Thread Number: 27618
1961 Maytag A700 clean up questions (kinda long) |
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Post# 423666 , Reply# 1   3/19/2010 at 20:59 (5,150 days old) by qsd-dan (West)   |   | |
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Does the gray rubber bleach inlet/screen/hose assembly just pop out of the top of the machine for cleaning?
Yes, but you must first remove the plastic strainer before it will pop out. Maytag used very high quality rubber for these so don't worry about it breaking. Is there any reason to change them?" Just make sure ALL 4 rollers are rolling. I've played with several carriage rollers that "felt" fine, but once you rock the carriage and get a good look at all 4 of them, only some of rollers were rolling. The others were too worn and remained static. How can I get the lid off without breaking something and/or losing the nylon hinge balls? Don't be afraid to get rough with the lid. It's necessary to get it off. From every Maytag lid I have taken off, the hinge balls always fall into the tub once the lid is removed. Is the top cover of this machine hinged like '66 and down or does it have to be pushed back and lifted off after the front top bolts and wires are removed? The top is NOT hinged, so be careful there. '66 is the first year of the hinged tops. Is the tub light bulb something that I can source locally? I get mine from True Value. They fit and look like factory. It's a common bulb. Has anyone had any luck repaining the white letters on the console buttons? They are embossed in the plastic and the embossed part is still well defined - just the white paint is worn. There are a few members who have had very good luck repainting the letter. These button kits seem to be NLA now unfortunately; most web sites list them as "special order." So far when I ask about anything for this machine listed that way it turns up NLA. The buttons and switches occasionally pop up on Ebay both new and used. They were last used in 1965, that's why they're so hard to come by. Maytag did make them available up until 2002 or so, but people like me have been hoarding them the last few years :) The worst part of the machine is the rear part of the base where there was a leak at some point and it got rusty. At least it did not appear to be leaking when I picked it up. I have dissolved/loosened up a good bit of it using "Evapo-Rust" rust remover, but some areas are still pretty pitted. For now, I am not going to do any more but will treat it and paint it with a close match gray paint. Any suggestions on a close match? Rustoleum gray enamel, etc... I sandblast, powder coat, and clear coat all of my bases so I can't really help you out there. It would probably be best to remove the cabinet and go to town on it. I pulled the agitator off easily (whew...) and realized that it was replaced (1979 date on the bottom.) It is a black poly Power Fin; the bottom has no baffle and looks like it never did. Is that typical of the replacements? I thought these were supposed to have a baffle but maybe that was just the older Bakelite ones. Your machine originally came with a Bakelite agitator, but it was obviously replaced at some time. The only way to get a hold of one is to pillage a machine that has one. Even then, those f#$%ing agitators love to break during the removal process. Ask Revvinkevin ;P I read the archives about transmission top bearing/shaft issues from lack of lubrication over time. This one moves easily and I want to keep it that way. Has anyone tried to wick some turbine oil down the shaft while running the machine on agitate with no water? just a thought... Not possible. Gotta disassemble the trans and remove the top shaft. The base pivot where the felt damper pads are seems to be OK and the tub moves around quietly. My thought is to leave these alone for now. Any reason to replace them? My thought is to let it be. The damper pads themselves may be good, but I would certainly lube them up or you WILL be replacing the damper pads (they'll rip off the base due to lack of lubrication during the spin cycle). No telling how long Whirlcrap will be make the damper pads available. Probably not too much longer..... |
Post# 423676 , Reply# 2   3/19/2010 at 21:35 (5,150 days old) by dnastrau (Lords Valley, PA)   |   | |
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I really appreciate your responses! At this point I will complete my clean-up effort to at least get it up and running. I am hoping to avoid a full tear-down for the moment - too many irons in the fire already around here! Andrew S. |
Post# 423742 , Reply# 3   3/20/2010 at 07:13 (5,150 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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