Questions regarding Maytag LA712 refurb (series 04)

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Whatever I get working, will be my primary machine — the better it can deal with dirty loads, the better. I heard back from the $15 maytag guy and he said a plastic piece that holds the discharge tube was broken in a move but was otherwise functional. Sounds like a deal to me! I’m not sure of the vintage but its in almond and has a similar (but simpler) control panel...
 
Stupid question.. IF this possible donor machine has a light green agitator like my current fix-it machine has, is it safe to assume there’s a Pitman transmission in the machine? But if the color is of the agitator is something else, that it’s likely got an orbital trans..??

I’m just trying to line up my ducks for the time when I get the opportunity to look at this possible donor so that I can have some confidence of what it might be configuration wise. I’m hoping to take a driver with me to remove one of the big circles on the back of the machine and possibly see the state of things inside without pulling the front panel off.
 
Possible Donor Machine

Hi rick, It sounds like this could be a good donor, some of the early Orbital trans machines had a turquoise but different style agitator, so it could be either transmission.

 

Big question is whether it is the smaller 16 gallon tub or the larger 19 gallon tub machine like you have now, The transmissions are different, but you could use the top cover and shaft from the 16 gallon machine on your lower part if it is a PT.

 

I would check it out, the damper is likely good as well.

 

John L.
 
Possible Donor Machine

Hi rick, It sounds like this could be a good donor, some of the early Orbital trans machines had a turquoise but different style agitator, so it could be either transmission.

 

Big question is whether it is the smaller 16 gallon tub or the larger 19 gallon tub machine like you have now, The transmissions are different, but you could use the top cover and shaft from the 16 gallon machine on your lower part if it is a PT.

 

I would check it out, the damper is likely good as well.

 

John L.
 
ok.. So the PT transmissions are different depending on the tub size? Ok.. but some parts of the trans might be usable.

One question though -- in my search for a donor.. John -- you mention Maytag Stackables as potential donors .. Would these have a damper that might fit -- I'm assuming not but thought I'd ask. my $15 donor I've yet to see.. I know the control panel has fewer buttons on it but still don't know the model. I went to look at it yesterday but the guy selling it wasn't apparently home. Doh!
 
Another stupid question.. I decided to give the agitator shaft a little play time.. I’m gonna try to remove the gear and drive the pin out that holds the gear on. On the outside of the case (the tub end of the agitator shaft), I removed a spring wrapped around the shaft and beneath that was a very thin copper colored washer..

So.. Is it safe to assume I can get a punch and drive that pin out — assuming that I support the agitator shaft properly to keep stress to a minimum?
 
Ok.. I was able to use a 1/4” punch and pop that pin out without as much effort as I expected. The shaft is out and frankly looks better than I expected. If there’s supposed to be a rubber seal on this shaft somewhere, I found none. There was a very thin metal washer that was behind the gear and behind that is a washer/spring thing and that was it.

My concern is whether I can reuse the agitator shaft or not. The reason I mention this, is that the collar that is on it near the tub end has a thru crack in it as you can see in the photo. Is that enough to cause water/oil contamination either way? Seems rather small for that.

ps91rick-2020060515190908534_1.jpg

ps91rick-2020060515190908534_2.jpg
 
I can still get the agitator seal (#WP210690) without issue (which was not present in mine for whatever reason) and I need to order the gasket. I’m thinking that the agitator shaft maybe usable in its current state... If I can ensure the rubber seal works as expected to keep water/oil from mixing then this should be good and its mostly a matter of finding a replacement damper..

Speaking of dampers — for this era washer are they pretty much the same regardless of machine model?
 
There should be no lateral play in the upper agitator shaft nor should it leak oil when turned upside down. The shaft is toast, as well as the sleeve bearings.

12 series upper transmission housings are not compatible with previous models. A 12 series housing is only compatible with the 12 series transmission. It's probably easier to find another complete transmission (any tall tub transmission from 1966-1989 will work) and go from there rather than trying to locate an upper 12 series housing. However, if you want to go that route, the smaller tub transmission housings generally have less wear and tear on the upper shaft and bearings.
 
Ok.. thanks for that. Do I need to know what years/models are valid if I go with a stackable as a parts donor? I just don’t wanna buy a random stackable and find out it’s not a match… Hope that makes sense

Maybe it’s any of them..?

I will admit it would be nice to find another Pitman transmission… As the threads on this one for the tub hold down is buggered up and I cannot seem to thread on the new hold down. Because of that, I’m a little dubious as to whether I can use this transmission in its current state with those buggered up threads
 
Hey guys.. I found a local guy giving away (free) a 1967 HA-207 Maytag — for parts or scrap. He says the water inlet & water level areas are leaky but that it washes and drains w/o issue. It seems to fit the timeline of a possible transmission donor (or fix it as-is) — from the photos it looks as though it may be in better condition than my prime machine. I’m not sure what sort of capabilities this machine has over my current LA-712 but for free, I can’t skip on this one..
 
If it's a 207, it's probably a 1976. Small tub machine so a transmission swap won't work. Sadly, neither will the upper transmission housing for the 712 but it may come in handy if you end up using an older transmission from a large tub model. The machine would be worth it simply for the damper dome if it's unscathed.
 
Ok. I got the above pictured ‘76 standard sized Maytag in harvest gold .. HA207, series 01, SN #293106YK.. I may make this my prime machine.. it appears to be in better shape.. the water level sensor appears to not work and maybe issues with the water inlet, but otherwise good so I’m told

ps91rick-2020060716300407024_1.jpg

ps91rick-2020060716300407024_2.jpg

ps91rick-2020060716300407024_3.jpg
 
Looks like a great deal for that machine. The smaller tubs can be nice, for small loads you don't have to dive in to reach things at the bottom!

The "water inlet leak" could be the sleeve injector / nozzle. The rubber gets crusty and hardened after 50 years of use, and they don't work the way they are supposed to. The repair piece is less than $6 on eBay, so that's a cheap fix.

I have a bunch of photos of the parts in my A408 thread:
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?77619
 
I bought a new water level pressure switch off eBay.. NOS.. $35 instead of $105 special order.. I’ll try hooking water up at some point.. for now it’s tucked away in the garage. It’s nice to find both of these were single owner machines..
 
I was talking to my brothers about the damper needing to be highly polished.. They wanted to know why.. My best guess is that the damper needs to have room to wiggle at a high rate and if the damper has scratchy bits on it, it may tear up the damper pads and rip them up — like mine did. Is that more or less the reasoning...??

I will admit that I spent a little time today using different grit sand paper and hand cleaning up the old damper and smoothed it out considerably — got rid of 90-95% of the pitting and ridges. There’s room for improvement with more hand work and some aluminum polish but it’s something I would consider trying if nothing else pans out..
 
Polished Damper Dome

Yes the idea was to have a very smooth surface to rub against the moving dome, I would guess if you get it smith enough it will probably last a pretty good while.

 

These damper pads were differently one of the weak design areas of MT DC washers, If one was designing a machine like this today you would use molded Delrin rings or pads that would snap into holes in the base or even a floating ring like Speed Queen or FD or even Norge used.

 

John L.
 
Thanks John..

Just a quick side note question.. I paid to upgrade my membership about 2 weeks ago (give or take), but nothing has changed — I’m still not upgraded.. I sent a note to the contact address but heard nothing back perhaps 3-4 days ago.. Is there someone in particular I should pester about this? Thx!
 
Ok.. one more question for ya’ll.. someone local is selling an A211 series 10.. it looks to be from the 80’s based on the controls.. it looks like a late 80’s or perhaps early 90’s.. I gather it can have either transmission.. is this a standard sized machine? I’m guessing so but thought I’d ask as I couldn’t find the specs elsewhere. Thx.. if it’s a large/extra large capacity with pitman trans, maybe it could make a decent donor machine for my LA712...
 
On the A211, look for the presence of "shark fins" on the agitator. If it has them, it is most likely an orbital trans, and if it doesn't, it is most likely a pitman transmission.

(I say "most likely", because these machines are 30-40 years old, and could have had any transmission swapped into them during a prior repair.)

Photos in this thread:
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?37237
 
Thanks!! It’s got fewer buttons and the agitator matches what you described.. small shark fins adjacent/offset from the regular bigger fins.. I’ll assume it’s an orbital. And will probably pass.. thx! I’m getting better at this!!
 
An ebay buyer bought a rebuild orbital transmission and left a review that says:

by kirbert2002

Nov 07, 2017

Fix your well-made washer, don't replace it with modern junk!

I couldn't find a new washing machine that was worth a ^*%$^ other than Speed Queen, so we decided to repair our old Maytag instead. Replaced my original helical transmission with this orbital, which fit perfectly and works fine. The only problem was a tap broken off in the thread in the bottom of the input shaft, but I managed to get most of it out and installed a slightly shorter screw.

Note: The original helical transmission oscillates the agitator about 190 degrees, and relatively slowly and gently. The new orbital transmission oscillates the agitator about 100 degrees and very quickly and violently. The wife reports that this does seem to be harder on clothes, with her noticing more wear on some of her daintier garments. The old helical transmission just had a leaking O-ring seal in the bottom end (an O-ring should never be used as a running seal, which Maytag apparently learned later on, the new orbital transmissions have a proper lip seal), so I may eventually rebuild the helical with a new O-ring and reinstall it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1945136399...S5Gug|tkp:Bk9SR7bY2KCRYQ#LISTING_FRAME_MODULE

So the orbital transmission is rougher on the clothes?
 
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
So the orbital transmission is rougher on the clothes?

That's what found with the several that came through here. I actually found the Powerfin agitator to be gentler on clothing since it doesn't have thin sharp edges and that stupid wanna be Norge like shark fin near the top. A 2 speed motor is essential washing anything below standard capacity water/clothes level though. With the exception of the load sensor agitator, the large capacity models struggle to roll over the load. My personal opinion is that Maytag did not use large enough fins at the bottom for the larger tub models.
 
If people had issues of agitation being too rough on delicate clothing, couldn't they select the wash and spin speed to regular slow, gentle slow, or gentle fast?
Also the dial pad has a start point for delicates.

I'm rebuilding a pitman but if the orbital is easier to rebuild or purchase and isn't rough on delicate clothing, I might consider it.
 

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