Cracking Open My Westy

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In what I assume was the drain part of the cycle...

The machine made this terrible noise, I ran it with the panel off and this piece here seems to be mal-shaped and grinding against the housing....do I need a new pump?

takacedon++5-4-2011-13-19-12.jpg
 
Westinghouse

The evidence of water leak down the front of the tub is very common, All the ones that I've seen look just like that. JEB
 
Whoa, you've actually GOT a mid-50s Westy? Rare, best I can tell. Had one just like it, back then.

Pump hose: Standard vinyl tubing, goes to the waterlevel diaphragm.

Pump noise: Well there's a bearing in the back (that cast piece connected to the solenoid) and one in the pump housing, and that flex shaft in between. I've replaced the shaft, not the bearings, BUT that was back when parts for these were OTC. The shaft is a stout spring, which may have corroded onto itself and no longer flexing or it may have been kinked by the pump being blocked at some point. There's also the rubber motor pinion the plastic wheel runs on, which can't possibly NOT be cracked by now.

Wish I could advise on parts but I haven't a clue. If you get the dimensions on the belt it can be substituted (I *think*).
 
MID 50s SLANT FRONT WH

Hi Trevor the machine looks good overall and seems to have arrived with no shipping damage. The little black rubber thing that you removed from the water inlet is a back flow preventer, it is not important and they never work when the valves are are old anyway. The drive belts on this machine are not special so any belt that is the same size should work fine. You may want to look for a complete new water pump assembly, the pump that was used on all full-sized WH FL washers through 1988 used the same pump kit, Larry @ Modern Parts in Ohio had some a while ago or do an internet search. Good Luck keep us posted, John.
 
Pump and hoses

Thanks guys, I figure I can just go get more hoses from Lowes or somesuch....the real bear is going to be replacing the hose that goes from the vales to the tub....I did notice that it's not even connected to the point on the tub where it's supposed to feed into.

Does anyone have a service manual? The only way I could think of to get the belts off is the cut them, but then how do I get them back on, I didn't immediately see a nut or something to take a pully off.

Modern parts did mention to me that they did have pumps, when I called looking for a knob. I was looking at how to get the water pump off, and I thought I may have found it, but the screw was frozen in place, hence the need for a service manual to make sure I'm not just unscrewing things for no reason.

Oh, one last thing, I dumped a bowl of water into the tub to see if it was leaking and it came right out the pump, is that normal? (yes, i'm a noob)
 
There are a few pumps now on ebay. Search for "westinghouse pumps" or "Q137156" or "5300165317" too. Or "WCI pump". Do a serach by title and description when using the part numbers.

Prices vary widely for these pumps on ebay and parts houses too. I have bought some for only 14 bucks with shipping a few times. Today's ebay search shows about 6 pumps. A few have teaser low prices and huge shipping; a gambit by the seller to pay less ebay fees since shipping is not part of the ebays fees to a seller.

The white pumps are the newer versions.

One an older 1950's washer the drive spring has to be adjusted typically when one uses a newer made pump. One has the grab the shaft where one will not bugger it up and twist/rotate the spring so the distance between the driven disc and pump is OK. There are many ways to move the spring. If the disc is too close there will be too much tension in the spring and one can wear our the bronze/brass bushings on the disc where it screws on one shaft end. If the discs is too far away from the pump it can "whip" and it makes a racket with noise!. If one adds WD40 to the spring so it will move easier, I have had mine change its spacing with time and thus had to be futzed with again.

All the internal parts for the newer white pumps were once available 10 years ago; today there are pockets of seals, impellers, bushings that are harder to find. Pricing of the "parts" for these pumps is rather bizzare. One chap on ebay had the pump body for 95 dollars and I would buy the complete pump for 14 to 45 bucks. The impellers and seals etc can be a buck to more than a complete pump!

3beltwesty++5-5-2011-09-06-50.jpg
 
Back in the 1950's repair the pump was done at times; today few do this. I think the impeller may be different on your black pump than the current white pump. To add to the confusion; there are some black pumps molded out of the same mold as the newer white ones.

The tube connecting to the pump is to determine the water level, it goes to the water level switch.

I believe that on your black pump it cover was purposely made easy and quick to remove; ie to remove stuff that may be in it. The white newer version has many 1/4"? hex head screws to remove if one wants to change the impeller or shaft seal.
 
The tub directly connects to the pump via the super short hose in your reply #6.

If you add water to the tub; it drains through the "super short hose" then into the pump. Then it is ejected out the hose on the pump ; the one on the right.

Not sure where you are saying it is leaking?

the clamps are real strong.

is the leak at a hose or pump body or at the spring driven shaft seal?
 
Leak

I believe it is leaking at the drive shaft, so since it's easy to disassemble would it be possible to replace seals in the pump...if there are any. Oh an ok, so water coming directly out of the pump if I add it to the tub is normal, got it.
 
If the seal leaks a long time often the shaft #28 will be worn and corroded; thus a new seal may or may not fix a leak.

For testing purposes as a crude fix a shallow darkroom tray or water heater pan or cooking pan will contain the leak on your floor.

Some ancient FL westy pumps had a packing, fiberous material where one made ones own seal
 


Yeah, that drive spring does look like it has been leaked on for a while, maybe a new pump might be in order, and the base of my machine is coated in rust, which I plan on sanding away and coating in primer today.
 

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