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Kenmore Bolt Down Automatics

Hi Brain, Very cool that you  are starting to restore this neat machine.

 

The one we have looks exactly like yours except yours has a blue outer tub, I wonder whether yours is older or newer than ours, I believe I have found that ours is 1947 or 1948, Have you found and dates on parts yet ?

 

Does yours have the Suds-Saver system still ?  Ours has an electric return pump which is a very early SS system.

 

Those  knobs were not meant to be removed easily, On ours I  removed the knobs with the shafts attached and my friend John Eichinger in St Paul MN restored the painted areas on the back of the knobs without removing them from the round steel shafts.

 

Keep us updated how it goes, I may have some parts for your machine. 

 

John L.
 
Knobs

Thanks John I can see that that would have been a better way to get the knobs off, I was treating it like my 51 Kenmore which come off on top. I guess I just will figure it as honing my skills at taking stuff apart.

Does anyone know if the tub to pump hose on these early Kenmores can be replaced with the more modern one I am seeing online? or do I have to mock something up? thanks

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You might have to use the pump grommet that’s used on all later belt drive washers along with a coin trap and that will alter it’s originality a little but if the parts are interchangeable it won’t be that big of a deal.
 
Paul

here is that wiring diagram. this machine is early and is different than my 1951 models. I did own one of these so I have some spare parts (like 1950 or so)

For instance there is a solenoid operated switch in front of the heat element that they eliminated. and a motor choke coil? that is separate (I think). this motor has three wires coming out of it, not four.

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Dryer wiring diagram

Thank you very much for this Brian!  It seems to be the right one for my 51!  I had seen the 'choke coil' (aka a transformer for the germicidal lamp) but could not figure out why there were extra wires from the timer...  Some clever soul bypassed the 'solenoid switch' at some point in time.  Let's just hope the timer contacts haven't been cooked. 

 

It's about time I tackled this dryer... maybe now I'll actually start!

 
 
So

I am going off of Robert's 57 renovation for some guidance and after pounding and heating I was about ready to give up and get my grinder with metal cutting blade but I noticed it had moved about 1/8 of an inch so I knew I could get it off. This gear puller came in handy after that

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The question is

does this inner tub on this real old machine now just come off or is there something else I have to do? It seems pretty solid so I have just put some oil in there.

Notice that this drive block on the shaft has just one notch not like the gear-like configuration on the later models. It was a real bear to get off.

So is there some technique to get this inner tub out?

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Disassembling An Old WP BD Automatic

To remove the metal agitator drive blocks heating with a propane torch makes them lift on and you should heat it to reinstall it as well.

 

To remove the wash basket you stand in the washer and rock your weight from side to side a few times and it will loosen and lift right out. [ I have done this more than 100 times ]

 

John L.
 
Here

is the transmission out. I plan on using that other transmission that came out of the 57 vistimatic I parted out years ago. I think it worked at the time. The original one doesn't seem to be working and it leaks (water contaminated) oil like crazy when the machine is on it's side. I might rebuild it for fun in the future.

Anyway and advice would be most appreciated. Should I try to polish up that agitator shaft on the new one? I am assuming I need new bearings and seals but I don't have the tools to do it so I will have to figure something out.

I will have to take the break assemble etc off the old one though I should have kept the vistimatic one around here somewhere.

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I’d try to clean the agitator shaft as much as possible. I greased the agitator shaft on the used transmission I installed in my ‘63 Whirlpool and even added oil to the bearings to help extend their life more. Even topped off the transmission with motor oil yes it’s not the correct oil but the tolerances in these transmissions aren’t as tight as they are in a engine.
 

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