Saturday, June 30, 2012

Maytag Neptune Bearing Tool Rental FAQ

Maytag Neptune Bearing Tool Rental FAQ


1. Why is the Tony Tool Rental deposit so much?




1A: I have to request the large deposit since the Tony Tool costs $425 to purchase otherwise I may not get the tool kits back.





2. Does the Tony Tool Rental kit include the bearings and 12002022 seal kit?



2A: Yes, the bearings and 12002022 seal kit are included as well as a Neptune bearing spacer in case yours is cracked.





3. Will the Tony Tool work on my 2000 Stacker model?



3A: Yes, although the DVD will show the standalone Neptune disassembly process... I include a link so you can download the Stacker service manual and it will show you how to disassemble the Stacker. Once inside, they are the same parts where the bearings are concerned. The Neptune bearing and 12002022 seal kit (along with Tony Tool ) work on all solid door panel Neptune front loaders.





4. How long will it take to replace the bearings?



4A: I’ve personally used the Tony Tool and the first bearing job was on a MAH4000 and it took me about 3.5 hours but I was video taping the process. The 2nd bearing replacement was on an MAH5500BWW and it took me 1.5 hours from start to testing machine. One variable is the front bearing and how much rust is in there and that is why it is best to catch the bearing failure as early as possible.





5. Should I replace my door latch wax motor and belt?



5A: If you have a timer knob (non digital) Neptune and it has the original wax motor with brownish color actuator tip I would highly recommend you replace it before it fails. See Neptune Help Song. If you order it and find out you already have the newer black tipped wax motor then just send it back for a refund with the tool. Same with the belt. If you order it and find out your belt is still useable just send it back unopened for a refund.





6. Can I use the revised lip seal if my machine had the earlier lip seal installed?



6A: Not directly. The spinner support shafts are machined differently. If you really want the newer revised lip seal then you would have to order the new spinner support which includes the new revised lip seal then you can send back the 12002022 seal kit for a $40 refund to help offset the new spinner support purchase.


For more information on saving time and effort when replacing your Maytag Neptune bearings see Neptune Bearing.


Until next time...

Thursday, June 14, 2012

How to make the Maytag Neptune bearings easier to replace

How to make the Maytag Neptune bearings easier to replace...


I just improved the Maytag washer bearing tool kit rental by adding a piece of emery cloth to it. After using the included 2” wire wheel to clean the front bearing seat area I would recommend using the emery cloth to smooth and even take down the bearing seat a smidgen. It turns out that the Neptune bearing hub is aluminum and when the rusted front bearing comes out it can distort the aluminum and make it difficult for the replacement bearing to go in. This is just one of the reasons why I recommend that the bearings be replaced as a preventative measure after the machine has reached 10 years or so. See Neptune Bearing Tip For more reasons to proactively replace the bearings and 12002022 seal.


When was your Maytag Neptune born you ask? See Neptune Born on Date



There have been situations when performing the Maytag Neptune bearing replacement where there have been ripples or ridges in the aluminum bearing seat area and these will surely stop the new bearing from fully seating or perhaps even starting in the case of a ridge on the front edge of bearing seat. I would carefully inspect the bearing seat before attempting to insert the new bearings and use the emery cloth to take them down.

The Neptune rear bearing does not have this issue in most cases because it does not get wet like the front bearing does. I’ve had extreme cases where the washer was operated for a long period of time before the bearings were replaced and the rear bearing was rusted and actually fell apart when using the tony tool to pull them out. These Neptune washer repairs are more difficult but can be corrected by using a rotary cutting tool with cutting wheels to cut a slot in the bearing race and then use a drift or chisel to knock it out. Typically, the rear still bearing looks new but you should replace it anyway.

For more information on the Maytag washer repair see Neptune Bearing Repair


Until next time…



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Maytag Neptune Front Loader tub bearing replacement tip

Maytag Neptune Front Loader tub bearing replacement tip

If your Maytag Neptune front loader is at least 10 years old I am highly recommending that you replace your tub bearings and seal proactively and let me explain why.


Eliminate the #1 Tony Tool challenge which is getting the rusted front bearing out…
As you know… I rent the specially designed Tony Tool to Neptune owners to assist them when changing their bearings and seal and I will tell you the number one challenge when changing the bearings is getting the front bearing out. In the past, Neptuner’s only replaced their bearings after the machine sounds like a jet taking off because the seal has leaked water into the bearings. What happens next is that rust forms between the front bearing outer race and the aluminum bearing housing making the front bearing difficult to extract. If you replace the bearings before they rust… the front bearing will come much easier with less stress to the machine. The tool kit rental comes with a pair of snap ring pliers, 2" wire wheel, extra bearing spacer and emery cloth as well as the bearings and 12002022 seal kit. A DVD is included that shows you how to disassemble your Neptune, swap bearings and install the seal kit. You can order the tool kit rental at Neptune Bearing.  Go down about half way and click where is says " Click HERE to read the tool rental agreement & order. Once the tool rental agreement opens up then there will be an Add to Cart button on the left side. Click on the Add to Cart button and you will be taken into PayPal's secure server to complete the payment.

Prevent spinner support (shaft) damage…
In some Neptune bearing failure cases the spinner support shaft was damaged because a bearing hung up and that caused a groove in the shaft so it had to be replaced at $89.00. The upfront cost for a new spinner support is $129 delivered via UPS Ground but I allow you to send the 12002022 seal kit back with the tool kit rental for an additional $40 refund because the spinner support arrives with a revised lip seal so you won’t need the 12002022 seal kit I sent you with the tool kit. The $40 seal kit refund takes the $129 down to $89. See Spinner Support to order a new spinner support.

