Great old Maytag washer getting oil on clothes

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.

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.

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.

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.