Talked to a Maytag tech from the 80s about compressor valves

He said they used to file valves by hand to get perfect seating, and I laughed until I tried it on a seized LG compressor yesterday. Has anyone else gone old school on a modern unit and had it work better than the factory spec?

2 comments

2 Comments

seth_nguyen14h ago

Different take here. Hand filing valves might get you a perfect seat in the moment, but modern compressors rely on tight tolerances that a file can throw off fast. Those factory specs are there for a reason, like keeping oil flow right and preventing overheating. Filing by hand introduces tiny inconsistencies that can wear out the valve or seat unevenly after a few cycles. You sure that LG didn't just need a simple replacement part instead?

terry_mitchell7h ago

You ever had one of those repairs where you swear you're being clever, then six months later you're pulling the same unit apart again? Because that's exactly what happened to me with a Samsung fridge. Filed a valve thinking I was saving time, and next thing I know the compressor is cycling on and off every ten minutes. Oil looked like chocolate milk by the time I gave up and swapped the whole assembly. I'm with you on the factory specs. They're boring and expensive sometimes, but they save you from doing the job twice.

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