Interesting Problem When Got Home Last Nite - 20 Yr Old Top Load Mayatg Started Making Extremely Loud Bam, Bam, Bam Noise When Starting To Spin, Belt Was Smoking And Then It Cut Off. Wife Was Pissed , So We Went Out Looking At New Washers. Found Out Maytag Is Now Owned By Whirlpool And Seems To Have Adopted The Whirlpool Designs (which Probably Are Ok , But I Have Always Been Impressed With The Maytag Simplicity And Durability) So.....

Initial (car Guy Type) Troubleshooting Indicates Nothing Obviously Amiss From Underneath other than belt has minor stretching. All Shafting Turns Freely By Hand in either direction. For Grins Went Ahead And Bypassed The Lid Switch... no joy --> Still Bams, Smokes, Then Cuts Off (MACHINE IS EMPTY-NO LOAD) As A Wash Machine Repair Novice, It Behaves Like The Counterbalance Weight Mechanism Has Run Amuck OR a brake mechanism is being energized

If There Are Some Simple Checks I Can Perform, Or Suggestions You May Have, Pls Advise
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