Well my FRigidaire 1-18 is working fine mechanically (including the fluorecent light on the back panel) but I've got to change the bellows due to a bad water leak. The old one is visibly worn around the bottom where it seals on the tub. The problem is I can't budge the diaphram support nut that screws onto the agitator shaft and holds the bellows in place. It's rusted good on the shaft. I've soaked it in WD40, yanked, pulled and pounded but to no avail so it looks like I'm going to have to heat it with a torch so I'm off to Steve K's today to borrow his. Wish me luck!
1-18 restoring
- Thread starter lesto
- Start date
rollermatic
Well-known member
i would suggest
you soak the nut in pb blaster for several days, it seems to work better than wd 40. i would then grasp the agitator shaft from the bottom most part, right above where it screws into the ball support. i would use a heavy pair of vice grips. i would anchor those vice grips so they and the agitator shaft cannot turn. i would then try to loosen that nut.
i have taken apart a 1-18 and 5 rollermatic washers using that exact procedure and it has worked every time. i have yet to have to use heat.
good luck.
you soak the nut in pb blaster for several days, it seems to work better than wd 40. i would then grasp the agitator shaft from the bottom most part, right above where it screws into the ball support. i would use a heavy pair of vice grips. i would anchor those vice grips so they and the agitator shaft cannot turn. i would then try to loosen that nut.
i have taken apart a 1-18 and 5 rollermatic washers using that exact procedure and it has worked every time. i have yet to have to use heat.
good luck.
Thanks, rollermatic. I haven't worked with the blaster yet but I'll give it a try. Is it available at Home depot and places like that?
I'm anxious to get this baby up and running again. I have the new bellows and the tool used to remove and install it so this nut is the only thing holding me up.
I'm anxious to get this baby up and running again. I have the new bellows and the tool used to remove and install it so this nut is the only thing holding me up.
rollermatic
Well-known member
wow, you have bellows pliers?
where did you locate them? i have been searching all year, since i started collecting rollermatics.
yea, pb blaster is available at lowes and home depot.
my 1-18 removed easily. just be sure not to try to loosen that nut without holding the shaft it screws onto tight with vice grips. if you don't hold it the only thing keeping it from turning with the nut is the keyway which holds it in line in the spin shaft, this will shear off easily causing you more problems!
that shaft has to be held firm. i bought the biggest pair of vice grips i could find and also put a peice of iron pipe over the handle of the vice grip rather than allow the vice grip to push against parts of the washer. especially don't let it rest against anything plastic or easily broken like pump parts, hoses, etc. i keep this 4 ft. section of pipe just for anchoring the vice grips when i'm removing shaft nuts. i usually brace it against a wall or sometimes my foot. then i use a socket with a long arm extension on the handle and very gently start to loosen that nut. all but one have come off easily. on one of my rollermatics the shaft itself loosened from the coupling which is inside the jet come area.
the rollermatic shaft on all of mine are a 2 part shaft, held together with a coupler. the 1-18 shaft however does not have this coupling, it is a one peice deal so you should be ok.
i would bet they eliminated this potential problem when they designed the later 1-18 model, wish the rollermatics had a one peice agitator shaft. i still have a jet cone with top nut intact and a small stub of a coupler sticking out it's bottom end. still not sure how i am going to loosen that nut. am soaking it in pb blaster for a couple months while i take a break from it.
have fun
where did you locate them? i have been searching all year, since i started collecting rollermatics.
yea, pb blaster is available at lowes and home depot.
my 1-18 removed easily. just be sure not to try to loosen that nut without holding the shaft it screws onto tight with vice grips. if you don't hold it the only thing keeping it from turning with the nut is the keyway which holds it in line in the spin shaft, this will shear off easily causing you more problems!
that shaft has to be held firm. i bought the biggest pair of vice grips i could find and also put a peice of iron pipe over the handle of the vice grip rather than allow the vice grip to push against parts of the washer. especially don't let it rest against anything plastic or easily broken like pump parts, hoses, etc. i keep this 4 ft. section of pipe just for anchoring the vice grips when i'm removing shaft nuts. i usually brace it against a wall or sometimes my foot. then i use a socket with a long arm extension on the handle and very gently start to loosen that nut. all but one have come off easily. on one of my rollermatics the shaft itself loosened from the coupling which is inside the jet come area.
the rollermatic shaft on all of mine are a 2 part shaft, held together with a coupler. the 1-18 shaft however does not have this coupling, it is a one peice deal so you should be ok.
i would bet they eliminated this potential problem when they designed the later 1-18 model, wish the rollermatics had a one peice agitator shaft. i still have a jet cone with top nut intact and a small stub of a coupler sticking out it's bottom end. still not sure how i am going to loosen that nut. am soaking it in pb blaster for a couple months while i take a break from it.
have fun
everythingold
Well-known member
Sometimes you cannot get that nut off without shearing it. I have a apare if you need it. matt
Thanks, guys. I'll stop by home depot this week and get some pb blaster and let it soak for a few days then try again over the holiday weekend. This baby is really rusted on but good! Hope I don't have to use heat but I have the torch if all else fails. I'll let you know how it goes. As for the bellows and tools I borrowed them from Steve K. He had a brand new, spare bellows and is loaning me his tools for the installation.
