Easy Whirldry Washer

[tsteves5]

I just acquired a 1940's Easy Whirldry washer from a thrift store. It agitates and spins, but has an oil leak. I have a couple of questions:

1. Has anyone ever taken apart one of these transmissions?

2. What weight of oil did Easy use in these?

3. Any ideas where I might be able to find a replacement oil seal?

4. Has anyone ever used an automotive oil stop-leak in a transmission like this? This assumes I can't find a replacement oil seal.

Thanks!

 

[washerlover]

Any photos? That might help with the diagnosis...

 

[tsteves5]

Flooded Tranny...

I've removed and torn down the transmission from the washer. Interesting little transmission since it agitates and spins at the same time. I did find the problem. The tranny was flooded with water a long time ago and it forced most of the oil out of the breather hole. The oil seal is still good, and the tranny is repairable. It looks like there was a fundamental design flaw with these machines. There is no substantial seal on the upper agitator tube. If the machine is overfilled, the tranny will flood with water.

I will post some pictures and video later.

 

[akronman]

Easy Spindrier

Pictures or video would be great. I have a working Easy Spindrier, and one with a bad clutch for the spinner, but have never opened up the trannny.

 

[macboy91si]

Easy Whirldry

 

Mark, this isn't a full-size Easy, it's a little counter-top job with a little basket in it. The agi-tub style basket washes the clothes and then you drop the basket down and it spins. The transmission is always in agitate and spin mode and agitate, which one the machine does depends on the position of the basket. You pull up on it for spin, and press a little button to drop the basket down to agitate (I think). John Lefever has one as well, I would love to see it in action.

 

Below is a link to a previous thread that shows this machine.

 

-Tim

[this post was last edited: 3/29/2011-10:04]

New York Wash-In!

Thank you Steve, Pat and Peter for the wonderful afternoon. Today we got together at Steve's for a small Wash- In complete with a fabulous lunch and a great time with his machines. I so look forward to the pics! And also the next wash-in! You guys are great and I'm so glad I have ppl to talk to...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[tsteves5]

Transmission

Tim, you are absolutely correct about this machine. I failed to take a photo before I tore it apart, but it looks exactly like the one on Ebay right now. From the sounds of it, I bet the Ebay version has my same problem.

Here is the link to Ebay.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[tsteves5]

What a mess...

 

[tsteves5]

Looking better, but still need to clean the shafts.

 

[macboy91si]

Wow

That's cool, how hard was the transmission to get out? What did you use to cleanup the mess? Reminds me of some of the transfer cases I've seen taken apart after 4-wheeling through a pond.

 

-Tim

 

[tsteves5]

Here is my method for removing the Whirldry transmission:

1. Soak the lower shaft nut in PB Blaster
2. Wait
3. Try to loosen nut
4. Bust a knuckle
5. Heat the nut with a torch
6. Try to loosen nut
7. Swear at the nut
8. Use a torch again, get the nut extremely hot
9. Try to loosen nut
10. Swear at the nut again while drinking beer and wondering “why am I doing this?”
11. Try to cut off the nut with a Dremel
12. Realize the nut must be made of diamond or some other ridiculously-hard-to-cut material
13. Finally, pound the nut off with a hammer and chisel
14. Apologize to the wife for waking the kids with all the hammering and cussing
15. Remove the wash tub
16. Remove the single transmission mounting screw
17. Drop the transmission out of the bottom

Once removed, the tranny came apart easily. I used brake cleaner to clean the “mud” from the transmission.

 

[qsd-dan]

 

[akronman]

similarities

it's amazing how your 17 step solution works on almost all washers!

 

[tsteves5]

Transmission video

 

[combo52]

EASY WHIRL-DRY PORTABLE WASHER

Very cool Toby thanks for taking the time to show us the tear-down and rebuilding tips. I have one of these that is also very stiff and lethargic running, this may encourage me to tackle fixing it. Technically WP DD transmissions are agitating and spinning at the same time as are several other older automatic washers, can anyone guess witch other ones operate the gear box while the washer is spinning.

 

[macboy91si]

John...

Nudge nudge, you should get it going!

 

[tsteves5]

Oil seal...

I completed the transmission, filled it with fresh oil, wet tested the oil seal and put it back together. My free time has been occupied for a few days with other projects, but upon returning to the washer I noticed the oil seal was leaking. I guess one day wasn't a long enough wet test for the seal before closing up the transmission. I figured I would add some Lucas Oil Stop Leak. I've used it before on hydraulic manifolds with success. No such luck with this seal.

On the oil seal is stamped "Garlock Part 13". Lucky for me that Garlock is still in business. I contacted them and they were able to cross-reference the 1940's "Part 13" to a modern oil seal. They provided the dimensions of the modern seal and it's a perfect match. I never would have guessed that I could obtain a new seal for this old washer. What are the odds?