Guys,

Santa Claus was very good to me this year...

Mom and my sister-in-law have beens scouting auctions and lo and behold, I hauled back 3 wringers from Kansas to Arkansas for my christmas present!

1) Maytag, round tub, blue speckeled enamel, sawed off agitator! :-) (Can't find the ID tag on it for a model number) Wringer won't lock into position. Am needing a service manual for the wringer.

2) SpeedQueen, Model F701P, Serial # 3444209, sometimes doesn't want to "go in gear" am sure it's a simple clutch adjustment.

3) Montgomery Ward Apartment Sized wringer, Model UNC-565A, Serial # 86X. Pump's shot in it and it peed all over Mom's garage floor!

As soon as Santa Claus decides I need a digital camera....I'll send photos!

Hope your holidays were sudsy and bright!

jeff

Sounds like a good haul!

Pics please. Now do you live with MOM?

Steve

Hey Jeff!

We want to drool over those goodies too! Please send some pics real soon! :-D

Venus

Jeff ... it does sound like a good haul!! The round Maytag is called an "NX"; these were made to help the dealer convince the consumer to "buy-up" to the nice looking model N (or other models).

There was a very nice NX just offered on e-Bay a week or so ago.

It sounds like the index slide on the wringer head is bad. You can still purchase these; they might be spendy, however. Do you have a Maytag dealer in your area? They should still have the repair manuals for these machines.

Sorry that I don't know about the other machines. Here's a link to the NX that was on e-Bay a couple weeks ago; is it like yours?

From what I can tell, I've had the entire wringer apart, cleaned, re-greased, etc...When you go to "lock" the wringer into position, the little "pawl" goes out but won't stay out. I'm having problems figuring out what "keeps it out" and locked into position. It almost is like the emergency release is on perpetual release. (Hmmm, that sounded bad, didn't it???)

My NX has the enamel tub and a medium bluish/gray bottom and wringer.

Can I still get wringer rollers for them?

I'll have to check my little home town and see if I can find a Maytag dealer.

As soons as I can get some pics, I'll post them.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

jeff

Nope, Mom's in Kansas and I'm in Arkansas. Let me know if you guys want any particular washer's. I'll give her a list. Pics would be helpful. They also sold a pink square tub wringer at an auction for $1. I told her to be on the lookout for a little green maytag!

Jeff ... it does sound like the index slide. When you turn the handle into the neutral or forward/backward position, it should push the slide out to lock into the "teeth" on the wringer post that hold the wringer in position.

A lot of the times, the springs on the index slide "sprung" slightly not allowing the slide to grab the teeth on the wringer post. I don't believe you can replace the springs; you have to replace the whole slide. It should be only two screws holding it in place.

Yes, you can still get the rollers; they are both upper rollers. That was another one of Maytag's selling points to upgrade to the model N. The two black rollers are soft and did not wring well; it needed the combination of the soft upper roll and firm lower roll. I'm not sure if you can replace the lower one with a firm roll; I've never restored an NX.

Love the "post-less" agitator, however. Did you notice that the power cord is short? There also wasn't a bracket on the side to hold the lid when you were ready to wring.

Kerby in the Service Department at Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, Ohio might have parts you could use. I know he sells the drain hose (you have to cut it down to fit)and he might have the rollers. Lehman's restores the Model E (big square aluminum tub) but I think sometimes he gets parts for other models. They might be used, but if they work ... what the heck!!

Hope this helps!!

The index slide works fine (Just ask my brother who picked it up by the wringer and carried it by the wringer and the one foot! UGH!) It's actually the upper wringer roll that won't lock into "wring" position. When you try to latch the rollers together, the little "paw" won't stay locked into the hole that keeps the rollers together. It's like the emergency release has been tripped and won't un-trip.

Further investigation is required.

jeff

Oh, oh, oh ... sorry Jeff!! It's when you are turning the wringer tension lever on the top of the wringer, right? It doesn't stay into position, right? A whole different scenario ... sorry about that; I misinterpreted your original posting.

With the wringer head on the machine (or work bench) and the safety release bar pressed, lift up on the upper roller; that will separate the wringer "cap" from the lower portion. You can then turn the cap over (a little trick ... practice makes perfect) and remove the bearing hangers for the upper roll.

Once the upper roll is out, you can then remove the entire tension reset mechanism and you will discover another spring!! This spring can sometimes become "sprung", too and won't allow the tension lever to lock the wringer cap into place.

Replacing it is a little tricky, but a repair manual would help you out tremendously. See if you have a Maytag dealer nearby and I'm sure they would allow you to copy out the section you need ... it's the same info as for a model N.

Am I helping or hindering?? :-)

Jeff ... forgot one thing.

Is the wringer cap is all the way down on top of the lower roll when you are trying to turn it to set the tension?

Maytag had a way for you to "lock" the upper roll away from the lower roll between wash days. You lifted up on the wringer cap about an inch or so and turned the tension reset lever 1/4 turn clockwise to "lock" the cap in place. To release, you would press the tension release safety bar and turn the dial 1/4 turn counter-clockwise to drop the cap onto the lower roll.

That's not what's happening, is it?

Geoffdelp,

Cap's pulled on down to the ears! Seriously, it's all the way down. I can get the little dogs to hit the holes but they won't stay when I turn the locking lever. So I'm guessing the spring is sprung. And yes it did go flying across the room last night when I had it all apart to clean and grease it. Great, greasy spring splatter on the kitchen wall! Hmm, clean that up and now I have laundry to do! This is working out great!

Jeff

PS. You're helping, keep it up!

Jeff ... are you using a lithium grease on the wringer cap? I find it works better than regular grease; it's not as slick and is more waterproof.

