67' Frigidaire Imperial Rapidry1000

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phmorrow

Well-known member
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
83
Location
Knoxville, TN
I just bought this set 3weeks ago, I tried to post videos on here but it wouldn't let me do it. I would like to service this machine as I am going to use it regularly. How should I go about greasing the mechanism? Last night I had a small load in and when it went into a spin cycle it went off balance pretty bad.. I don't know how these washers are designed but I had a filter flo do the same thing and it tore the tub boot. should I be concerned or am I just overthinking things? I would be grateful for any kind of info from any of you Frigidaire guys out there... Thanks
 
NEVER!!!!!!

Lubricate a Rollermatic mechanism!!!! Keep any lubricants away from the rollers or any surface they contact!! If it's going off balance, make sure the load is distributed evenly (in quadrants) in the tub.
 
Out Of Balance Load

When a load goes OOB in a spin drain machine you usually have way too little clothing in the machine for the amount of water you used, or you are washing very heavy towels etc with much lighter items like sheets.

 

Rapid-Dry 1010 Frigidaire washers are one of my favorite Frigidaire machines I have two of them.
 
It was a small load of whites. I had it on the small load setting but the over flow rinse filled the tub up and caused it to go out of balance. I was referring to lubricating the ball joint. It seems noisy at times, not bad just here and there it will make a little noise.
 
It was a small load of whites. I had it on the small load setting but the over flow rinse filled the tub up and caused it to go out of balance. I was referring to lubricating the ball joint. It seems noisy at times, not bad just here and there it will make a little noise.
 
Ball Joint On RollerMatic Frigidaire

Can be adjusted for wear and the tinniest drop of high grade silicone oil could be added when you have it apart.

 

You want to be very careful not to get any lubricant of any type on the drive rollers, if you do the machine will not run until you get it all off.
 
Ball joint adjustment

Under the ball joint you will see a castellated nut. Turning that nut will be tough but it is supposed to be tough. You can turn it with a bicycle wrench and you only need to turn it between 1/32-1/16 of an inch to shore up the bearing. It will feel very tight but that will eliminate the knocking which is caused by wear of the delrin bearing inside against the ball. It does not need lubricating, the delrin is self lubricating. 

The rollers are also self lubricating with a very dry black lubricant the only comes into play when they are turning, as the rollers heat the lubricant flows-- at room temperature it looks and feels like a black tar--well sometimes they used a gray compound too.

 

The biggest noise is created by loose or dirty clutch plates. They can chatter.

 

 

On the lid there maybe a loading diagram to show you how to load in quadrants, and for a solid tub machine the more clothes packed in the better. I've seen Robert cram towels in there thinking uh oh but his loads always balance- BASTARD !

Also a neat trick I've learned from JohnE is cut 4 squares of rug grip and place them under the legs , she won't move until hell freezes over.

My "Fringedaire" used to walk all over the basement from one side to the other, now she is locked down !

 
 
@Jet Cone

LOL thanks for the Info., How would I go about cleaning or replacing the clutch plates? Also, on the bottom of the castellated nut there is a screw, kind of in between the nut and the ball joint. There is a hole on the other side for a screw also, but the screw is missing. Is this normal or am I missing a screw? With all of that being said, do you think this machine will be ok for regular use? I don't want to damage it, seeing that parts are hard to find for these things.
 
LOL NATE !!!

Yes there is one lock screw, not two , never two , never saw two !

 

 

Wonderful machine for laundry. I wouldnt get into the clutch unless you really feel the need. Sometimes they just smooth out after use too.

Its very important to load properly because you machine I think was introduced before the "Sure-Spin" clutch. That was introduced to create a lot of slip at start up so clothes didn't lump up in the wash water and cause OOB.

 
 
OK

Thank you for all of your advice on this machine, it is greatly appreciated. I don't know a whole lot about these machines but I am a mechanically inclined person so I'm willing to get my hands dirty to keep this beautiful machine going. Hopefully it will last for years to come.
 
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

on your 1967 rapidry frigidaire!!! i can't wait to see some pictures!!!
;o)

sorry i can't offer any advice or tips, as i am totally non-mechanically inclined!!! but i do share in your excitement!!!

:o)
 
Thank you guys

Thanks so much for the kind words everybody. I'm so glad there are other people out there who share the same weird washer infatuation that I do!! I will try and get some picture/ videos of them on here soon... I already tried once but did not succeed.
 
Aferim!

I love these machines and I'm glad you were fortunate to find one. There were so many of them around here in the late eighties and early nineties, but they must have all been dumped.

