Ahhhh... there's nothing like the soothing sound of a "belt drive"...

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revvinkevin

revvinkevin

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Whoo hoo! I now have a belt drive Kenmore and I am SO jazzed! OMG, it's been SOOOO long that I'd practically forgotten what they sounded like! Actually that's not true, if it were not for my friend Mike and his 1967 turquoise Lady K set, I really would have completely forgotten what they sound like!

Thanks to Gordon (Kenmoreguy64), I know my washer was built the 39th week of 1980!

Mechanically it seems to be pretty solid... I did 3 loads in it yesterday, less then a day after bringing it home. But obviously as you can see in the photos, the top is pretty rusty. I will try to clean it up, de-rust (is that a word?) it and apply some paint as a "band-aid", but I am looking to replace the top.

So, I am officially putting the word out here... if you know of any BD Kenmores from the late 70's / early 80's being parted out, WITH >or< WITHOUT the bleach dispenser, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! [email protected]

I also brought home the KM Elite "Catalyst" washer to the right of this one (in almond or beige or whatever color that is) but I will start another thread in the "Deluxe" forum about it.

1-20-2009-22-24-34--revvinkevin.jpg
 
Very nice Kevin. I didn't realize they were still using those agitators that late in the game, I had thought they were all the spiral type by then. Is this washer's top acrylic or porcelain? I'm thinking you'll be able to work out the top if you keep your eyes and ears open. Enjoy!
 
Scott, to answer your question, I'm pretty sure the top is NOT porcelain. IF you happen to hear of any, again, With or W/O a bleach dispenser, please let me know! Thank you to all for keeping me in mind for this!!! Umm... maybe I should offer a reward? ;-)

Jed, here is a better shot showing the bottom of the tub.

And... thank you!
Kevin

1-21-2009-01-03-3--revvinkevin.jpg
 
Kevin, this is pretty much the exact same 70 series washer we had for our lake house, but it was bought in 1976 and had a hot/warm instead of hot/cold and didn't say energy saver on top of the temp & level knobs.
 
Kevin, Jed, Scott....

That exact tub design lasted in production as late as mid-1981. A slightly smaller tub, with only two rows of perfs on the bottom was phased into production during early 1981. Once the newer style tub was introduced, the Penta-Swirl agitator was shelved. Penta-Vanes continued to be offered in 60-series machines and below.

The top is most definitely not porcelain, and is claimed in the catalogs to be baked enamel, though they were acrylic in years past. In 1983 the baked enamel was replaced by polyester powder coating, which is much better but not as good as porcelain.

If anyone has a non-bleach dispenser porcelain top, please let me know as I have one with a dispenser hole on a non-bleach machine that was rusted like Kevin's. I'll gladly send him mine with the dispenser provision if I can get a non-bleach replacement.
 
This may sound strange...

I would love to have a recording of either a Whirlpool or Kemore going through a complete (longest possible) cycle that I could play when I'm trying to fall asleep at night, I find it so relaxing, and it brings back such happy memories.
 
Kenny -

If it has a decent outer tub, could you save it for me if you're not going to use it yourself? I've had a few tubs come out recently with cracked edges at the donut seal. A good one would be awesome to have.

Gordon
 
Jim -

It doesn't sound strange. I do all my laundry in BD machines, and a big part of the fun there is listening to them. It is relaxing for sure. I'm not sure I'd record it, but to each his own!

My laundry room is right off my kitchen. When I cook, I always have either the TV or the stereo on, unless I do laundry, then I just listen to the washer.
 
Unfortunately my washer and dryer are in the basement. The washer is so quiet except when it's spinning. When I lived with my mom our Whirlpool BD was in the kitchen. A lot of times when I would do laundry I would stay in the kitchen, read a magazine, and listen to the washer and dryer.

I have problems falling asleep unless I listen to a cd or the radio. I have a nature sound cd that I like to fall asleep to.
 
That is exactly like the Kenmore I had when I was living in my rental house, except mine had the DA agitator, alas, when the landlady sold the house, I had to sell that and the matching gas dryer as the complex I moved to doesnt have hookups. They last forever, my sister bought hers brand new in 80 or 81 when she moved to California and it finally bit the big one about 3 years ago. They just dont build em like that anymore.
 
Has anyone here listened to a machine and has known it was about to break down?

This is especially troublesome to others in my family when they hear no difference in the sounds....

I have also been known to lay my hand on a machine and have it start working again. LOL When family freaks out and asks HOW I did it, I simply say, I whispered in its ear, "You had better put out and start working or I'm gonna kick your @$$ to the curb. Shuts them right up. LOL

My pyschic teachers says I'm not of this planet and basically electrical. Who am I to argue? LOL

Hello hello, shady pines asylum?
 
No it is not strange to listen to those sounds and become mesmerized. I have not done it lately, but for the first year after I found this site, I could not log off at night without watching and listening to the 1964 Turquoise Kenmore featured in See It Wash. I think I will go do that now.