The tool rental queue is lower than usual so you will get it quicker…
I will admit that the Neptune bearing tool kit rental queue is low right now which means that you will get a tool kit quicker than usual and that is a good thing. In the past I would have anywhere from 8 to 15 people in the queue with all of the tool kits out in the field. However, it is less critical in your case because your machine is not down and you are being proactive.

You can control washer downtime by replacing your bearings proactively…
Another benefit being proactive is that you control the washer downtime. You can do all of the laundry before you start the disassembly so there is less pressure to complete the bearing swap out. If your bearings fail and there are a large number of Neptuner’s in the queue that will delay you receiving the tool kit and then that would mean visits to the Laundromat or relative’s houses to do your laundry.

Take the time to really clean your Neptune while you have it apart…
Does your Neptune smell funky? I get lots of feedback from Neptuner’s and they tell me that they took extra time to really clean out their Neptune while they had it apart to freshen it up. There are simply areas that you cannot get to and properly clean until you disassemble the machine. From there, you can start a regimen of using the Affresh tablets or other front load cleaning product to help prevent the buildup of smelly gunk and keep your machine smelling better. You may also consider replacing the door boot while you change your bearings and seal. You can order one for $49.00 when your rent the tool kit.

Other parts you may want to replace while your Neptune is disassembled…
To wrap it up... Don’t forget that you can also get the new Neptune belt for $26.00 and the new door boot for $49.00 from the Neptune Bearing order form. If you take machine apart and decide your belt still looks good then just send it back with the tool kit unopened for a $26 refund. If you have a timer knob then you will want to make sure that you replace your door latch wax motor before it fails. Order extra wax motors for only $12 when you rent the tool kit!

Top 5 reasons to proactively change your Neptune front loader bearings.
1. #1 tool kit rental challenge is eliminated as the front bearing will come right out

2. Prevent potential damage to the spinner support

3. The Neptune bearing rental queue is very low right now

4. Totally prevent unexpected downtime and Laundromat visits

5. Funky Smelling Neptune’s can be really cleaned out when they are disassembled

Again, here is that link to order the Neptune bearing tool kit rental...  Neptune Bearing.


Until next time...







Saturday, June 2, 2012

My Maytag Neptune shuts down on the rinse cycles

I would check the water inlet screens for debris. Shut the water supply off, remove the hoses, use a flashlight and take a look up into the water inlets on rear of your machine, remove any buildup with tweezers or needle nose pliers. The screens are to keep any crap from getting into your water valves which could cause them not to close all the way and let water slowly trickle into your machine when it is off.


What causes this particular shutdown is that the Neptune will shutoff after a certain filling time to prevent an overfill condition. The water inlet screen restriction will cause machine to take longer to fill. Low water pressure can also cause this issue. See Neptune Washer for more Neptune information.

Until next time...

Saturday, May 26, 2012

My Maytag Neptune washer is growling at me

My Maytag Neptune washer is growling at me...

If your Maytag Neptune front load washer is growling at you then maybe you are working it too hard…

Or it could be that the motor control board (MCB) is failing.

The Neptune MCB is located on the right side down by the floor on the solid door panel Neptune’s including the 2000 stackers. The MCB generates 3 phase power to drive the motor and if one of the phases fails then the motor will sound like it is growling and it will not produce the full torque required to spin the clothes out.

See http://www.12002039.com/ and/or http://www.22004473.com/ for the two common Neptune MCB assemblies.

The 12002039 kit includes a new motor, wiring harness and the MCB that work together. Maytag provided this new 12002039 design because they were having failures on the original motor drive system and decided to use a different technology. The original motor is not compatible with the new MCB. When the motor drive fails your machine will usually turn off a few seconds after you try to start the washer up and on the digital machines you will get an LR error code.








This picture shows a common failure on the MCB. Another failure is when the 10 amp fuse opens.







You will need your model number and the first 2 digits of your serial number to determine which kit you will need.

For more Maytag Neptune help see NeptuneWasher and NeptuneDryer.

Until next time...

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Maytag Neptune Drum Bearing Replacement Tip

Hello Neptuner,

When replacing your Maytag Neptune Drum Bearings make sure you clean the bearing housing really good and inspect it closely. Especially the front bearing seat.

What are we looking for? You want to make sure that the front bearing seat is smooth and that there are no ridges or ripples in the aluminum. If there is you will want to take some emery cloth or a small grinding wheel and take them down.

Any ridges or ripples can cause the front bearing go in crooked and it will make it even tighter to get in.

Don't forget that you can also use a heat gun to heat the bearing housing to help the bearings go in easier as the aluminum will expand more then the steel bearing will. Just don't overheat it...

Until next time...

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Maytag Neptune Dryer Repair - how to

Maytag Neptune Dryer Repair - How to

Loretta is at it again... She recently contacted me about her MDE4000 dryer that was starting to get louder when it was running. You might recall that I came to her aid in 2006 when her Q6 triac and R11 resistor was damaged when the door latch wax motor failed on her MAH4000AWW. That repair created the Maytag Neptune Q6 R11 repair kit with wax motor.

In addition, I replaced her bearings and seal last year and it is still running smoothly. See Neptune Bearing and 12002022 Seal Kit for more information on replacing your Neptune bearings and saving a bundle.

I decided to create a video for you Neptuners on how to change the dryer rollers and belt. I was surprised how easy the machine was to take apart...

To order any other appliance parts you can visit www.washerbearings.com/parts to order replacement parts other than tub bearings and seal. Have your model number close by and you can look up any parts you need whether it is for your fridge, range, dishwasher and of course your washer and dryer.

Here is the video for you...



Let me know if this video helped you by leaving a comment below. I also put up a new site at Neptune Dryer to show the Neptune Dryer repair video and to offer the replacement roller and belt kit.

Until next time...