Maytag washer repair, midway report. Any Maytag guys out there (preferably Los Angeles–based) have the discontinued “Maytag brake tool” used to separate the brake from the bottom seal on the underside of the washer? I followed online instructions and they seemed pretty doable, but when I got to the part where you need the brake tool, several people online claimed you could get it loose with a vise grip with attached chain from Harbor Freight. I went and bought one of those. It isn’t budging. Dang it!
These really are pretty simple machines, and they are engineered to last forever, with only a few parts to replace. But this part seems to be frozen on there, the threads aren’t budging, even with Liquid Wrench, Kano Kroil, and the old hillbilly trick of lighting the Kano Kroil on fire with a lighter as it seeps into the threads. It’s stubborn!
If anybody has one of these Maytag brake tools they could loan me, let me know. Otherwise it might be the end for this dependable old washing machine…
Follow the saga at Deke’s original Facebook post!
