1950 through 1952 whirlpool washer

[maytag85]

Putting last week behind

Looks like that machine is going to clean up nicely. Btw, didn’t these earlier Whirlpools have some sort of way of lubricating the bearings? Remember reading something about that in the archives a few years ago.

 

[waterdrama]

Whirlpool Got it Right!!!

First, let me say that this Whirlpool is one classy-looking machine. Great find. The cabinet oozes simple elegance and quality.
I'll bet that the vast majority of the early WP/KM machines (1950 - 1952) were suds-savers. My parents bought a Kenmore in 1950 that was ordered with a suds-saver. They lived in an apartment where the washer was hooked up in the bathroom.
I believe those machines had an electric drain-pump. Can anyone confirm if that was true? The 1950 Kenmore had a distinct solenoid pop when the neutral-drain started. I noticed that our 1962 Kenmore never made that same sound!!!

 

[DADoES]

 
I'm not aware that any early WPs used an electric pump but I imagine someone will clarify if they did.

I know that the pump was at one point mounted on a pivot which connected to the agitate cam bar.  Early suds models, the pump impeller was designed as bi-directional.  The transmission pulley had a groove for the motor belt and also a rubber drive tire below the groove.  The pump pulley had a groove and a flat part.  Shifting into agitation pivoted the pump so the flat of the pump pulley pressed against the transmission pulley tire so the impeller rotated in "reverse" to suction the saved suds water, although the two-way valve also had to energize into suds return mode for that to occur, thus it didn't perform suds return during normal agitation.  The pump pivoted the other way when agitation disengaged so the groove part of the pump pulley contacted the belt for the pump to spin in drain direction, and the suds valve controlled whether the drained water flows to storage or to the standpipe.  Non-suds model had an adjustment so the pump pulley didn't contact the transmission pulley.

I'll bet a buncha of ya'll didn't know that.  ;-)

 

[combo52]

Early Belt Dr., Whirlpool water pumps

Glenn’s reply number 22 is an excellent description of how the drain and suds return pump worked on 1954 and 1955 whirlpool in Kenmore belt drive washers.

The reversible pump was only used for two years, before that all belt drive whirlpool washers used the same belt driven drain pump from 1947 through 1953.

They did, however, use three different suds return pumps, the very first one was electric. It was a brush type motor. It was all one assembly. The next one was mounted to the rear of the transmission and had a solenoid activated roller that deflected the belt against the pulley. When it was time to return, suds water, the pump only ran, while suds water was being returned to the washer. The next Suds return pump. It was probably only used in 1953 had the solenoid mounted on the pump assembly that again deflected the belt against the pulley to make the pump turn to return suds water.

The picture below is a brand new replacement pump, that I purchased new in the 70s it was the primary drain pump for the 1947 through 53 whirlpool belt, automatic washers, this replacement pump even has a plastic pulley which Whirlpool briefly used on all their belt drive pumps in the 70s and then they went back to a steel pulley.

 

[waterdrama]

Thank you DADoES and Combo52 for your replies to my question. Great explanations and I love the picture. I was always curious why the 1950 Kenmore made that distinct "POP" shifting into neutral-drain, while the next Kenmore we had did not. Did the little door on the side give access to the pump?

 

[combo52]

Early whirlpool belt drive suds return pumps

Pictures one and two are the 1953 one year only suds return pump with the solenoid built onto the pump.

Pictures three and four are the 1948 through 52 suds return pump.

John