FIXED Maytag A612 washer agitates, drains, but won't spin

[Jake]

OK,

When that water inlet injector is leaking you always have to order the kit to fix it. Read post #2 here: I have a leak in a part (plastic) past the water inlet valve//Part#? Can I repair?

1. Excessive shaking = New SNUBBER PAD KIT Snubber Pad 203956

You also have to order this: High Temperature Adhesive WPY055980

2. Yes, that is correct: Lever 214804 Behind the Cover Tab Yes.

3. Yes, order that Top Tub Cover Clamp Seal: Tub Seal WP211232

I'm still puzzled by you using non-OEM "Jason Belts". In my 30 years I've always used the OEM belts without problem. You did see where I said to adjust the water pump pulley to put more tension on the water pump belt right?

Jake

 

[jburger]

Thanks so much, Jake.

1. One question just to be 100% certain I don't buy double parts: Does the Maytag Washing Machine Inlet Hose part already include the Injector Tube?

2. Do you have a tutorial video on replacing the snubber pads with adhesive? I don't have to take out the tubs again to do this repair, do I? If so, I may delay that repair 'till a future date.

I will definitely order those other parts.

For the belts, maybe I didn't tighten the OEM Maytag belts properly. I did adjust the pump by sliding it all the way to the right and tightening down the three screws. I noticed on inspection that there was a slightly raised groove where the pump belt was fused together. Maybe it was defective? Or putting it on and off again a couple of times stretched out the belt(s) by a couple of millimeters? Because the Jason belts are working, I don't want to mess with 'em for now. But I have the OEM belts sitting in a box in case I need them in the future.

Cheers,

jburger

 

[Jake]

1. Yes, that's the complete assembly and the injector parts are included.

2. Jeff has the instructions to replace it here: Maytag Washer Damper Pad Replacement | Appliance Aid

I noticed on inspection that there was a slightly raised groove where the pump belt was fused together. Maybe it was defective?

Possibly.

Or putting it on and off again a couple of times stretched out the belt(s) by a couple of millimeters?

That's another possiblibilty.

Because the Jason belts are working, I don't want to mess with 'em for now. But I have the OEM belts sitting in a box in case I need them in the future.

Sounds good if those are working, as they say "Never Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth".

Jake

 

[jburger]

Great info and tutorial.

So from Jeff's tutorial, the damper pads are what I am pointing to with the green arrow, right? They don't go underneath the 3 colums/support beams as in the red arrow? I'm sure I'll find them when I lift up. Just never seen 'em before.

It looks like I have to take off the belts again to do the damper pad repair. Good time to try the OEM belts, right?! I still intend to use the Jason ones, though. LOL!



Thanks, Jake.

 

[Jake]

Yes, the green arrow is the metal subber base where those damper pads are glued to. You will see once you raise up the assembly.

It looks like I have to take off the belts again to do the damper pad repair. Good time to try the OEM belts, right?! I still intend to use the Jason ones, though. LOL!

Yup, I would say so, I'm just puzzled by the OEM belts not working as they should.

Jake

 

[jburger]

Thanks, Jake. The new parts are on order and will be delivered later this week (damper pads, hi temp adhesive, inlet hose kit w/ water injector, tub seal, and new unbalance lever).

I am very happy to report that with your expert help, encouragement, and patience, the A612 washer is up and running again, and it has been working pretty well so far, save for a couple of final concerns. I have washed five full-size loads thus far. The washer is sitting on a drain pan to catch the trickle leak from the tub seal.

1. So the (hopefully, final) problem I am having now is with the lid switch ball hinge and unbalance lever. I think both are part of an assembly, and I see some kind of tension spring behind the lever. Problem: When the washer picks up speed on the SPIN cycle, the force of the outer tub spinning is causing the unbalance lever to MOVE IN FRONT OF the Top Cover Tab, and then the washing machine rocks violently back and forth banging around until I lift up the top panel and place the unbalance lever back behind the Top Cover Tab again. The lid switch tiny white ball hinge isn't "clicking" when I close the washer lid and it rattles noisily on spin, whether the unbalance lever is positioned behind or "slips" in front of the Top Cover Tab. The ball hinge used to "click" prior to disassembly, leading me to believe that I either broke something or that the unbalance lever with its spring is supposed to lock into place somewhere. I only placed the lever behind the Top Cover Tab--there are no grooves or notches as far as I can tell that the unbalance lever fits into. Does the unbalance lever fit into the bottom of the control panel housing or something? Does it lock into place? What did I do wrong?

