1-18 rebuild in Ohio, 1975 Frigidaire WCD

[akronman]

lots to do yet on this machine, but here's a few starter question-------the oil bellows keeps water leaks from the agitator drive, but am I supposed to put any oil down in the bellows after I install it, before it gets closed in by the water bellows? Agitator shaft and internal components inside the bellows are already slightly lubed and no rust, do I reassemble as is without additional lube?

 

Also--picture is of the inside of the exterior tub, tonight I will be replacing the water seal/gasket assembly, this 8 bolt assembly and plate. Per kit directions, a small amount of RTV sealant between all the 8 holes, then I think I will lightly paint the exterior rim of the plate with more epoxy after torquing down those bolts. There are no known other leaks, and I will do more cleanup inside this tub while the tranny is away. I've never repainted the inside of an exterior tub. What paint should I use, or clean it and leave it alone?

 

Thanks again to Bill Fitcoils, excellent work already done by him on the clutch and rollers, and great advice on many of my next steps.

 

Also------tons of parts stores online have diagrams for my 70's Maytag and Filter flo, and some for my 1960 Whirlpool, but no luck for this, just minimal parts lists or most stores don't recognize the model, etc. The label is clear as a bell, MODEL WCD, Ser# 51EH 4512. I don't need parts, but diagrams can be darn helpful for re-assembly. The lint filter is missing and the rail it slides on is busted plastic, I may not bother with them.

 

[pdub]

Lint filter rail

Mark,

I've had luck finding these when needed. Replacing this part is crucial for keeping the lint filter from coming loose during agitation and then bouncing through the tub and damaging the filter or agitator. Here is a link to a site that I've used in the past and their pricing is very good.

Rail part number: 5300638878

 

[pdub]

Lint Filter

Oops, forgot the link for the rail so it's in this reply.

Here is a picture of the lint filter which I find when they are brand new, they work well. The bed of nails are still smooth so when you go to clean it by rapping it against a hard surface right after the wash while it's still wet, the lint comes off pretty well. When you have an older one they the nails seem to get rough with a mineral builup and so the lint wants to stick to the roughness. Just my experience.

Lint filter part number: 5300633790

http://www.universalapplianceparts.com/search.aspx?find=5300638878

 

[goatfarmer]

No oil in the bellows.

 

POR15 or a marine type paint should work out well inside the tub.

 

That ol' washer has been getting around.....

 

[combo52]

RUSTY OUTER TUB

Yes as Kenny suggested I would at a minimum try to re-coat the inside of that tub, thats easily the worst outer tub I have ever seen in one of these washers. I have a good outer tub that I will be throwing away soon and actually I just recycled another a few months ago. Contact me if you want it as it would be best to replace something that rusted.

 

[simplicity345]

1-18 washer parts

if needed any frigidaire washer parts Or Any Frigidaire Parts I Have Them Available I Also Have The Rail For The Lint Filter Part # 5300638878 Available And This Item Is A New Part Any Questions You May Email Me @ [email protected]

 

[akronman]

1-18 springs

of course I'm working on numerous different parts at the same time, letting paint and RTV dry here and there while checking other stuff.

 

The HUGE 3 springs have only surface rust, they are fine. The 3 smaller, lighter weight springs from the bottom damper pan to the floor instead of from the tub supports to the floor------the long one is about dead, one of the short ones is missing, the other short one seems ok. Any PN's available? Or do I take them to Home Depot and size them up?

 

I can't find a parts list or diagram anywhere, but am having fun and appreciate all the advice----

PDUB----thanks for the links---

Mark

 

[akronman]

another pic

here's the underside of the tub, surprising for how the interior looks

 

[jetcone]

Mark

on the 8 bolts for the seal plate you want to be sure to coat the threads with thread-locker before tightening them down. Otherwise they will vibrate loose at agitation and will leak something awful!

 

I'll dig out some doctrine tonight on the 1-18's and post.

Do you have a new tub seal kit for the seal plate? I have tons of those.

