Maytag Top Loader A511 (listed 745G) that we got used in the early 1990s. Only one minor repair in that time. It's shaking pretty good in the spin cycle in the past 2 weeks or so on large loads with larger items. On the last medium load for small items which was well balanced......no extra vibration. I can reduce 1/2 of the large load vibrations by putting 100 lbs of weight on the top or pushing down on it with my upper body. For now we do smaller sized loads until I can figure this out. I just don't want to tear into things without knowing the most logical causes. I don't see an obvious smoking gun. We don't place heavy items like blankets in this machine....always to the Laundromat for those. Undershirts, towels, and bed sheets are the bulkiest items....and those almost never led to machine shaking. If it did, it was always remedied by re-balancing the items in the inner tub.
We make sure the loads are very well balanced......in both wash and spin cycles. Machine is very level at all 4 feet with no wobble on the frame. I'm thinking it might be the tub bearing or something internal to the transmission. I've also read that a clog in the drain pump exist "could" cause vibration? Still on the original drive belts which look fine, but the belts are pretty loose under there with probably 3/4" to 1" of play. The main drive belt for agitation is stiffer. Pulling on the belts rotates everything easily. I've never adjusted them and frankly never even looked at them until yesterday. I don't think that's the problem though as the components driven off those pulleys don't ever seem to slip. I pulled side to side on the agitator drive pulley and there's no give.....but it pushes upward with about 1/16" of play.
5 yrs ago one of the 3 tub spring floor supports pulled through the rotted floor (the one at the far left of picture). I installed a very large washer under the floor for new support.....in place of the tiny factory washer. I don't see that being an issue as everything there as well as the other 2 springs/supports seem tight/strong. The only change I've noted is that the basket/tub is easier to push with the fingers than when I first did that spring mount repair. At that time the tub was always pulled just a tad more (1/4" to 3/8") towards the direction of that repaired spring mount . And it returned back to the position if you tried pushing it in another direction. That's not the case any more. If you push the tub off center by 1/4" to 1/2" in any direction now, it pretty much stays there. So that did change in the past couple of weeks. So I am considering installing a 3x3 or 4x4 steel backing plate under the frame floor for stronger support from the rusted floor than the current 2" SS washer. But that spring and mount seem to be firm and under strong tension. But knowing the floor is weak with rot holes in the region, it does suggest that floor area is more prone to move up and down than at the other 2 spring mounts.
Check video below at 4:48 and 23:15 for tub play....of which there seems to be a LOT....even with a new tub bearing. Mine is about the same.....fairly easy to push around. This Whirlpool is the same basic machine as mine.
Any comments or opinions on how to proceed would be appreciated. This machine has been a champ for over 30 yrs. Last thing I want to do is to buy a new fangled machine with "gadgets" that will probably fail inside 3-7 yrs.
Maytag - Whirlpool washer
We make sure the loads are very well balanced......in both wash and spin cycles. Machine is very level at all 4 feet with no wobble on the frame. I'm thinking it might be the tub bearing or something internal to the transmission. I've also read that a clog in the drain pump exist "could" cause vibration? Still on the original drive belts which look fine, but the belts are pretty loose under there with probably 3/4" to 1" of play. The main drive belt for agitation is stiffer. Pulling on the belts rotates everything easily. I've never adjusted them and frankly never even looked at them until yesterday. I don't think that's the problem though as the components driven off those pulleys don't ever seem to slip. I pulled side to side on the agitator drive pulley and there's no give.....but it pushes upward with about 1/16" of play.
5 yrs ago one of the 3 tub spring floor supports pulled through the rotted floor (the one at the far left of picture). I installed a very large washer under the floor for new support.....in place of the tiny factory washer. I don't see that being an issue as everything there as well as the other 2 springs/supports seem tight/strong. The only change I've noted is that the basket/tub is easier to push with the fingers than when I first did that spring mount repair. At that time the tub was always pulled just a tad more (1/4" to 3/8") towards the direction of that repaired spring mount . And it returned back to the position if you tried pushing it in another direction. That's not the case any more. If you push the tub off center by 1/4" to 1/2" in any direction now, it pretty much stays there. So that did change in the past couple of weeks. So I am considering installing a 3x3 or 4x4 steel backing plate under the frame floor for stronger support from the rusted floor than the current 2" SS washer. But that spring and mount seem to be firm and under strong tension. But knowing the floor is weak with rot holes in the region, it does suggest that floor area is more prone to move up and down than at the other 2 spring mounts.
Check video below at 4:48 and 23:15 for tub play....of which there seems to be a LOT....even with a new tub bearing. Mine is about the same.....fairly easy to push around. This Whirlpool is the same basic machine as mine.
Any comments or opinions on how to proceed would be appreciated. This machine has been a champ for over 30 yrs. Last thing I want to do is to buy a new fangled machine with "gadgets" that will probably fail inside 3-7 yrs.
Maytag - Whirlpool washer
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