Have a good one,
James
 
I recorded several cycles our 1962 belt-drive Whirly, fell asleep to it many times. Did the KDI-17a, too. An odd thing to do anywhere EXCEPT amongst this group. :-)

I was maybe 10 years old at the time. Thirteen for the KA. ;-)
 
First of all... all of you guys are great ...! I LOVE KENWHIRLMORE BD WASHERS which i grow up with and to many of them to mention. Just like all you guys i LOVE----- that sound and when i found this site two and a half years ago i also went to (see it wash) and listen to the kenmore so many times it really soothed my soul. It is really the most rhythmic washer ever verrrry cool. That famous wig wag design i always wonderd did that sound just happend by mistake or created by the engineers? At this time i am on westyslantfront ( Ross ) video Baby Kenmo.. Thanks ross. It is nice and long and very healthy Kenmore, if you want a good kenmore fix!! i put that on when shaving or just imagine i am at home with my mom years ago i feel really good that video rocks my soul deeply. And i can't wait to get my lady K up and running someday. I gave away the same three cycle washer with a straight vane agitator to a friend in 1985 like an idiot it was my moms, the timer went and when the repair guy came and put a new one in it did not have the four classic sprays why they did they do that i don't have any idea, me and my mother was very upset about it and she would manually turn it to rinse twice so she did not want it anymore for doing that procedure. Well it became 1986 and you guys could guess what happend ..... she bought home a extra large capacity white basket washer haaaaaahhh.... DIRECT DRIVE KENMORE WITH ELECTRONIC TEMP CONTROL WASHER..... buco, buco, buco for a another 10 or so years lol the end of story. Darren k
 
Darren,

Maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but there's a reason for the lack of spray rinses when you got that new timer, and it really wasn't Whirlpool's fault or bad idea.

There were three generations of the timer that is used in the Baby Kenmo video, and in Kevin's machine (same timer). When the first generation was replaced by the second, the new timer was intended to substitute for all the originals, but a jumper wire was required to be inserted into the quick disconnect block, then spliced into the washer's wiring harness. Included with the timers was a simple instruction sheet on how to do this, and the info. clearly states that if not done, the machine won't have spray rinses.

The third generation of that timer has three live terminals for spray rinses, to accomodate the two older versions without the need of jumpers and splicing. This came out in late 1985, so you missed it by just a little while!

Either your repair guy didn't know he should do the splice, or didn't bother. One of the other common timers, used on similar washers with a Pre-Soak cycle, still requires that splice when sold new today.

Gordon
 
off-balance buzzer

Revvinkevin, does your particular Kenmore BD washer have that off-balance switch with a buzzer?
 
Thanks Gordon for the response it feels nice when someone's post is answered when posting in there thread! And people who start them. Anyway i had no idea that was the case with that washer... wish i had have none you years ago lol. But i tell you i had great time with that machine! I did get to change the agitator from the straight vane to a Super-roto swirl with fabric softner dispenser and went back and forth in changing them, my mom said ... ( what are you doing now Darren with the machine i knew something was different lord have mercy this child) Everybody on here has done it (washer people) that's the beauty being here on A.W. Well i know where the washer is... it is in the city and i was tempted to see and go up and knock on the door an ask them if it is there, they are new people there my friend past away awhile ago I'm just curious. Some repair people just don't do there jobs, if i had the knowledge that i have now and been in touch with this group... the machine would still be with me today i think ooh well lol. Thanks again. Darren k
 
When I was 16,my mother and I moved into an apartment after my father passed away. This was back in 1982. Now we had our own Kenmore 800 alphabet washer, so I know that belt drive sound anywhere. Anyway, this complex had 2 swimming pools, and 2 laundryrooms. The 1st one near the adult pool had G.E filter flows in it, which is fine. The second one near the family pool had Kenmores in it.
Now picture if you will, 6 on one side, 6 on the other side, all white with speckled tubs, gold rotoswirl agitators with the caps that said Kenmore on top, and the lids had the arched CHROME handles on them. When I used to swim in the pool, you could hear these machines running in the background.
But when all machines were in use, and you went inside to get a drink from the soda machine, with 6 on one side and 6 on the other, that belt drive sound, was in SURROUND SOUND.
Yes, that was an interesting sound, until one day in the fall of 1982, I saw the machines being loaded on to a truck, and new Speed Queen machines were installed in both laundryrooms. The sound was never the same again around the pools, but we still had our machine,even though it was mono, it still sounded better than these of today. Have a nice day.
 
Does your Kenmore BD washer have an off-balance switch with

Philip (tbolt25) sorry for the delay...

This washer, a 1980 model, does not have an off-balance switch or buzzer. The Almond 1986 BD I bought (1983 model built in 1986 Thread# 20522 "OK folks, now it's official... I HAVE lost my mind!!") does appear to have a switch, but not a buzzer.
 
Kevin -

If it has a switch, the relay switch is the buzzer. Some are louder than others. When I tested those in my storage the other day, all one would do, in any portion of the cycle, was buzz. Too funny....

If you want to try it, I would not normally recommend this, but just turn your machine on, even in a fill portion, and grab the agitator and push it back so the baseplate / mechanism strikes the back of the cabinet. It should trip the switch/buzzer, which won't stop until you push the timer in.

When I was a kid, the buzzer in our '61 was a holy terror for me. I'd go flyin under my bed! They aren't that loud in later years.

G
 
A friend of my mom's had a BD Kenmore washer with the unbalnced load buzzer and boy that buzzer was really loud!
 

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