Early Kenmore Automatic Washers 1949-1952

[whirlaway]

A pump for Todd

Try E-bay,didnt Sears use the same pump forever.The last one I bought came from Sears.Just get the part number off of it.I think they are the same except the machines with a lint filter.I will try to locate my book this weekend and see what it shows.I have plumbing work to do tomorrow. Bobby

 

[arbilab]

Welp, it got down around 20F, machine in garage, next day filled and washed fine, but wouldn't drain. Found the rod to the non-existent pump valve bent, straightened it, then it worked good as new. So sure, that may be the only time in the history of Whirlpool that happened, but it did that time.

 

[combo52]

Earlty 1950s KMs and WP washers

The main drain pump in this washer was only used through the 1953 models, I have some used ones if you are interested.

 

Yes I have seen frozen water pumps where if someone tried to run the machine while was still frozen and it would bend the shift linkage. But this is only one of a dozen things that letting a WP BD washer freeze that can be damaged, but as Gordon mentioned the most likely and frequent part to be damaged is the inlet valve as it is already under up to 80 or more pounds of pressure, and the washer we are discussing does not even have a divert er in the pump, those did not come out till 1956.

 

[wayupnorth]

As I remember, correct me if I am wrong, but the drain hose csme from the bottom of the machine so gravity could get all the water out of the bottom of these older Kenmores. I remember my mothers first old Cycla-Fabric's motor died with a full tub of water as a young kid and they drained everything into buckets before hauling it out. Wouldnt that prevent it from freezing?

 

[arbilab]

Jack didn't know it was going to freeze. It probably wouldn't have except the Oklahoma wind blew the door open and the coldest air is on the floor where the pump is.

This was 1982 so the machine was most likely late 70s. There had to be a drain valve. The motor only ran forward so a flapper wouldn't work and the pump pulley ran all the time.

That event, and rebelting a Whirlmore ~3 years later, were all I knew about the underside of the wigwag model. I'm no expert.

 

[northwesty]

Kenmore pair

Yes, I have a few sets of these and I think the fact that the design didn't change too much over the years is a real asset in keeping them running. Honestly I should know a little more about fixing them and have worked on them, but I do have a repair man that still services these if I don't have time.

They are old so you do have to have a little different attitude when running this old stuff, but if it is restored or in really good shape it shouldn't be too much problem.

Northwesty

 

[Unimatic1140]

Spray Rinses

In Whirlpool and Kenmore machines the early models had 6 spray rinses and 1 deep rinse making it "7 rinses".
 
4 spray rinses in the first spin
1 deep rinse
2 spray rinses in the final spin.
 
It wasn't until they changed the increment of the timer from 60 seconds to 120 seconds did they use 4 spray rinses in the final spin.  This is because of the the way the timers are made with a "sub-increment cam".  I think 2 spray rinses in the final spin are more than necessary to get rid of some of the scum left by the neutral drain, but it would have been much more expensive to produce a 120 second increment timer that could do this, so they simply used 4 sprain rinses in the final spin.
 
Later Models:
 
4 spray rinses in the first spin
1 deep rinse
4 spray rinses in the final spin.
 

 

[Ultramatic]

Another one seems to have slipped through my fingers...

<span style="font-size: medium;">2 emails to the seller, and no response. I suppose it has been sold. Wish they would have had the courtesy to let me know. Thanks everyone for your thoughts on the matter. John, did you receive my email? </span>

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">The quest continues.
</span>

 

[toploader55]

OMG Northwesty

Stunning Machines... Just Fabulous.

Soooooooooo Beautiful.

 

[pdub]

Brian,

As always, your machines are amazing. You do excellent restoration work!

Patrick

 

[in2itdood]

Wow!

Love those babies! I have the washer in a sudssaver ( it was bought 6/4/1952... I have the receipt). I hope to have it home soon! The lady was still washing with it when I bought it in Feburary =)