Water was just cascading from the bottom of the outer tub; most of it was flowing right through the center shaft where the transmission drive is. I suddenly realized why there had been so much rust on the top of the main transmission pulley... Water had obviously been gathering there for a while before I found this washer!
If I had been smart enough to pull out the inner tub when I had the cabinet apart, I'll bet a turquoise Mixmaster that I'd have found rust damage to the outer tub. I'm going to guess it's pretty bad damage, too, given that the machine looks as if it has seen plenty of laundry duty.
However, I did buy the machine as a parts machine and this will be its fate. I was in a bind as to what the heck I would have done with it if it had been 100% intact and operational.
I am trying not to take this one as a failure - I learned a heck of a lot about servicing Norge washers between this one and the '56 that came from Massachusetts. In all probability, I'll swap the console from the 55 onto '8 of 56' - I'll get a more reliable Timeline cycle control and a lighted panel that way. And the 55 console is turquoise, too...
With other the other parts, that lower-mileage '56 model should be around for many, many years to come now. Well, I hope!
