Maytag A106 washing machine agitator removal
 

I have an old Maytag A106 washer which has been slowly leaking
trasmission oil for years and now has a seized power unit. To replace
the transmission you need to remove the agitator and then the tub. The
trasmission comes out next through the top. These machines were very
well designed and for servicibility as well so I really want to hold
on to this one. I have another transmission which I scrounged from a
willing organ donor years ago. It has been sitting in my basement just
in case this one ever failed. The job is lengthy but not that
difficult. The agitator fits down onto the top protruding spline of
the power unit and it is supposed to just pull straight off, but it is
really stuck. Of course after 45 years this doesn't surpise me. The
service manual mentions to use a puller if the agitator is stuck and
the book shows a picture of this tool. It looks sort of like an
oversized wheel puller. There are what looks like two flat hooks on
extension arms that hook under two spots on the perimeter of the
agitator. Then I'm guessing that you must have to place a 2.0 X 4.0
across the top of the machine and crank the long threaded screw down
on to it until hopefully the agitator pops up. Of course we have no
such tool, so I rigged up two sets of ropes with each end tied to a
1/2 inch EMT clamp, all four of which I've bent into tighter hooks to
fit and stay under the agitator edges in four places. My theory is
that if I place a 2.0 X 4.0 across the top and use another one placed
perpendicular with the ropes tied to it I can attain the same
mechanical advantage this time pulling up in four places and again
hopefully pop the agitator up. The agitator is bakelite and presently
in good condition and of course I'm concerned about breaking it during
this process too. But I don't see any other way out of this. I believe
that this may be a very early A106. Is anyone familiar with these old
Maytags that can comment on this problem? Also does anyone know if
this NG isn't, if there might perhaps be a more suitable NG to post
this problem to? My wife is starting to flip out.
Thanks very much. Lenny Stein

Maytag A106 washing machine agitator removal
 

Lenny wrote:
I have an old Maytag A106 washer which has been slowly leaking
trasmission oil for years and now has a seized power unit. To replace
the transmission you need to remove the agitator and then the tub. The
trasmission comes out next through the top. These machines were very
well designed and for servicibility as well so I really want to hold
on to this one. I have another transmission which I scrounged from a
willing organ donor years ago. It has been sitting in my basement just
in case this one ever failed. The job is lengthy but not that
difficult. The agitator fits down onto the top protruding spline of
the power unit and it is supposed to just pull straight off, but it is
really stuck. Of course after 45 years this doesn't surpise me. The
service manual mentions to use a puller if the agitator is stuck and
the book shows a picture of this tool. It looks sort of like an
oversized wheel puller. There are what looks like two flat hooks on
extension arms that hook under two spots on the perimeter of the
agitator. Then I'm guessing that you must have to place a 2.0 X 4.0
across the top of the machine and crank the long threaded screw down
on to it until hopefully the agitator pops up. Of course we have no
such tool, so I rigged up two sets of ropes with each end tied to a
1/2 inch EMT clamp, all four of which I've bent into tighter hooks to
fit and stay under the agitator edges in four places. My theory is
that if I place a 2.0 X 4.0 across the top and use another one placed
perpendicular with the ropes tied to it I can attain the same
mechanical advantage this time pulling up in four places and again
hopefully pop the agitator up. The agitator is bakelite and presently
in good condition and of course I'm concerned about breaking it during
this process too. But I don't see any other way out of this. I believe
that this may be a very early A106. Is anyone familiar with these old
Maytags that can comment on this problem? Also does anyone know if
this NG isn't, if there might perhaps be a more suitable NG to post
this problem to? My wife is starting to flip out.
Thanks very much. Lenny Stein

Hi...

Can't speak for Maytag, but a few years ago I needed to
get the agitator off of our Inglis. (a wool scarf had
wound itself around and under the agitator, I could have
cut some of it off but figured the part under the
agitator might destroy bearings) Anyway, the agitator
really, really didn't want to lift off.

Got a bottle of CLR (lime and rust resolver). Soaked
the upper part of the sleeve thoroughly, tapped it
lightly with a hammer/block of wood. Repeated for
a couple of days.

Then it lifted off with no effort at all.

Hope this helps.

Ken

Maytag A106 washing machine agitator removal
 

Hi!

I've been down this road with a 70's something Maytag that got a leaky seal
around that area. The machine worked fine but the water would be everywhere
after doing the laundry.

Of course the drum came out easily enough, but there was this "cap" that
originally had a cork liner. The liner had since disintegrated into black
spots, and it was stuck on really good.

In the end I used some judicious heating of the part, pentrating oil, a
hammer and a block of wood to bring it off. I did find that the washer's
transmission would tend to "spin" with the hammer blows, so if yours still
turns at all you may need to block it somehow.

IIRC it is _left hand thread_! I can't find my service manual to verify
this, but I really think that's how it was.

The new part went right on without any troubles. Now if I could only get
around to putting the drum back in...

I suppose that if I would have only thought of the other poster's idea about
using CLR to loosen things up that it might have gone a LOT easier for me...

William

Maytag A106 washing machine agitator removal
 

"William R. Walsh" m
wrote in message news:Uelgc.16481$yD1.41899@attbi_s54...
Hi!

I've been down this road with a 70's something Maytag that got a leaky
seal
around that area. The machine worked fine but the water would be
everywhere
after doing the laundry.

Of course the drum came out easily enough, but there was this "cap" that
originally had a cork liner. The liner had since disintegrated into black
spots, and it was stuck on really good.

In the end I used some judicious heating of the part, pentrating oil, a
hammer and a block of wood to bring it off. I did find that the washer's
transmission would tend to "spin" with the hammer blows, so if yours still
turns at all you may need to block it somehow.

IIRC it is _left hand thread_! I can't find my service manual to verify
this, but I really think that's how it was.

The new part went right on without any troubles. Now if I could only get
around to putting the drum back in...

I suppose that if I would have only thought of the other poster's idea
about
using CLR to loosen things up that it might have gone a LOT easier for
me...

William


A method I've heard about but not tried yet is to position a small inner
tube under the agitator and then inflate it to apply an even pressure on the
rim. Perhaps after the CLR treatment ?? (applied with percussive science :-)


--
Regards ........ Rheilly Phoull

Maytag A106 washing machine agitator removal
 

That sounds like a really interesting idea. Thanks! Lenny.

"Rheilly Phoull" wrote in message .au...
"William R. Walsh" m
wrote in message news:Uelgc.16481$yD1.41899@attbi_s54...
Hi!

I've been down this road with a 70's something Maytag that got a leaky
seal
around that area. The machine worked fine but the water would be
everywhere
after doing the laundry.

Of course the drum came out easily enough, but there was this "cap" that
originally had a cork liner. The liner had since disintegrated into black
spots, and it was stuck on really good.

In the end I used some judicious heating of the part, pentrating oil, a
hammer and a block of wood to bring it off. I did find that the washer's
transmission would tend to "spin" with the hammer blows, so if yours still
turns at all you may need to block it somehow.

IIRC it is _left hand thread_! I can't find my service manual to verify
this, but I really think that's how it was.

The new part went right on without any troubles. Now if I could only get
around to putting the drum back in...

I suppose that if I would have only thought of the other poster's idea
about
using CLR to loosen things up that it might have gone a LOT easier for
me...

William


A method I've heard about but not tried yet is to position a small inner
tube under the agitator and then inflate it to apply an even pressure on the
rim. Perhaps after the CLR treatment ?? (applied with percussive science :-)