You can tell if the spring is sprung by squeezing it to fit on the tension shaft. If it is easily squeezed together, then it's probably sprung. A new one is quite difficult to squeeze together. I'm usually cursing before it's all back together!! :-)

Hope you can get it to work right; nothing is more frustrating!!

Geoff

I couldn't find white lithium but I used lithium waterproof grease. I was a desparate woman last night... I'll probably get it working and then go back and clean and regrease everything. I'll probably go to a good "lube shop" and get white lithium grease. And if I still can't get it to latch, I'll just eat the lithium and end up in the mental institution!

I'm actually wondering if the previous owners could have worked on it and put the little paws in backwards. (I just thought of that.) I may try turning them over tonight and see if it was originally put together incorrectly. Who knows.

The really fun thing was realizing that I had to punch out the tiny pin to get the wringer cap off. It's been kept so I'll probably put it back in when I get it working.

I didn't realize how fat my little fingers really are!

You are right, it does have a short cord! Drain hose appears fine. It looks as though this machine was stored indoors and only moved out right before the auction. Same way with the SpeedQueen. There was crap in the tubs but nothing serious. No really bad rust on the Maytag. The SpeedQueen has a bit but not bad.

Anyone got any great "sealer" to put on the rust to prevent it from spreading and still look half way cosmetically pleasing without having big black spots where I painted it?

Oh, Mom wanted to know what the "timer" did on the front of the SpeedQueen. I had to reply..."It dings!" She was thinking that it was hooked to the clutch for the agitator. I had to burst her bubble on that one.

She loves telling the terrible stories about their maytag out on the farm before electricity! She swears the little engine knew when grandpa hit the end of the drive with the tractor as it would die and wouldn't want to run. Someone would have to go out to the field and get Grandpa. It would run as long as he stood next to it! ;-)

Jeff

This is what I gave mom for Christmas this year. As you can see, I get my sense of humor from somewhere! This is Mom talking to her Dad. She thinks they were butchering hogs at the time.

And she busts ME for smoking!

jeff

Jeff ... you could be right about the little "paws". I do believe the flat side goes down when it passes through the frame when tension is applied. Try it ... it just might work!!

I think lithium is lithium ... white or otherwise. If it works, so what!!! :-)

Did you get the agitator off and put a thin film of Vaseline on the agitator shaft?

I read the instructions once for that machine and they said the correct water level was half-way on the screws that appear in the tub on the left-hand side (in other words, the screws that hold the tub to the wringer post). I've seen pictures of one in action and it looks like a "torrent" of water!! Should be fun to use.

A lot of club folks swear by POR-15 as a rust inhibitor. I bought some in white this past summer and still haven't used it. I'm going to use it in the porcelain tub of my 101P.

I don't know ... some of the timers on those old wringers did work for the clutch control; I'm not sure what Speed Queen had on their machines. Maybe it was just a "nice-ity" they put on for convenience sake.

LOVE the photo of your Mom!!! :-) Looks like she was having a serious talk with her Papa!! I bet she grabbed the cigar out of his hand to be a smart-aleck; what do you think?

Lots of fun ... :-)

Geoff

Actually, I shrunk the picture down as I printed it as 16 X 20 which makes it hard to see... Grandpa Wolf is smoking one too!

Well, I downloaded a service manual from the web. Everything appears in order. Problem that I'm having is I'm liking it to a mouse trap. I set the mouse trap (use the lever on top of the machine to "lock" the paws in place) but there is no "catch" for the mouse trap. The paws just come back in when I let go of the lever.

From what I can tell, I'm missing something. Something big. There is nothing that I can see that "sets" the paws in that position and I can't see anything that "trips" the eccentric to release the paws which would in turn release the rolls.

What am I missing???

Jeff

Jeff ... let's see ... do you want me to take one of mine apart this weekend and take a photo of it and post it for you?

I just remember the spring had to be very tight and pushed down far enough on the tension shaft. When you turn the tension reset lever, it "opens" the spring and locks the roller in place.

It should be something pretty simple ...

I'll be happy to take a digital camera home this weekend to take a photo if you want.

Are you able to upload the page from the manual on this?

Geoff

Geoff,

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I don't have the manual with me today at work, but I can get it uploaded tonight when I get home.

I know what I'm missing is the "catch" to keep things under tension. That's the key. Where's Mr. Dependable when you need him to make a housecall?

Jeff

Jeff ... I'll gladly take pictures this weekend; but I can't get them uploaded until Tuesday. So hang tight!!

It really sounds like the spring ... if I lived in Arkansas, we'd get it running this weekend!!!! :-)

Happy New Year ...

Geoff

is available at auto parts stores either in a can where the grease is applied with fingers, or an aeresol spray can with a little tube like WD-40 uses. This is what is used to lubricate trunk, hood, door strikers, and hinges on cars.

Before using the screwdriver!

Washer and retaining screw and spacer removed

Looking at the Cam

The one that went shooting across the kitchen the other night

dishwashers make great workbenches when you don't have a work room!

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Hi Jeff ... Happy New Year!!

Were you able to put this wringer cap back together again and get it working? The reset spring does look a little "sprung".

Look at your second picture showing the tension levers. I think you have them upside down. Take a look at your manual; do you see in the 2nd diagram where the little protusions on the tension levers are "outside" of the eccentric? Not facing inside?

Geoff

Took things apart and flipped the tension arms over. Still not finding anything to "lock" the arms in place. Is the spring there to keep tension on the arms to keep them locked in place? Also, I'm not finding anything from the emergency release to touch anything else to knock the arms or the big "ears" loose to release the tension.

I'm cornfused!

jeff