1968 GE SD300 restoration

[cspetros]

Some may remember this little guy from a Shoppers Square post (link below).

The rust streaks out front are mostly due to a cracked rinse aid (Rinse-Glo) dispenser. It ate through the paint and caused a lot of surface rust.

I’ve disassembled and removed the entire front door assembly, and I’ve discovered a lot of metal cancer. Nothing I am unprepared to deal with, but more than I originally imagined. In the bottom corners of the inner door panel, it’s literally the plastisol coating maintaining the form of the door, and encapsulating powdered rust .

I’ve already sanded and primed the front panels for repaint in the original turquoise. The inner door panel will be a lot of chopping and fab work. I’ll post further progress as it occurs.

The chrome on this is fantastic though. I’m a sucker for chrome and turquoise...

GE SD300 Dishwasher

Not perfect but appears to all be there. lawrence https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1950s-GE-General-Electric-Rinse-Glo-Automatic-DISHWASHER-Built-In-AS-IS/294034656399?hash=item4475d4cc8f:g:000AAOSwfXlgOS9J

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[gansky1]

That's a challenge for sure.  Have you decided what to coat the door with once you've cleaned up the rust?  Looking forward to more of your progress, it's a beautiful machine.

 

 

 

[chachp]

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Love those blue racks!  Can't wait to see it finished.</span>

 

[cspetros]

gansky1:

I’ve searched and read a lot about what I can possibly use to replace the plastisol (Epoxy, etc). Most of the repairs I’ve seen are just small areas, not large swaths like I’ve got here. Right now I’m considering using sheet stainless steel and the original JB Weld to replace the very bad spots. One challenge is making the final result look decent, and not like a patchwork mess . I’ll be sure to upload photos and results in case it’s useful to others.

 

[cspetros]

chachp:

The blue racks are in perfect condition thankfully. Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[vacerator]

Ditto on emcouragement!

You've got more guts than I for restoring. I only do fine wood furniture when the work is warranted to preserve it.
Heal that foot/ankle fast too!

 

[cspetros]

Thanks vacerator!

I appreciate everyone’s replies! Yeah, it’s going to be some work, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of it rotting away at the dump or being scrapped. The styling alone is worth it since nothing modern comes close. It also matches my fridge and range (they’re a bit older from 1959, but still chrome and turquoise). Finding replacement parts (seals, etc.) has been easier than expected. Praise to the eBay sellers that still have new old stock parts, for sure.

 

[neptunebob]

Maybe a door from a newer GE might fit?

GE probably did not change design too often so perhaps a newer GE inner door from another machine would fit. Perhaps even a newer all plastic door from the 80s?

 

[repairguy]

Not being able to stand the thought of it rotting away in the dump or being scrapped has gotten me in a lot of trouble. Too many machines! And yes the NOS parts on eBay are the only way I have been able to keep 40+ year old machines going. It’s a lot of work to do what you are doing but the end result is usually worth every bit of it.

 

[rollermatic]

agree 100% repairguy!

that's my problem, not wanting to see any old machine hit the garbage dump!

good luck with it's restoration cspetros, it's a great hobby and extremely rewarding for those who enjoy doing it. i started bringing back appliances from the city dump when i was 13! and now with the web, ebay, craigslist, and marketplace are like a candy store to me!

 

[cspetros]

neptunebob:

That’s an interesting idea! The steel inner door on this one is basically the one piece that everything screws onto, so I’d probably have to take the whole door of a donor. I will investigate this further.

Thanks Repairguy and rollermatic! It will definitely be worth the work

 

[william637]

I have two older GE plastisol interior dishwashers

If you want donor machines. Both of mine work and are are in pretty good shape. If interested send me an email.

 

[neptunebob]

See? I must be brilliant!

GE Likely used the same design for the door up to the end of the "Plastisol days" and they sold a lot of them. With any luck, the solid plastic doors later are probably similar.

 

[cspetros]

Finished repainting the front panels...

I used an air compressor and a paint gun. The gloss turned out good, but it will still get polished and waxed. The turquoise looks a brighter shade in the photos than it really is.

The inside tub looks ok-ish. There are a few spots that need some attention, mainly at the front lip. The lower rack track has some spots that need a repair. The rear calrod bracket has some rust staining around it. The sump area looks fine, no rust (those are just chips from the door in the photo). The sump bowl is actually aluminum bonded to the steel.
Tomorrow I plan to remove everything that penetrates the tub, including the motor-pump assembly.

I’ve been in touch with Mark (William637) about obtaining another GE from the era as a potential door donor. If it’s in better condition, though, mine may become the donor .

More photos to follow

 

[neptunebob]

So did you get another door yet?

 

[cspetros]

Not yet!

I’m heading down to NC later in the month to meet up with Mark and pickup a similar model. Stay tuned for updates

 

[cspetros]

Another update!!

This past holiday weekend, I ventured 3 hours South to Durham, NC and met Mark (William637). After a fantastic lunch (that quiche!! ), he showed me his *amazing* dishwasher collection, and gave me a 1972 GE SD-460N (in Avocado) that is in superb condition. I’ve never seen so many awesome models in one spot. Mark definitely has some unique machines in his collection.

The plastisol interior on the 460N is flawless. This model has a newer timer module, the WD21x341, which, in fact, is backwards compatible (with some wiring changes) with the WD21x245 in the SD-300 I posted about above originally. This newer model has a fourth cycle called Power Scrub that extends certain portions of the wash cycle.

My plan now, though, is to use the 460N in the kitchen (after a thorough going over), and keep the 300 for a future project involving re-lining the door and tub in sheet stainless steel. As Mark said, “constant vigilance!!” is required for these plastisol models to prevent the metal cancer from consuming them. I’d like to eliminate the plastisol entirely. That is for another posting down the road.

Thanks so much Mark!! And thanks for everyone’s input and knowledge!!

(Pics to follow in a few days)

 

[neptunebob]

Now I have to wonder...

For the 1968 GE, would it be possible to get a later PermaTuf machine and place the outer panels and components of the 300 into an all-plastic tub? How do you plan to "re-line" this dishwasher with stainless steel?

 

[cspetros]

Good question neptunebob!

Right now, I’m not entirely sure how I’ll do it. It may wind up looking like an airplane on the inside with sheet steel and sealed rivets. Or I may figure out how to weld... Whichever route, I’ll post it on this thread.

The 1974 to 1979 service manual refers to both plastisol and permatuf models; the door on permatuf models is a two piece door, with a molded plastic inner panel and a metal back plate, as opposed to the single piece door of the plastisol models. I honestly think one may work, or could be modified to work. I’d love to see an early model permatuf machine to compare and take measurements. The machine Mark gave me is way too nice to even think about cannibalizing. It’s going to stay pristine.