2. From Jeff's tutorial, he says to put silicone grease on the damper pads. This might be a silly question, but do you have a recommendation on what brand of silicone grease to buy? I am familiar with the long caulking gun-type silicone tubes, like for putting silicone around a sink. Maybe they have silicone grease at my local Advance Auto Parts (not sure if you got those in AZ!).

3. For that broken agitator lock screw, I went out and bought a small screw extractor drill bit. I plan to try and reverse out the stuck fragment when I'm feeling daring. Can you point me to a link if they sell new agitator lock screws for this unit? On Repair Clinic, I only see new agitators for sale (which cost $72--a lil' out of budget!!) and one of the agitators for sale comes with the lock screw.

206478 Screw On Appliance Parts Pros, they say the part has been discontinued by Whirlpool. Am I out of luck? I still have the rubber o-ring from the old screw and if I bring the fragments to the hardware store, I'm concerned that what I buy won't be an exact match--like off by a mm or two, which would not fit into the threads or lock into the transmission shaft. Maybe you might have one or can hook me up with someone who has one, and I will pay $6 or thereabouts for part and shipping via PayPal?

I promise these are the last questions!

Cordially,

jburger

 

[Jake]

Ok,

1. Its been more than 10 years since I replaced the lid switch unbalance mechanism, so I'll need to look for a diagram I saw on how it should go exactly.

2. The damper kit you ordered comes with the silicone grease.

3. That Agitator Screw is No Longer Available, and I suggest getting a screw like that at any hardware store.

I don't have one or I would mail it to you for free, that just gave me an idea, go to a used appliance shop in your area, most have a old appliance grave yard that will have these old Maytag's sitting around, and they will give you that screw or sell it to you.

Jake

 

[Jake]

Ok jb, For the Lid Switch Unbalance Lever, I found the instructions/diagram/video here: How to attach Maytag Unbalance lever assembly

Jake

 

[jburger]

Hi Jake,

Great! I think I might take up your suggestion to visit a local used appliance shop to search for an agitator screw. I'm not sure if they would be willing to sell just the screw, though. They'd probably want to sell me the whole machine, if they had any! :B

Actually, if they had these older Maytags available, I would likely be interested in buying another, kind of as an insurance policy or a future investment in case the A612 kicks the bucket for good. My opinion is that these older Maytag units are virtually indestructible. They're simple to use (pull out timer knob to start/push to stop), belt changes are easy to do, the wash cycle is manually adjustable and fast, there are no fancy digital electronic components that might fail, etc. My A612 has been a powerful workhorse for the past couple of years. I bought it used for $100 and it was a great investment for sure.

The newer HE (High Efficiency) washers seem to be all that's available now at retail big box stores, possibly due to new government energy regulations, and the HE washers.......well, suck, IMO. They are good for the environment in that they use less water, and maybe for energy costs in having some "PerfectTemp™" mixing apparatus that mixes the hot and cold water together. But they don't fill up to the top all the way, they can leave powdered detergent caked on, and if I can't even wash in plain hot water with the HE washers I've seen (looking at you, GE!), what's the point? The PerfectTemp™ design or whatever it's called doesn't even let me use my household's hot water, but rather mixes it with the cold! Hot temp has gotta be 130-140 degrees F to disinfect , yanno? And what about bed bugs/eggs? *shudder* Not that I have that problem, thankfully!

But I digress...

The lid switch/unbalance lever tutorial instructions looked somewhat difficult until I saw the visual video of the repair done. I will work on it! The other parts should be arriving later this week, so I will update then.

All the best,

jb

 

[Jake]

The newer HE (High Efficiency) washers seem to be all that's available now at retail big box stores, possibly due to new government energy regulations, and the HE washers.......well, suck, IMO.

Yes I couldn't agree more, welcome to Government regulations!

The old Maytag models like you have where the MOST DEPENDABLE on the market, thus the LONELY MAYTAG REPAIRMAN was in fact true back then, cause they very rarely broke down!!!

