A Frigidaire Unimatic Only A Fool Would Love

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Looking good, Ben. Thanks for re-enforcing what I've heard about how older Frigidaires can be a 'challenge' to work on. It really looks good! Your reward for all the hard work!

Glad to see that you kicked that good for nothing WO-65 out and left that fantastic MAH3000AWW where she belonged... (Ducks and runs...)

RCD
 
Ben

this is a wonderful restoration. Congrats! One thing that always amazes and intrigues me with the Unimatic is the drive motor behavior. What I'm referring to is that when the mechanism shifts into spin, it sounds (and appears by the dimming of the timer dial light) that during the initial spin-off acceleration of the tubful of water that drive motor is under a very heavy load for nearly 22 seconds (I mentally counted how long it took for the timer dial lamp to return to its normal intensity). I'm thinking any other washer would have the centrifugal switch jumping in and out of the start winding and/or throwing a circuit breaker or blowing fuses during a prolonged acceleration such as this.

That said, all Frigidaire solid tub machines have that very muscular-masculine spin start up, but the Unimatic is special in that regard IMO.
 
So elegant, so beautiful! Thank You.

Looking at the tiny fingers on the leaking 1140 rpm pump makes me think of the fire hose we'd need if the Uni pumps had the big impeller blades other machines have--a six second monster gush!

The close-up photo of the control panel reveals its stunning beauty. Have you ever rested your head on your hands, and looking forward, seen your reflection in the chrome/bronze darts? There's a veritable mirror, there, on the '56.

The love song to the machine was so stirring I almost blushed. What a nice touch!

I have a question: During the pause before the rinse, I hear a pump chugging. Would you identify it?

"I'm fixing a hole where the rain comes in...Keeps my mind from wonderin'.... where it will go oh..." The Beatles.

A hole in the tub and you didn't walk away. Amazing!
 
Andy - considering I try and use the Neptune as the daily driver and keep the miles down on the collectables, it will stay put. It is actually one of the better washers in the basement....

Leslie - good to see your post. GM certainly got something right with the Delco motor. I don't think we'll see such beefy electrical engineering ever again.

Mikey - the pump on this particular Unimatic is slower than others I've seen, more than likey from the missing fingers. The noise you heard during rinse was the pump retireving the left overs from the spin, as well as the overflow from the rinse water. Also, I love me some Melody Gardot. Wonderful female Jazz performer, and she's easy on the eyes too! ;)

Thanks again everyone,

Ben
 
How did you fix the hole in the tub?

Plumbers epoxy, with a coat of JB Weld over the hole on the inside and out. Unfortunately the mix of JB turned out brown instead of grey, so I need to re-do it for esthetics. Otherwise, it is a liquid tight seal.

Ben
 
Even more curious

Between the wash spin and the rinse fill, as in all Unimatics, there is a pause, when everything is off, except the hum of the timer motor; but in your video, there is a distinct pump chug, chug, chugging like that of a conventional Tag or an early 90s DD WP. (Was your Maytag on?) Please take another listen, when you get a sec. Hey, you'll be able to hear Melody crooning again.

Of course Ben, I could be hearing things. ;->
 
Oh, that noise!

It is the timer motor/escapement. Quite the noisy little bugger. I need to swap it out with another two speed timer escapement to get the whisper quiet opperation that we all have come to know and love from Frigidaire :D

Ben
 
What Fun!!

Another great job Ben!! That machine is just beautiful and I bet that it didn't run one bit better the day it left the factory than it does today. Thanks so much for taking the time to do the great video!!

Terry
 

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