1964 GE Dryer 1DA820Y4W

[wiskybill]

I got this dryer back in October 2013. It came from the original owners' estate and sat in the same place since it was installed new. Still plugged in and in use.
The right rear bottom of the cabinet was rusted thru after years of sitting next to the matching washer, which was replaced some years earlier.

Time for a cabinet transplant!

I found a 1982 model for $30 that was in pretty good shape and proceeded to strip it down for parts now that warm weather allowed.

It's all done and in service again. Almost all of the parts are original although I think the motor was replaced at some point. It looked a little newer than a 50 year old motor IMO.

 

[gansky1]

That's a wonderful restoration, it looks new! I remember a similar model at a house I used to babysit in, I loved that lighted panel.

I think your donor-dryer is a 72, not 82. We had the exact same (72) dryer and matching washer growing up. I have a 69 washer and matching dryer top that I'll need a donor machine for at some point, I keep my eyes on CL and one day a gassy donor will pop up.

Congrats again, great work!

 

[wiskybill]

Thanks, Greg

Here's the mod/ser of the donor, DDE5200LDWH/ML209088G

You're probably right about the year.

There were subtle differences between the two machines. The original blower housing
only matched the mounting holes on the bottom portion. New holes were drilled in the cabinet to match the top.

The mounting screws for the heater assembly. The original cabinet had mounting screws that were attached to the back of the cabinet and on the newer cabinet, the heater attached directly with sheet metal screws.

I reused the original belt tensioner. It still worked very smoothly. The newer was a slightly modified design and I've seen newer yet that were completely different.

It was a fun project to do. Now I can put my 1973 Kenmore 800 gas dryer in place
beside it and will be set for dryers.

 

[pulltostart]

That's a beautiful dryer - love the styling.  You did a great job!

 

lawrence

 

[bajaespuma]

Aferim!

Inspiring work. I have three old GE dryers that I need to do the same thing to so I have a couple of questions:

What kind of paint did you use?

How did you deal with those pesky trim strips; did you leave them on and mask them, or did you remove them, paint, and then replace them?

 

Not only does your dryer look spiffy, but those old GE dryers are among the fastest, quietest and most reliable dryers ever produced.

 

[wiskybill]

Thanks, Ken

The paint is Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy in spray cans for the outer
cabinet and panels and I had a quart of the same that I used for the inside
with a brush. It dries a little slower than regular spray paint and the cure
takes more like a week, but it gives a really durable finish. If you take your time you can get good results. But, you have to use it in a well ventilated area, and wear a mask. It's a heavy bodied paint and tends to hang in the air longer. When I finished I had to wipe down my arms and legs with mineral spirits.

The trim strip at the bottom front is held by 3 clips. I was able to carefully remove them from the backside by bending the tab ever so gently so as not to break it. I removed the trim at the bottom of the control panel also to touch up the paint where some rust had begun. It's held by 2 spring clips that come off easily, but don't let them fly across the room. I looked for the first one for about an hour before I found it. The trim then slides off. I touched up the bottom of the control panel with some Testors model paint that was a good match.

I have to agree about the design of this dryer. It's simple and sturdy and easy to work on. The only new parts I bought were a fluorescent tube and starter.

 

[moparwash]

Great job!...it will last another 50 years!

 

[combo52]

Restored GE Dryer

Looks Great Bill, you are correct that a new motor was installed at some point along the line, when GE still used round motors during orignal production they were always painted grey, the lacquered colored motors were made later and were sold as a replacement motor. These were very good motors, the only problem was the small cooling openings in the ends of the motor would get blocked with lint easily.

 

[Ultramatic]

Beautiful job Bill!

 

 

I really enjoy a restoration. Thanks for the pics!

 

[bluejay]

Beautiful job!  I love the control panel on that dryer!