In The Clutch

- Repaired Maytag Neptune TL Washer - Clutch
- Repaired Maytag Washer - Stem seal

"You only did 2 jobs today?" No. I only list a couple of the highlights of the day. We are a small business consisting of three technicians, and one is in training. If we repair an icemaker or put in a thermostat, that's just a common fix.

But, today, I learned how to properly diagnose, remove, clean, and replace a Washer Stem Seal Boot and Gasket. By far, this is the hardest job I've encountered so far. As you may have guessed, yes, I am the tech in training.

We overnighted a clutch for a customer after diagnosing it yesterday. We didn't have one at the store, but California had 100! However, as good as we are, there were several signs that something else may be wrong with the Neptune. If we order the part, which isn't cheap, and it doesn't work, we're stuck with part and the customer is upset. Not to mention we'd be liable for the Overnight Shipping charge of $40!

This morning, we expected our part to arrive by 10am. No part. 11am. No Part. The repair appointment is set for 2pm. We call the carrier and they apologize, but say it should be there by 3pm. The tension mounts between the office manager, the carrier, and the techs. Just as we are about to bite the bullet and notify the customer, the carrier arrives at 12:30pm. Home free, right? No. Before we arrive, the customer calls and says he's having a dinner party, so our repair time is restricted to an hour or less.

What if our diagnosis wasn't entirely correct? What if the new part doesn't work? The customer will be without a washer for another week or two. What if we can't figure out the problem? We had some doubt, but were pretty sure we tested everything. We pickup the part and call the customer, who has to leave work. We arrive and remove the clutch. We install the new clutch...and...whew...it works. That was a "clutch" repair. Ha ha...