Jake

 

[jburger]

Yes I couldn't agree more, welcome to Government regulations!

The old Maytag models like you have where the MOST DEPENDABLE on the market, thus the LONELY MAYTAG REPAIRMAN was in fact true back then, cause they very rarely broke down!!!

Jake

Hi Jake,

I didn't know about the lonely Maytag repairman (a bit before my time, alas), but I checked out some of the vintage commercials. How true and fitting that is, given the quality!

So it turns out I do have another quick question after all... I fiddled with the unbalance lever and lid switch assembly on my unit per the video you linked me to. My model's setup is a little different. It has a square black lid switch held in by two hex head screws. I took the two screws out and noticed the switch is a little stiff / doesn't engage too well, and the two copper terminals are corroded blue-green.

1. I mentioned that I already bypassed the lid switch with two black wires tied together, so this request might not really matter in terms of washer function, but I am curious if you can locate a replacement for the lid switch on Repair Clinic or Appliance Parts Pros. The lid switch has a white button on it that opens/closes the circuit. I might fix it up properly if the price is right, and if the part is available. Is the white button on the lid switch what causes the "click" sound? The button is stiff and has to be manually pushed in and pulled out. I notice no "click" sound when pushing this button.

2. Also, and more importantly, I fiddled with the old unbalance lever, and fought with it to take off a very small tension spring. The tension spring is damaged now on one end and stretched out. The unbalance lever isn't positioned straight, but off to one side, horizontally. Can you locate a replacement for this spring? I noticed when putting the spring back in with needle nose pliers that (I think) the unbalance lever is supposed to be positioned horizontally, flat, and it should mechanically depress a little plastic swivel piece that in turn pushes the lid switch button/activates the circuit; washer door lid up means that the lid switch circuit is open (the white button on the lid switch is not depressed), and washer lid down means the lid switch circuit is closed/activated/washer runs.

There is still no "click" noise when opening the washer lid, but at least there is no more rattling sound when the washer spins, because the unbalance lever is now positioned horizontally, out of the way of the Top Cover Tab, and it is not hanging down vertically behind it. I should have thought to get some pics, as I am not sure if you can locate how this specific model's lid switch/unbalance lever assembly is supposed to go, but the parts look a bit different.

Let me know if you want pics.

Speak soon,

jb

P.S. I'm almost done here with the repairs, and l'll be getting out this weekend to get some PayPal funds deposited via a service called Greendot, so hang tight for your tip! I have like $.65 in the ol' PayPal right now, but I promise not to leave you hanging!

 

[Jake]

1993 is before your time?

Jake

 

[Jake]

Whats the serial number of your washer?

If it starts with 10 or lower, this is your lid switch parts: Parts for Maytag A612: Top Cover, Console & Lid Switch Parts

11 or higher, this is your lid switch parts: Parts for Maytag A612: Top Cover, Console & Lid Switch (ser 11) Parts

Jake

 

[jburger]

Hey Jake,

That was a cute commercial--just saw it the other day. I must've been 5 years old for that one, so I don't remember ever seeing it. I must've been watching too many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, which were also airing during that generational (millennial?) time warp period over two decades ago. *Is an old man now with gray hair* Ahh, nostalgia...

The washer has a "10" serial number, so it's your first link to the plunger and bracket assembly that contains the spring. I think I will get by with just the spring, as my old plunger/bracket assembly located under the lid switch is in there pretty snugly, and I don't want to take off the lid to replace the plunger and its mounting bracket. As I fix the washer and some other assorted things in life, I've been reminded to employ the old proverb: If it ain't broke, don't fix it! (And also the Chinese proverb--or at least what seems like a Chinese proverb, spoken by a sage with a Fu Manchu beard in a Chinese accent--"He who buy cheap pay twice!!!")

Haha, but I think this spring will do:

Spring WP213720

I also found another laundry parts site that has the agitator screw for about $4 or so IIRC, but the FedEx ground shipping is like $11.00! I might call them Monday during business hours and see if they can waive the shipping fee or see if I can convince them to send cheaper through USPS... And if you are ever able to locate that screw, feel free to send me a PM. I have a feeling the hardware store won't carry it because it has a unique appearance/layout: hex head on top, threads on middle of screw, and I think a flat part at the end, where it meets and locks into the agitator shaft.