 

I have to agree with John, that has to be the worst outer tub I have ever seen on one of these, that porcelain is extra tough too. Before I Pored it I would paint it with "Extend" to neutralize the rust , let that dry and paint the POR on top.

 

 

jet

 

[akronman]

Attn JET

I have all the components for the tub seal, the 8 hole plate and pressed-in seals for the inner bottom of exterior tub, I believe it's all that's left to install for leak-proofing.

Thanks for the painting advice, so far no luck at Home D or Lowe's, tonight I'll search elsewhere or find online paint supplies. I want to do this right ONCE!

 

Do any of you 1-18 pros know part numbers for the smaller springs, from pan to base? Otherwise I'll take the rusty ones to  Home D and see.....

 

I already have one coat of a Krylon yellow-ish on the cabinet, and have figured out a good way to strengthen the rusted bottom on 2 sides, pictures will follow in a few days--

 

[akronman]

it still leaks

When I first re-assembled, it leaked out that little trough like a sieve. So I took it apart, used a piece of plastic pipe to further seat the seal into the outside base of the inner tub, see picture. The flange or base, 4 big bolts hodling it, is very decrepit, and so are these pictures. I re-assembled after further seating it, and installed thebig tub nut, but no bellows, and filled until it started to leak again. Significantly less leaking, but still a constant drip. Is the terrible flange keeping me from seating this seal flatly, levelly? With the tub out and upside down, the lip points up at me, perfect mate to the spring seal around the shaft in the oputer tub.

 

Do I need a new inner tub flange/base? Will I ruin this seal removing it and need a new one for the new flange?

Thanks

Mark

 

 

 

[akronman]

bellows clamp

I've had the water bellows on and off maybe 3 times so far, using this: It's just a small clamp, anf I used 2 ratchet sockets to push directly on the ring instead of the big pads which would have pressured the bottom bellows ring instead. I have installed with this somewhat cumbersome tool and removed the ring also, just go slow and hold those sockets in place with fingers while tightening the clamp. So far, the $35 I saved by not buying the Official Frigidaire Bellows clamps will allow me to buy a new seal, I'll probably ruin the one as I remove it and install a new flange, oh well.

 

[fltcoils]

dribble and leak

I had only noticed a leak when it was agitating, not when it was simply filling or sitting...at least that's my recollection from this summer. That's why I bought the tub seal, expecting that was the only water leak path. A visual inspection of the OE seal showed me a very decayed rubber in the seal. The persistant dribble after replacing it perplexes me. Good job tho' getting the 8 bolts loose the change the base section. You are a brave man.

---------------
I expected to POR15 the tub if I kept the machine, my impression was that some of the rust was deposits from well water rather than broken thru porcelain. You might try wiping with "Iron out" to cleanse the area of deposits if you haven't already.
POR15.com

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springs: Perhaps John saved springs when he parted those tubs out recently?

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The filter rail only helps if you have a filter. This machine doesn't. Need both.

 

[akronman]

Hi Bill

Bill------I removed the inner tub bottom seal from that worn out pot metal flange, I had not cleaned it very well. So I took a small wire brush and a small screwdriver for scraping, cleaned up the seating area well and rinsed and let it dry. Then, exactly and very carefully, I painted RTV Sealant around the mating/sealing outer edge of the seal and the pot metal, and found a plastic pipe fitting like under a kitchen sink, fit perfectly to allow me to gently hammer the seal in place. Then more RTV at the very outer edge of the flange, where some bits of the pot metal had entirely flaked away, I think that was the leak. I carefully made sure that no RTV got on the center of the seal where it mates to the springy seal inside the outer tub. right now it's waiting for a 24 hour cure before re-assembly. And right now I am convinced it's the right fix, but we'll see over the weekend.

 

And the more I clean, the more I think you are right about rust deposits from well water, not rust through at all, check out the exterior shot, it's perfect.

