Great old Maytag washer getting oil on clothes

[jim]

We have a great old 1988 Maytag washer, model LA612. Lately, we've had a few oil or grease spots show up on clothes when they come out of the washer. We phoned the local repairman and he said he'd do some research and get back to us. He said that on that model, if any oil is leaking, we'd also notice a substantial water leak on the floor. Without the water leak, he's just not sure what the problem is. Any ideas? I'm under the impression that these old Maytags are better than today's Maytags and would like to keep this one running. I've read on other places about a buildup of detergent or fabric softener that sometimes looks like oil.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks, jim

[BenignBodger]

Can't remember if it was a Maytag or not but the symptom and the vintage were the same: mine had an oil leak from the top of the agitator post.

[dpb]

Presuming an old tub type, there are only two seal points possible to be the lead source that are inside the tub -- at the transmission shaft and the top of the agitator.

You can surely find an exploded parts diagram online that'll show where those are, specifically.

[sms]

I was getting that on a 1963 Speed Queen Commercial washer back in 1994. After 30 years I didn't want to spend any more on repairs. There was no water on the floor.

[Moe DeLoughan]

Aha - one of the old suds saver models! I bought mine in 1985 and just had it replaced two weeks ago. It was still working great, except that it needed to be nudged to move from the rinse to spin cycle, and it was leaking water (no biggie, it sat next to the floor drain in the basement).

I had no plans to replace it, actually, but a truck pulled up in front of the house and a couple of guys showed up at the front door and - surprise! Here's your new washer. Turned out one of my siblings just decided it was time I got a new washer. Since it was a gift, I accepted it, but it was tough watching them carry Old Reliable out the door.