1964 Frigidaire Multimatic Custom Imperial Washer Ephemera

[philr]

The Deep Action agitator can be fitted in the 9 pound tubs of 1958-62 washers but it takes a lot of space there. My 1957 Imperial washer also has this one but I had to modify a cap to let it sit lower as it would hit the cover otherwise!

 

The 1967 models changed a bit, the Imperial and Custom Imperial models had a rectangular timer, one Custom Deluxe model and the Imperial / Custom Imperial now had an infinite water level adjustment instead of being time-filled. Here in Canada, they kept being like 1966 models (all washers were time-filled, the fancier models kept the 1964-66 style round timer dial), apparently with some red on the control panel to commemorate the Canada centennial! (I still haven't seen one, I'd love to find a set of these someday!).

I've been told that Canadian ranges also had red oven door handles and people hated them so they were often replaced with 1966 chrome door handles (or maybe the red trim could be peeled-off?)!

 

Here's one of Greg's pictures showing a 1967 Custom Imperial. 

 

[mickeyd]

Oh my Lord in Heaven.

I have never--ever !-- seen that machine before. What a fantastic treat. I dropped out of Frigidaire U in 66, and was readmitted for the 1-18 Extension Program. Was that in 71?

So many people besides me would love the make-up tutorial for the years we went on the lamb. If you have time in the next few days, maybe you'd teach us the content of the years we missed.

Exciting to know that Frigidaire finally caught up with everyone else in the Infinite Water Level Department before the perf-tubbed 1-18 era. I'll check Ephemera to see if I can understand how they did it. Fascinating. They really know how to show it off, too. Look at that wild gauge. Maybe Greg will let us know how fun and unusual it is to have such a treat in the classic solid tub, etc.

I mention the Jet Action agitator in the 10 gallon tub because of the water chaos & drama factor. Love to see.[this post was last edited: 12/10/2013-18:23]

 

[philr]

The infinite water level wasn't really useful on these 12 pound solid tub machines. Getting the water level below the "small load" level of time-filled machines would mean getting no overflow at the end of the wash or the rinse period. It also required to have a different pump that didn't pump the water out during the agitation and probably to avoid having the tub overfilling, the overflow period was reduced of 1/3 during the rinse cycles.

The water level adjustment became more useful on the 1-18 washers as they had much larger tubs and they could wash and turn over a load that would make the 12 pound solid tub machines struggle even with the water level set on "small", and since they have a recirculation system and spray rinses instead of overflow rinses, a lower water level doesn't matter.

 

[mickeyd]

On the small load setting, many Frigidaires failed to achieve overflow. Distinctly remember cheering on the inflow, hoping for overflow,
but the water level always fell just short of it, at spin time.

More fascination with this unique model: it did not pump during agitation. Wow! Frigidaire really did flips to get an infinite water level. Low water level agitation
always gives me great pleasure. Of course, you can get any water level you want on any Frigidaire, except the 1-18, simply by advancing the dial. Always loved that about Frigis.

Remember when they had infinite speeds? Do you have any info on that year & model--or pictures of what it looked like?

 

[swestoyz]

The big Switch in '64

Interesting stuff Phil.  The only document I have on this topic is the 1964 Tech Talk, Vol. XV, No. 7.  It is simply titled Rollermatic Mechanism, and is dated from December, 1963. 

 

It lists the following models within the wiring diagram section of the manual:

 

WCDA, WCDAP-64

WCDAR-64

WCD-64

WIA-64

WIAR-64

WCI-64

WCIR-64

 

What I find interesting is the first paragraph of the manual, where it states that the new mechanism is optional.  I'm wondering when they made the decision to force it across the board?  I also find it strange that none of the Deluxe models are listed.   When was the forced change to the Deep Action agitator?

 

Ben

 

[philr]

That's interesting info Ben

 

I'm missing the Vol XV, No. 7 (that's strange as in the same binder, I have two copies of the Vol XV, No. 4 and Vol XV, No. 6 and the No. 4 covers US range models which weren't even sold here!).

 Canadian Frigidaire serviceman seemed to rely mostly on US TechTalk documents to service the Canadian appliances, and sometimes, they were quite different from ours!  Even our parts manuals often showed a picture of Canadian appliances on their first page to show illustrations and part numbers relating to the US models in the following pages... And even the pictures on the front pages were repeatedly mixed up two years in a row in 1964-65! Our mid-1960s basic Deluxe 30" ranges had no "surface" pilot lights and 5 heat Chromalox burners but they were mixed-up with the pictures of the fancier DeLuxe models that had 2 wire Radiantube burners, pilot lights and Pull-N-Clean ovens. No wonder why people here gets confused when they need to replace something like a thermostat in a Canadian oven! 

 

Now back to the washers, 

The information I got is on page W-172 of Vol 65, No. 5, there's no real information about the Rollermatic mechanism but about the agitator change on 1964 models with their serial numbers and they separated the models with the Multimatic and Rollermatic transmissions. Also note that the serial numbers began by different numbers/letters on 1964 washers with both transmissions. At the time of the change of the agitator design, on the Multimatics, the serial numbers began by 35E and on the Rollermatics, it began by 12TD. 

 

On my WDR-64, it begins by 33E 

 

 

 

[philr]

I also noticed that I made a typo on my post #17. I typed in brown letters "WDC-64", I meant "WCD-64".

 

And Ben, I was wondering if you or Cory had kept any parts of the WCD-64/DCD-64 set?