 

Those vertical springs are pretty lightweight, easy to extend, I've got a variety from Home Depot and Lowes and I bet it won't be rocket science to replace them quite adequately. They are so simple and flexible compared to the thick upright massive springs, it can't be as exact an item as those.

 

I have repainted the cabinet, but I'll never use Krylon again, yuck. Other white paint jobs on other machines worked great with some specific brand of Appliance Epoxy Paint, this Krylon is a close enough yellow for my eyes and my old basement, but it's streeaking and some dripping which didn't happen ever with that White epoxy paint elsewhere, but I'm not gonna worry. I'll take pictures as I re-install the cabinet, I have a pretty good, easy, cheap way to reinforce the rusted out edges.

 

I told you 2 weeks, I am on track! I have both the filter and rail on order, I do want the WHOLE MACHINE, even if my painting is pretty bad.

Thanks again Bill! I am having fun and still nothing scares me to fix and you already did plenty of the hard parts with tranny and clutch, thanks

 

I have that rare fabric softener dispenser, but the various booklets also mention a bleach and dye dispenser tube that fits down inside the agitator, Has anyone seen one, any pictures?

 

This machine has 2 different "cool down" cycles, which I find to be a waste of water and space on the dial! Someday, all I want is some machine with a regular cycle AND an optional second rinse. With that and 2 speeds, it's all I ever need, but that's just me.

 

 

[pdub]

Spring Part #'s

To answer your earlier question about the springs, here are some part numbers.

outer tub support leg to base: 00638848 (qty. 3)

centering to base: 00638849 (qty. 2)

centering to base counter balance: 5301126212 (qty.1)

Hopefully someone has a good used set of these or at least the ones you need.

 

[fltcoils]

Glad you are making such quick progress

I do hope that upper part of the seal on the basket does indeed seal ok, I'm sure you got the lower part on the tub set fine. And then you are off to up/dn washing experience.

---------
filter - you found a filter? great
-----------
Timer - you might consider oiling the timer, I used singer sewing machine oil. The mechanism has bearings and journals that are years dried out.
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A helical spring is best understood as a torsion bar. It's just more compact because it is wound around and around. That's what really is happening. When you stretch it out the wire twists like a torsion bar does.

So... you get a comparable strain vs stress curve if you have a similar length and diameter of the "torsion bar rod". That's what is important here, to get a similar force from the spring between the max extended to max compressed positions.

Most spring programs determine this by finding the circumference of the turns, and multiplying that by the number of turns. Given this "length" of bar - another fn then takes the wire diam into consideration, and the material, to give you the final lbs per inch stretch of the spring.

What this means is to get a correct replacement 1st get a similar size wire. Then find a similar net length of the "springy" part based on turns X circum. The hook ends could just as well be rope, they don't contribute to the function except to set the 'free from load" length.

 

[fltcoils]

Other references for springs

http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/springs/spring_calculators.cfm

http://www.spring-makers-resource.net/compression-spring-design.html

http://www.spring-makers-resource.net/spring-design.html

 

[akronman]

it still leaks

All that epoxy and hoping didn't do much good. I may have installed the seal upside down? Here is a picture from someone else thread last spring, cleary showing that the flat side of the seal faces outward as the mating surface. I wish I had checked this closer earler, mine is currently opposite. So, with the inner tub upside down on the floor, does the lip go down inside the flange, leaving the flat surface uppermost to mate the outer tub, or does the flat surface go down into the base, leaving that lip to overlap the seal in the outer tub square plate?

Thanks in advance---remember the picture is someone elses, my seal is currently opposite this picture

Mark

 

 

[combo52]

1-18 OUTER TUB RUST

Hi Mark you are making great progress, some times I wish that I would just stop and work on one appliance at a time, but I usually have about 5 or ten in pieces at a time. If the rust in the outer tub was just from rusty well water it would just clean off. This machines tub was subjected to some type of abuse such as , leaving water stand in the tub for long periods, possibly with LCB in it, or some other type of corrosive water condition or acids must have been used.