My Maytag A208 was moved, now doesn't balance

Congratulations, you have one of the best washing machines ever made! At least I think so.

I also have an A208 and have had some balancing issues. First, make sure it is level both front to back, AND left to right. On each of the machine's adjustable feet, there is a nut. After you get the machine leveled tighten that nut snug up against the underside of the machine. It's there to keep vibrations from causing the screw-in feet to adjust themselves out of level. If these nuts aren't tight, the machine can be in balance for a short while and then work itself off balance Try setting the timer to the spin cycle with nothing in the tub. If it goes off balance then, something bigger is wrong. Once you have the machine balanced, you can throw in a big towel (try to ball it up onto one side of the tub) and run the spin cycle. If it stays balanced, you've done a good job.
Use a clothespin, or some other device, to defeat the safety switch behind the lid and watch the tub as it starts to spin (kind of dangerous so keep your hands away from the spinning tub). It's ok if it wobbles a little bit, but if an empty tub wobbles a lot, that's a problem.
If the tub is still wobbling, remove the two screws at the bottom of the front panel and remove the panel. Be mindful, there are two metal clips holding the front panel to the top. Just swing the bottom of the panel out and up and it should detach from the top. The tubs are held in place on 4 posts/bars, each one of which has a spring (really obvious). Make sure that all 4 springs are in place and aren't broken or detached.
While you have the front removed, this is a great time to look for signs of oil leaking from the transmission. The whole transmission spins during the spin cycle (hence the counterweight). Sometimes these old Maytags leak some oil from a failed seal, and if this has happened, the transmission slings oil around in a line inside the cabinet. If you have an oil leak, someone here will tell you how to fix it.
Don't do any work yet, though. Someone else may come along with better ideas than I have. If that's the case you'll have an easier time and I will have learned something.

Happy A208 Washing, don't forget to clean your washer's lint filter. The former owners of mine didn't know it had a lint filter, and it was NASTY! It cleans much better now.

Happy Maytags make great housemates,
Dave


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Post# 255396 12/20/2007 at 16:46 (5,970 days old) by nisk ()
Checkrate/Likes We bought our house a few years ago, it came with a Maytag A208 washer, it works great! However, we had to move it out of the way recently, when we put it back in space, it will not balance. The room itself is on a slant, but my level says I have it leveled. Any idea's what I did to it? Mind you I don't know the first thing about washing machines.

Post# 255401 , Reply# 1 12/20/2007 at 17:40 (5,970 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)
Checkrate/Likes *A208 Balencing.* Congratulations, you have one of the best washing machines ever made! At least I think so. I also have an A208 and have had some balancing issues. First, make sure it is level both front to back, AND left to right. On each of the machine's adjustable feet, there is a nut. After you get the machine leveled tighten that nut snug up against the underside of the machine. It's there to keep vibrations from causing the screw-in feet to adjust themselves out of level. If these nuts aren't tight, the machine can be in balance for a short while and then work itself off balance Try setting the timer to the spin cycle with nothing in the tub. If it goes off balance then, something bigger is wrong. Once you have the machine balanced, you can throw in a big towel (try to ball it up onto one side of the tub) and run the spin cycle. If it stays balanced, you've done a good job. Use a clothespin, or some other device, to defeat the safety switch behind the lid and watch the tub as it starts to spin (kind of dangerous so keep your hands away from the spinning tub). It's ok if it wobbles a little bit, but if an empty tub wobbles a lot, that's a problem. If the tub is still wobbling, remove the two screws at the bottom of the front panel and remove the panel. Be mindful, there are two metal clips holding the front panel to the top. Just swing the bottom of the panel out and up and it should detach from the top. The tubs are held in place on 4 posts/bars, each one of which has a spring (really obvious). Make sure that all 4 springs are in place and aren't broken or detached. While you have the front removed, this is a great time to look for signs of oil leaking from the transmission. The whole transmission spins during the spin cycle (hence the counterweight). Sometimes these old Maytags leak some oil from a failed seal, and if this has happened, the transmission slings oil around in a line inside the cabinet. If you have an oil leak, someone here will tell you how to fix it. Don't do any work yet, though. Someone else may come along with better ideas than I have. If that's the case you'll have an easier time and I will have learned something. Happy A208 Washing, don't forget to clean your washer's lint filter. The former owners of mine didn't know it had a lint filter, and it was NASTY! It cleans much better now. Happy Maytags make great housemates, Dave

Post# 255402 , Reply# 2 12/20/2007 at 17:55 (5,970 days old) by nisk ()
Checkrate/Likes Yeah, I cleaned out the lint filter for the first time last month! Let me just say EWWWWWW! I did open the front panel enough to look inside. The springs look fine, but there apears to be a piece of a gasket protruding from the center suport at the very bottom, it's about 3/4 of an inch wide, and I wasn't able to pull it out, mind you I only gave it a small tug. The nuts at the feet are pretty loose, I am going to work on them now.

Post# 255474 , Reply# 3 12/20/2007 at 21:43 (5,970 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!* "The springs look fine, but there apears to be a piece of a gasket protruding from the center suport at the very bottom, it's about 3/4 of an inch wide, and I wasn't able to pull it out, mind you I only gave it a small tug." That "gasket" is a pad that the centre support is supposed to glide on when it spins. It's supposed to be there. Whether or not it's correctly in place is another matter. If it has become unglued from where it's supposed to be and bunched up a little, then that could also be a source of vibration. But don't remove it until you know more about what it is and what it does. Others here can give you the complete run-down on how to diagnose trouble with it and how to replace it if need be.

Post# 255768 , Reply# 4 12/22/2007 at 10:21 (5,968 days old) by nisk ()
Checkrate/Likes *It is torn* The gasket/pad is definitely torn, and the torn edge is sticking out. But it's a rubbery material, how does it glide?

Post# 255878 , Reply# 5 12/23/2007 at 01:08 (5,968 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E)
Checkrate/Likes *Photo Would Be Helpful* I could have misunderstood the location you were talking about- a photo would be very helpful to be sure of what has you worried and whether or not it should be a concern.

Post# 255887 , Reply# 6 12/23/2007 at 03:33 (5,967 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)
Checkrate/Likes That sounds like one of the three felt pads that the upper support rides on top of the lower dome. If one is sticking out, then all three need to be replaced. They are not hard to find; any appliance parts store should be able to order you a new set. The kit should come with some special lubricant you put on top of the pads after you install them. I have an A606 that needs new pads. I have the kit, just haven't gotten around to installing them. I had the process described to me by the partsman, though. Just remove the front panel and the top panel. Then tilt the washer back, put a 4x4 under the main drive pulley, resting the weight of the washer on the pulley/4x4, to lift the tub and the upper support up from the dome so you can get at the pads. I haven't tried this yet but I'd probaby brace the washer below at four points so it doesn't rock off the 4x4 and slam the upper support down on the lower support. Be careful - those springs are very strong. I am also assuming that the dome surface needs to be cleaned and degreased so that the self-adhesive pads stick to it well.

Post# 258102 , Reply# 7 1/6/2008 at 11:44 (5,953 days old) by nisk ()
Checkrate/Likes I wasn't able to find a picture, but this one is almost perfect. I think that thread also gives me my answer. Now the tough part is doing it. As I am not mechanically gifted. it's from thread 8042 CLICK HERE TO GO TO nisk's LINK

Post# 258899 , Reply# 8 1/9/2008 at 18:50 (5,950 days old) by drmitch ()
Checkrate/Likes Heres a better photo. I have been having a little balance problem with mine since I moved, but the floor in this old house may be the problem.

Post# 258900 , Reply# 9 1/9/2008 at 18:52 (5,950 days old) by drmitch ()
Checkrate/Likes And an illustration.

Post# 259005 , Reply# 10 1/10/2008 at 08:47 (5,949 days old) by nisk ()
Checkrate/Likes So here is an artist's rendering of what is sticking out of the base, I'm not sure what it is, it feels rubbery, it could be old felt. I am going forward on the notion that it is the felt and am going to replace it. I have the kit, I just have to get some adhessive, and I have to figure out if the eyebolts are too rusted, and need to be cut.