A Rollermatic Rolled In

[jim]

Gentlemen, I have bought a 1-18 this morning. I saw it on Craigslist. Called and emailed the people yesterday mid-day and they got back to me - seems it is an apartment/rental house company that had this in one of the houses they just purchased and will be renting. They thought the machine was too old and replaced it. I went to look at it yesterday afternoon after work. Even though it looked a bit worse for the wear with the bit of rust around the holes for the screws on the front panel and a loose control panel, it still was worth $35.00 I thought. I've posted pics on my photos (opened to view). Haven't done a thing with it yet but I was told that it worked.

The front cover was off - missing screws at bottom. The control panel was loose also but just another loose screw. The rubber seems to be pliable and in good condition. When I moved it today, there was still a bit of water in the pump. I saw no evidence of oil being splattered on the inside of the cabinet - but I did see a small spot of what looks like debris from an old belt. I looked at the belt on the machine and thought it looked pretty new and it turned easily and I saw no evidence of wear. The hose leading to the pump and the exit hose are in fine shape - very supple. The rollers are all in place and feel grease free and very much like a brake pad on a car. We'll see. (I haven't told my partner about this yet. I did however, just to appease the washer gods, put the Speed Queen Wringer Washer out for the trash. Maybe someone will grab it. I was told the last time I brought a washer into the house that I had to get rid of one other one before I could have another. Well, I'm selling an older Frigidaire refrigerator to make room for this.)

The glass in the lid is in tact. A bit of rust here and there in the corners at the back and one of the side panels is a bit bent, but nothing too major that a bit of elbow grease et. al won't fix. The base is in fine shape, motor, pump mechanisms all seem to be there.

It allows control of wash temps and rinse temps. I like that. I couldn't get the top of the tower off though. Any suggestions? The filter was clear. I found no lights inside the tub area. No backlights on the control panel. A bit of paint gone from the panel - matte black shouldn't be hard to re-do. I have to go buy some hoses long enough to connect to the spigots ungerneath the laundry sink and extend the drain hose. And a couple of splitters with shut off valves - one for each washer. It needs to be screwed back into place (maybe I'll use ss nuts and bolts to hold the front panel on.) But I want to do a full cleaning first. The whole thing needs to be dissasembled and scrubed down. And after the cleanup the front panel needs to be coonnected securly to the base - it looks like it could be pretty woobly without some tightening up first. It's exciting to get something like this for $35.00.

 

[philr]

Nice find! What's the year and model? It looks like a newer one with the lid switch above the lint filter (like the one I have).

 

[jim]

Nice Find

Hi Phil,

Yep, I was amazed when I went to pick it up - and for only $35.00 too! The model number is: WC 6B. The serial number is 81EH 9450 so my guess is it's from the year 1981 but I don't know their numbering system well enough to be sure. Maybe someone here can answer that for us.

I've posted other pics on my Photos here and you can go and view them if you like. The model plate is there too if you're interested. I've not worked on one of these before, but hopefully, most of it will be just clean up and a bit of sanding those areas that are rusted, priming them with something I've heard about that is an epoxy type paint but it's first stage before it dries, appears white, then turns to black upon hardening and the particular polimer actually chemically bonds to the ferric oxide so that it stays covered forever and finally painting them with a bunch of coats of white topped off by a bit of high gloss clear. In between the spots where the screws meet the base, which is where the rusted areas are, I would use stainless steel nuts and bolts instead of galvanized sheet metal screws that were originally there, for more stability, as well as some rubber type washers in between the bolts and the metal to cushion the vibrations of the machine so that those two parts don't rub against each other. The control panel needs attention, mostly just cleaning and a quick touch up painting with a matte black to fill in those areas of the paint that are worn away. I've found no evidence of leaks of any kind, water or oil. This machine I think will be a nice second machine.

My partner (Joe is his name aka "No More Washers!" - sort of like the whine from the movie "Mommie Dearest", No More Wire Hangers!) came home late from work last night and was pissed in general about having to work so late (he delivers flowers for a florist in St. Paul and it's Mothers Day ya know?) So I placated his protests about another "piece of junk" washer in the basement by telling him I had already put up for sale (at my work on one of their electronic billboards) the 1978 Frigidaire refrigerator/freezer I had in the basement, to make room for this newer machine. (And if anyone in the area here would like to take a look at that fridge, feel free to shoot me an email here and ask. The price is $50.00 OBO.) He acquiesced, reluctantly, but he by then, had also calmed down a bit. He just doesn't get it guys. Although he doesn't mind doing laundry - except for the carrying up and down the stairs and the folding and putting away parts.

 

[cfz2882]

i'm thinking that 1-18 is from 1978,the switchover to WCI westinghouse and
franklin agitator washers seems to have occured around late 1979-there was
a thread on here with a westinghouse built"1-18"agitator washer a while back
it's serial started with a"9"and it's motor showed a late-'79 date code.
I did once find a GM 1-18 made in mid-1979 so true 1-18s were still built
at least that late.

 

[jim]

switchover to WCI westinghouse

I'm unfamiliar with that history. Can you tell me more? I have heard about the switchover to a regular agitator on the Frigidaires, but what does Westinghouse have to do with it?

I plugged the machine in today and put in a 5 gallon bucket of water. None of the wash periods functioned. I heard a humming sound but no up and down. I then tried to pump out the water and that and the spin worked. Did I bite off more than I can chew?

