His name is Phil and he sells on eBay under "cayuga2" (Phil's Maytag 7728 Country Rd, 129 Ovid NY 14521 315.246.5518 [email protected]). Several of us have done business with him and he's recommended. I would contact him to see to what extent your pump can be repaired.