 

I'm also glad you found this site and had the same epiphany that most of us experienced. I still think the Rollermatics were some of the coolest washing machines ever marketed.
 
Hello Neighbor, and Merry Christmas...

Just wanted to wish you well with that set...really nice.

 

Have you thought about your retirement plans lately..??

 

I would like to personally help with any thing in that realm that I possibly could;

perhaps, a substantial contribution to the fund of your choice (including, but not limited to your back pocket!)>>??

 

I have heard that Santa is kinda busy this year...so, you know, I was kinda like, you know, thinking...

Load 'em up, and bring them to me??

I might could even throw in another set while we look over your finances??

 

Just kidding, but if you ever...well, keep me in mind.

 

I love Avocado of all them colors more than should be reasonable...:)

 

Have a Good One,

LaVidaBoem

 

********************************************************************

The trouble with Trouble,...is that it starts out as fun!

********************************************************************

 

Edited: TWICE...I must be tired...You boys and Girls have a Good Night!

Time for one of them deep soak cycles...in the bathtub!

[this post was last edited: 12/12/2015-22:05]
 
Very Nice!  Congratulations!  I've never seen an "Imperial" before, just a Custom Imperial.  I have two '67s similar.  A Custom Deluxe and a Custom Imperial.  If you need advice this is a great place for it.  I've had these machines apart in every form and fashion possible in the last 7 years I've been a member of AW.  Check out my threads on here.
 
Thanks for the pics - that's a beautiful set. One of the softest (and quietest) dryers, too.

I believe the washer has only two water levels, looks like timed fill/wash settings on timer dial.

Congrats, collectively, we should help you keep those running for a long time. Enjoy them!
 
I see avocado, a paneled laundry room, and lighted control panels.

Some people just know how to live.

My hats off to you. These are beautiful !
 
67 Frigidaire Imperial Rapid-Dry 1000 Pair

Beautiful and rare pair, it is so cool to find a QUALITY low use pair of machines that have been well cared for as well. What is the story about these machines that allowed them to survive?

 

These are fun machines to use but if you do more than a few loads of laundry a week I would hope you have other machines to share the work, keeping these machines going would be about as much work and expense as trying to drive a 67 Oldsmobile Tornado every day to work etc. and the parts for this washer and dryer are even harder to get than parts for the Olds.

 

Keep us posted how you make out with these machines, there are several members here including myself that know a lot about these rare and unusual machines.

 

John L.
 
Thank you

Guys for all of the kind words... they came out of a doctor's house in Alabama. The entire lower level of his house was all vintage from TVs to mixers, some of which were never opened. I don't think they were used very much, or they have been previously restored. The only thing that was dirty on the washer was the snubber cross plate, and just a little bit of mildew under the main top. I do have a Maytag 806 from 1974. I only have one space for a washer, dryer to hook up. I don't do a whole lot of laundry through out the week, so hopefully I will be able to leave these hooked up for normal use. I would like to rebuild the agitate arm. How would I go about getting it out of the machine?
 
I think

That's what is happening.. a little piece of rubber came out of the top of the ball joint... what should I do? Try and tighten the nut, or take it apart? If it needs to be rebuilt where could I get the seal that I need or how would I make one?
 
Now,

Let's talk about what is happening here.  First rule that I operate by is that if it ain't broke don't fix it.  Please tell me ( and the rest of us following here who are also experts ) what is wrong with the machine and the agitate arm.  A video would be nice too.  What I don't want is to see you tearing into something unnecessarily.  What you probably saw come from the top of the ball joint was a small piece of the wicking material from inside that is getting rotten.  Even so that's not a cause per se to tear the whole thing apart.  Let take this one step at a time together.  At this point there is no need to remove anything from the machine.

 

I also read above that you mentioned that you thought the ball joint was making some noise, just a little, and at times.  These mechanisms aren't noted for their quiet operation and if the machine has been sitting a while a good workout may be just what is needed to settle it down.  I've seen many a Frigidaire act strange after sitting too long.
 
It should be quite easy to find where the noise comes from. It could also come from an agitate arm bearing that's a bit loose or by the agitate shaft bushing that's worn.

BTW, your machine should have the Sure-Spin clutch. By 1967, all models had it. And your machine could be from 1967 but it's a 1968 "N" model. Most Frigidaire washers built between mid-1967 to mid-1970 were "N" models.
 
agitator shaft

So.. I figured out how the ball joint comes apart from the agitator shaft, with them apart there is the smallest amount of slack in the agitator shaft. When wiggled it makes the exact noise I hear when it is in use. I will try and get a video up asap. Is this normal? Will it hurt the machine if I continue to use it?
 

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