 

[cfz2882]

WCI switchover

around 1979 WCI(white consolidated industries)bought frigidaire from GM and
shortly after stopped production of the GM design washers,then dressed up
westinghouse and franklin(two other WCI brands)agitator washers to resemble
the GM frigidaire washers-westinghouse for the standard upper models,franklin
for lower end and portable washers-both of these designs had smaller capacity
and both featured"indexing tubs"-the washbasket is allowed to ratchet in one
direction during agitation instead of held in place with a brake.When the tub
indexes,if it builds up speed,has a tendency to force the load out away from
the agitator due to centrifugal force depending on the washload.
After about 1988 the westinghouse design went out of production so all the
top loads were franklin design after that.
For your 1-18,id try adding more water-5 gal. probably not enough to trigger
the pressure switch and begin pulsating-the buzz you hear is the fill valve
activated trying to fill the washer.

 

[philr]

These machines are metered filled, the humming sound could come from the fill valves?

I'd suggest plugging a hose and fill it (you can set the minimum level) until the fill stops. Then, the washer should start if it's working correctly and if it's not on "soak cycle".

cfz2882 is right, this machine is from August of 1978. WCI bought Frigidaire in 1979 and switched to the internals of Westignouse models. WCI Frigidaires have a different front cover and lid and they do not have the crease on the front panel that matches the shape dryer door.

 

[peteski50]

Frigidaire!

Real nice 1/18. BTW the 1/18's were made until the end of 1980. Even though WCI owned frigidaire they were still in contract with GM and had actually tried to sell back frigidaire to GM during that trisition period. WCI was the worst appliance company - they were sitting on gold and to stupid to realize it!

 

[combo52]

GM FRIGIDARE APPLIANCES

As hard as it is to hear WCI did the right thing to close out all the GM designed appliances. GM could not make money on them how would one expect WCI to do so ?. Thier dryers were junk, the 24" laundry center was one of the worst laundry appliances in recent history, thier electric ranges needed complete cook-top redesign. As did thier refrigerator line. The full sized washer line was one of thier better products but it was expensive to build, had major noise problems and many consumers just didn't like them [ its hard to build a completely different product and survive as a major player].

 

I bemoan the loss of Frigidare appliances as much as anyone here but I don't see anyway they could have survived.

 

[3beltwesty]

GM's house was not in order itself when the sold off Fri

From say 1978 to 1981 GM itself had not a stellar reputation in the auto industry either. Poor quality control; its first loss since the 1920's; placing chevy motors in olds cars to fake off old folks, diesel cars that died an early death. GM sold off none core auto businesses ie washers!

 

[whirlcool]

And wasn't this the era of the infamous Cadillac 4-6-8 engine too?

 

[mickeyd]

Jim

Your pix on our website under photos are wonderful.

 

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of trouble, but when you get her up and running you'll probably agree with many members here who have a General Motors Frigidiare 1-18. They often say it is one of the best washers they've experienced

 

It'll wash a boatload of clothes and get them clean; the drama is a delight, the power intense; and of course the circle jet spray fill and spray rinse are dazzling. In some models, once the flush begins, it continues right through to the rinse fill without stopping. It's cool to see a machine spraying like crazy while the spin stops for the rinse fill without interruption of the spray.

 

I think Ben's movie shows that. Have also heard tell that some 1-18's have a second flush during the final spin.

 

Good Luck on your new 1-18.

 

[jim]

They often say it is one of the best washers they've exp

Thanks Mickey, and like most of us with a washer in waiting and other plans interfearing with getting to it, I'm feeling angst. The washer is sitting in the bsement and I have to first, get rid of that refrigerator, before I have room to move it into the utility area and hook it up. I'll also need to do a jury rigged drain from 3" PVC piping. I'm going on vacation at the end of this week and have no time to even start to clean it up. And the cleanup and a bit of paint, some stainless steel screws and some rubber gromets in between, is all that I think it'll take to make it work great as a backup machine.

But you're right, the drama, the sound, the sprays, the spins, all is a real trip - and all visible under glass no less already! I'm not sure how this one is set up for the circle spray rinsing but I'll find out when I get back home.

I need a cap for the agitator tower. The old one had one of it's plastic threads broken off and it wouldn't stay on when the machine was operating so they used something called Ply-O-Bond - a real strong rubber cement type glue and glued the sucker onto the tower. Real class eh? One of the members here (Simplicity345) wrote me a nice e-mail offering access to parts for Frigidaire washers. Maybe he has one he'd care to sell/share? I did send him a private email about this. Any other sources anyone may know of?

 

[mickeyd]

I could be mistaken, Jim

but I think all GM 1-18's have the circle jet fill & spray rinse. Look and feel around the rim for a sort of thin--maybe half inch--tube with 12 slits in it.

 

Have fun on your vacation.

After the madness of a million tax returns, you sure earned it! Ah.....the freedom from work. I wish you and Joe the best.

 

And then when you come home, you can wash the vacation clothes in the gleaming Lady Turk Visimatic.

 

[jim]

Tower Cap

I just got an email from someone who wanted to sell me the cap (my machine has one that is broken)- a piece of plastic mind you - for $60.00. That to me sounds like price gouging, but what do I know? Any comments? Almost twice what I paid for the machine!

 

[rollermatic]

i have a 1-18

and some rollermatics from the 60's. a couple of mine don't have caps either. i would not pay more than 10 bucks for a cap myself, 60.00 to me is ridiculous!

try dave's repair on the web, he may have one. or another guy advertised here last year that he had a lot old appliance parts. you can archive him here in the imperial section, i did once and found him. larry at modern parts in parma oh may have one but i doubt it.

 

[goatfarmer]

60.00? I'll sell ya a whole 1-18 washer for less than that!

 

[cornutt]

Whirlcool, it was indeed about the same era as the Caddy 4-6-8. They also had things like the massive quality problems they had with the Vega (dealers were averaging $400-500 worth of work on each one they received before they could put it out on the lot), and the debacle with the Monza engine where the engine had to be removed in order to change a spark plug.

 

[joelippard]

I'm glad the washers were built better than the cars were back in those days.