Cheers,

jburger

 

[Jake]

I must've been 5 years old for that one, so I don't remember ever seeing it.

Sorry about that, I didn't know you were that young in 1993.

Yes, that's the spring for yours.

I'm sure a hardware store or machine shop should have that agitator secrew.

Print this photo out of it, or snap a photo of it with your phone:



Jake

 

[jburger]

Alrighty, Jake! I sent a little something your way for all of your help with my washer problem. I installed the damper pads, and, as of this moment, I am only waiting on the spring and the agitator screw to come in, which I expect will be successful, small repairs. You can go ahead and mark the thread FIXED now.

Your assistance, patience, and information on getting my washer running again with the right parts (and encouragement) was and is highly appreciated. Like I said before, your website is a top-notch public service! You are a brilliant technician who knows his sh.... er... stuff! You've helped me twice now, and I'm sure there will be many more future questions about timers and multimeter testing values and such. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator: "I'll be back."

 

[Jake]

Thanks, I got it this morning!

Yes, let us know how it goes when you get the spring and agitator screw!

Jake

 

[jburger]

Hi Jake,

Glad you got the tip safe and sound. You're welcome, and thank YOU again and this stylin' and profilin', great site (Ric Flair WWE reference)!

I still need to order that spring and screw. I haven't had the chance this week (waiting for next pay period), but I will take a look at Home Depot tomorrow for the agitator screw. Gonna have to drill in there with a very small reverse thread extractor bit, and see if the screw comes out. Not worth cutting it out with a dremel tool, 'cause that will cause more problems/damage to the agitator. Then a new agitator costs $75! :O

Will update next week.

Cheers,

jb

 

[Jake]

stylin' and profilin', great site (Ric Flair WWE reference)!

LOL, its ironic you mentioned Ric Flair, because he was on ESPN College GameDay as a guest, picking what teams he thought would win today towards the end of that show.

And I used to watch WWF now WWE, and WCW in 1980's and 1990's:

[video=youtube_share;zJ-eidEY_vc]

Gonna have to drill in there with a very small reverse thread extractor bit, and see if the screw comes out. Not worth cutting it out with a dremel tool, 'cause that will cause more problems/damage to the agitator. Then a new agitator costs $75!

Yes, be careful not to damage the agitator!

Let us know how it goes!

Jake

 

[jburger]

I feel nostalgic when I watch those old-school WWF/WWE promos. I also used to watch Smackdown and RAW regularly, but don't have much time these days for the full-length shows. I usually check in around WrestleMania season, mostly to see the Undertaker, and periodically catch some online clips from WWE's YouTube channel. Did you know that Ric Flair has a daughter, Charlotte, who also currently wrestles for the company? She is not afraid of using some of her dad's "dirtiest player in the game" tactics, too, and has also had her dad in her corner at ringside during her matches for *cough* moral support *cough* (aka cheating). ;-)

And some good news! I bought a new agitator screw at Home Depot and installed it. I had to carefully drill out the old screw with a tiny drill bit until it could be removed in pieces. The drill extractor bit that I purchased was too large to fit the hole (even though it was the smallest type, I think, a number "0" type Ryobi brand one). I also put in the new spring with needle nose pliers into the unbalance lever, and it is now securely in place. I ultimately decided to forego buying a new lid switch due to extra cost and because it serves me no function now, other than maybe a "click" noise, seeing as how I bypassed it. So I am still not getting the "click," as I believe the switch is broken or worn, but it hardly matters, as I am otherwise plenty happy with the restored washer, and I am also glad I was able to update a few other components during the disassembly (e.g., air pressure tube, rusted clamps, air injector hose, etc.). I did some rust spray painting, too, after wire brushing things, with some Rustoleum appliance white paint.

I guess my last questions would be (1) how long do you think the boot seal/mounting stem/bearing parts will last a typical household before they need replacement again, and also, (2) do you think these parts will still be manufactured indefinitely (by Whirlpool, I suppose?), into the future? I.e., would it be a good investment to save up to buy a spare set of both mounting stem and boot seal kits? Thanks, Jake!

Best,

jburger