My first Wringer washer

Maytag wringer washers never had an "on/off" switch. Moment cord is plugged motor begins and will continue to run long as receives electricity. Round knob in front merely operates gears by "push/pull". When pulled out gears are shifted to allow agitation. Pushed in stops agitator from moving.

Wringer gears are controlled by lever on top of power mangle. Three positions: forward, neutral (no movement) and reverse.

Maytag wringers obviously predate grounding requirements. However it sounds like your washer as a motor that has a ground, thus best to use a three pronged grounded power cord. Owner/installation manual for Maytag wringers do state while not preferred way of connecting use of a two prong cord to three prong electric adapter could be used. Since your motor is already away from washer with cord off I'd just go with wiring things properly and be done.

OP you can find owner, installation and service manuals for Maytag wringer washers in "Library" section of Automatic washer available for download.

Some makers of wringer washers did offer models with a timer that shut off agitation after certain period of time. Others just rang a bell after time elapsed but did not shut off anything. Maytag did offer one model with latter timer IIRC, but they are rare to find.

Various companies made after market timers good for any semi-automatic washer. They looked not unlike the "on/off" programable timers used to turn on lights or other appliances. You plugged washer into "timer", plugged timer into wall, set things up and let timer take care of turning washer off and perhaps on.

Obviously a timer that stops agitator was far more useful to most, pity Maytag never went that far.


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Post# 1184457 7/8/2023 at 20:12 (300 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Grundy County, IL)
Checkrate/Likes It has been a long time since I have ventured over here. I usually stick to VL and the Facebook groups I was given this Maytag E2L by a friend at a local volunteer fire department. They used it there until fairly recent to wash gear. They quit using it for that a few years ago as the gear has gotten bigger, and just washed rags in it once and a while. I am wondering if someone can show me the wiring connections to the motor so k can test it in my workshop on the bench. The motor had been removed and there was no cord connected either. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 1184460 , Reply# 1 7/8/2023 at 20:36 (300 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas)
Checkrate/Likes 2 Congratulations! It looks like it was built in April of 1965.

Post# 1184461 , Reply# 2 7/8/2023 at 20:43 (300 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Grundy County, IL)
Checkrate/Likes How do you tell the date on these?

Post# 1184462 , Reply# 3 7/8/2023 at 21:13 (300 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)
Checkrate/Likes *Reply #2* From the data plate in the second photo. Maytags from 1965 and older have the red lettering, Maytags made after 1966 went with the newer style of logo along with going to turquoise agitators in most of their machines as well though some of their BOL automatics still had the black agitators in them.

Post# 1184473 , Reply# 4 7/8/2023 at 23:05 (300 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)
Checkrate/Likes Don't these just have an on/off switch? You take the hose off of the hook on the side and let the water flow out to floor drain when done washing/rinsing?

Post# 1184481 , Reply# 5 7/9/2023 at 00:28 (300 days old) by qsd-dan (West)
Checkrate/Likes 1 That wringer washer looks like it has been through the wringer. These are pretty stout, clean up easily (fairly easy to repaint also), and can be rebuilt with plenty of available parts. Since the motor is out, oil it if it has oil ports (the original motors from this time period had them) using Zoomspout turbine oil. It would also be a good idea to install a 3 prong grounded cord. Lastly, replace the A4298 seal so water doesn't enter the transmission.

Post# 1184502 , Reply# 6 7/9/2023 at 07:49 (299 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Grundy County, IL)
Checkrate/Likes *Bradfordwhite* It appears to wire straight to the motor. It came with a removed two prong cord and there appear to be three wire connections at the motor. There is no switch on it, but the fire barn had wired a timer in the cord so they could turn it on and leave it to run for X minutes unattended

Post# 1184506 , Reply# 7 7/9/2023 at 08:56 (299 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There�s a Lady on Stage)
Checkrate/Likes Maytag wringer washers never had an "on/off" switch. Moment cord is plugged motor begins and will continue to run long as receives electricity. Round knob in front merely operates gears by "push/pull". When pulled out gears are shifted to allow agitation. Pushed in stops agitator from moving. Wringer gears are controlled by lever on top of power mangle. Three positions: forward, neutral (no movement) and reverse. Maytag wringers obviously predate grounding requirements. However it sounds like your washer as a motor that has a ground, thus best to use a three pronged grounded power cord. Owner/installation manual for Maytag wringers do state while not preferred way of connecting use of a two prong cord to three prong electric adapter could be used. Since your motor is already away from washer with cord off I'd just go with wiring things properly and be done. OP you can find owner, installation and service manuals for Maytag wringer washers in "Library" section of Automatic washer available for download. Some makers of wringer washers did offer models with a timer that shut off agitation after certain period of time. Others just rang a bell after time elapsed but did not shut off anything. Maytag did offer one model with latter timer IIRC, but they are rare to find. Various companies made after market timers good for any semi-automatic washer. They looked not unlike the "on/off" programable timers used to turn on lights or other appliances. You plugged washer into "timer", plugged timer into wall, set things up and let timer take care of turning washer off and perhaps on. Obviously a timer that stops agitator was far more useful to most, pity Maytag never went that far.

Post# 1184509 , Reply# 8 7/9/2023 at 09:02 (299 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Grundy County, IL)
Checkrate/Likes I am assuming the eye terminal would be ground then. It looks like there is in fact a ground terminal behind it on the motor. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 1184618 , Reply# 9 7/10/2023 at 13:44 (298 days old) by hobbyapocalypse (Northeast Pennsylvania)
Checkrate/Likes Does that motor say Maytag on it anywhere? It doesn't look like a motor that would have come with that washer. Maybe they gave you one that was just lying around. Does it have a bracket to mount it onto the washer?

Post# 1184646 , Reply# 10 7/10/2023 at 22:48 (298 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Grundy County, IL)
Checkrate/Likes The nameplate is worn and I couldn't make out most of what was on it. It did have two threaded holes on the motor that looked like the corresponded to two holes in the washer frame