Thread Number: 87092  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
1949 Maytag AMP in the Hartford Metropolitan Area
[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 1116496   5/6/2021 at 11:03 (1,057 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
This appears to be the very first automatic washer model that Maytag produced...

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Unimatic1140's LINK on eBay





Post# 1116497 , Reply# 1   5/6/2021 at 11:15 (1,057 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
Looks to be about 1949 or 1950.

Post# 1116499 , Reply# 2   5/6/2021 at 11:45 (1,057 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

turquoisedude's profile picture

And again... if the border weren't closed, I'd be on this like flies on fresh dog crap....  Hartford is about a 3 hour drive from Ogden under normal circumstances.    Dammit dammit dammit.....  


Post# 1116504 , Reply# 3   5/6/2021 at 12:01 (1,057 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        
Original Maytag AMP!

swestoyz's profile picture
The lid base on this particular AMP appears to be porcelain, making it late in the original AMP run in 1953.

I hope someone here saves this little guy!

Ben


  View Full Size
Post# 1116507 , Reply# 4   5/6/2021 at 12:21 (1,057 days old) by bradross (New Westminster, BC., Canada)        
Bolts inside tub?

bradross's profile picture
I've always wondered - what are those bolts for?

  View Full Size
Post# 1116510 , Reply# 5   5/6/2021 at 12:31 (1,057 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        

swestoyz's profile picture
AMPs use two tubs to make the assembly - the inner white perforated tub, and an outer solid tub.

  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 3         View Full Size
Post# 1116515 , Reply# 6   5/6/2021 at 13:28 (1,057 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
1953, cool to know Ben. I noticed that the dials on this machine have all black/gray lettering where my machine has the painted underside of the lid and my dials have black and red lettering.

Post# 1116516 , Reply# 7   5/6/2021 at 14:38 (1,057 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        

swestoyz's profile picture
Oh yes, the dials are odd balls. The March of '53 AMP I once owned had the red/black lettering on the dials. Not sure if this one is extremely dirty and the red isn't showing through? Or if all print is truly black.

Looks like the seller updated the photos to include the model tag. G seems to come through at the Year indicator, which would land this guy at 1953.


  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 7         View Full Size


This post was last edited 05/06/2021 at 15:07
Post# 1116521 , Reply# 8   5/6/2021 at 15:50 (1,057 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture

That will be a GREAT win for someone!


Post# 1116543 , Reply# 9   5/6/2021 at 22:54 (1,057 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        

I remember seeing a washer like that on display at Swallen's. There was some kind of contest to find the oldest working Maytag automatic, and it was the winner. That must have been sometime in the 80's.

Post# 1116551 , Reply# 10   5/7/2021 at 04:39 (1,057 days old) by Easyspindry (Winston-Salem, NC)        
That's the washer we got . . .

. . . in the late 1940's or early 1950's after our Thor retired.  The Maytag was with us for 16 years with no problems whatsoever until it died.  Great machine.

 

Jerry Gay


Post# 1116553 , Reply# 11   5/7/2021 at 06:09 (1,057 days old) by Kenmore58 (Rhode Island)        

kenmore58's profile picture

I’m so fighting the urge to bid.   It’s not that far away from me.   Help me to be strong! 

Ron

 


Post# 1116556 , Reply# 12   5/7/2021 at 07:54 (1,057 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
AMP The Original MT Automatic

combo52's profile picture

These are interesting machines Maytag was one of just a few appliance companies that almost completely abandoned their original AW design because it was too expensive to build and too hard to work on and did not work that well etc.

 

We have the even earlier AMP in our museum that still has the cast alluuium wash tub with the porcelain liner bolted inside, the wash tub is the top of the transmission [ what could go wrong ] LOL

 

Ron you need this machine and the experience of trying to restore it with few parts being available.

 

John L.


Post# 1116558 , Reply# 13   5/7/2021 at 08:59 (1,056 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL)        
Rohnnn

pulltostart's profile picture

Come over to The Dark Side.  You know you want it.

 

Darth Lawrence


Post# 1116571 , Reply# 14   5/7/2021 at 12:48 (1,056 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)        

robbinsandmyers's profile picture
Im about 25 mins away from there via I-91 and am tempted but not too crazy about the mechanical design of it. Looks like a nightmare to work on compared to the venerable pitman machines. Plus the few Youtube vides I saw of those they sounded like they had a case of the trots from last nights nachos and tequila. Not how I picture a Maytag. LOL

Post# 1116599 , Reply# 15   5/7/2021 at 19:27 (1,056 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
AMP The Original MT Automatic

combo52's profile picture

These do have a Pitman Transmission in them, some of the internal gears and the main drive belt are the only parts that are interchangeable with the helical drive MT Automatics.

 

John L.


Post# 1116600 , Reply# 16   5/7/2021 at 19:38 (1,056 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)        

wayupnorth's profile picture
I just remember my next door neighbor as a kid had one. I remember the Maytag logo on the front lighted up when running. I swear that ancient Maytag sounds just like my 1984 does now. Although, mine is now considered ancient.

Post# 1116643 , Reply# 17   5/8/2021 at 10:39 (1,055 days old) by 48bencix (Sacramento CA)        
Gulping Sound

The sound these Automatics make is the pump trying to empty the outer tub. It runs continuously. The inner tub only empties when it spins out the water. Then the pump can pump out the water which happens quite rapidly. Then the pump still is working but nothing to pump so it makes that sound. I love these machines and had my first in College. It was in the yard of my apartment building so I ran an electrical cord to it to see if it would work. It did!. So with some help we dragged it up to the apartment and ran it in the kitchen until I set up a place in the bathroom to semi-install it. Many years later I saw an immaculate one for sale here in Sacramento and bought it. I set it up with a switch in the back so I could watch the gyratation and spinning.

Post# 1116656 , Reply# 18   5/8/2021 at 12:48 (1,055 days old) by Tomdawg (Des moines)        

I have always wondered why it looked like bolts in the inner tub. Didn’t realize two inner tubs! Thanks for sharing!!!

Question. What are the differences in pitman and helical drive transmission? I tried googling it and it looks like a helical to me. Would one argue pitman is more reliable than helical? Or vice versa?

Tom


Post# 1116664 , Reply# 19   5/8/2021 at 15:18 (1,055 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
Pitman refers to the gear arrangement inside the transmission, specifically the (Pitman) arm (Photo 1) that drives the agitator oscillation.

Orbital is a different internal gearing design.

Both are helical drive, which refers to the spiral (helix, thus helical) cut into the input shaft (Photo 2) that allows the drive pulley to move up/down along the shaft (depending which direction the motor runs) to A) turn only the input shaft for agitation with the spin brake engaged or B) release the spin brake and rotate the entire transmission for spinning the basket.

This video (at 4:40) shows the internal gears of an orbital and how they function to oscillate the agitator.






  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 2         View Full Size
Post# 1116703 , Reply# 20   5/8/2021 at 20:10 (1,055 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Here is what the AMP looks like underneath...


And the transmission bolted to the bottom of the tub


Post# 1116707 , Reply# 21   5/8/2021 at 21:29 (1,055 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
AMP Pictures

combo52's profile picture

Thanks Robert For the cool cutaway pictures.

 

The 2nd picture is the later AMP, the first one has the aluminum wash tub, the one we have at the museum has the earlier design where the top of the transmission was the wash tub, so much for ever replacing a transmission.

 

The original AMP did not give much thought to service, but that was true of other makes as well, I am sure the original bolt-down WP-KMs were no joy to work on either.

 

John L.



Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy