Belt-drive portables
JT -
Portable belt-drive machines seem to be pretty plentiful - there was a gold one on ebay just the other day, and one sold in Charlotte a few weeks ago on Craigslist.
Portables have their own section in repair literature usually, because they are different enough (but not enough to warrant a whole new book). They use a different belt, and if I'm not mistaken, an idler that full-size machines don't have. They also have a very different suspension system.
The belt has a lot to do with how the machine sounds. The portables have the same cam bars, control magnet (wig wag), and pumps, so some of the sounds will be familiar. BUT, the almost quintessential belt-drive 'whir whir whir' is not there in portables. Actually its not even there in full-size machines with the quiet pak narrow belt.
The ebay auction ended a day or two ago, but here's the item number: 190228514475. It has a video with good sound to go with. There are others on you-tube I believe.
If you want ALL the usual Kenmore sounds, you may want to look at a 24-inch machine, just be sure it has the common (95405) belt. Kenmore even offered caster kits to make these "portable".
