For Better Or Worse It Is Mine - GE Mobile Maid

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

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Congratulations

Mobile Maids of this era throw a Niagara of water and clean everything!

Mine had a rust-thru hole, I fixed it with JB Weld. After maybe a year, it's still leak free. And the tiny rust bubbles, frankly I used the Re-Rack bottle for painting the rusted racks--and a year later, it's fine. That stuff is made to stand up to water and heat. I waited 24 hrs in between each layer of paint, maybe 4 layers total on 4 small bubbles.

Motor-----not exactly GE's best---Without any removal of the motor/pump/arm, you can nevertheless just drop the base of the motor off and get a few NEEDED drops of oil into the lower sleeve bearing. That's what seems to have saved mine. If you do choose to completely remove the arm and motor, then you also have access to the top bearing for oiling.

I use mine weekly, jammed full. It's loud and uninsulated and does a fantastic job.
 
JB Weld

Original Cold Weld Formula, steel reinforced epoxy, search under METAL button

Mine went on the inside of the tub, filled thru to the outside(thru the rust hole) near the motor. I "shaped" it with a scrap of a paint stir stick in 2 minutes, then let it harden 24 hours before water testing. Easy and worked well. That was the only rusted thru hole. My 2 or 3 little "Bubbled" Plastisol got covered with numerous layers of ReRack, per the instructions. Again, no more leaks after a year of use.

Ebay RERACK, you'll find it, small bottles. Use it coat by coat and TIGHTEN that lid inbetween, it'll harden up in the bottle really quick.

Seperate issue: Can you read or photo the model #tag? If it's around 10 or more Amps, then you have the routine style that heats the water for the main wash(simply turns on the calrod) and maybe a rinse or two. If you're at only 6 amps listed, then you need your tank up to at least 140 or more.

My Mobile Maid 1966 with Power Shower is GREAT
 
well

Mine had a bubbled area with a 1/8" hole in the center. I barely sanded, just got JB all over it and into the hole and contoured it so there wasn't a spot for a single drop of water to stay. And when the putty pushed thru the hole, I smoothed it around the hole to cover everything for about an inch. I will try to find old pics or take new ones. For me, it worked.

This is my ONLY Plastisol experience, other will chime in with more info. But JBWeld does wonders.
 
As One Ponders How To Approch This Situation

*LOL*

My Hotpoint top loading dishwasher give directions for fixing gauges and kicks by cleaning first with detergent, then a type of solvent, lightly sanding the Plastisol area, then finally applying the two substance epoxy mixture to cover.

Instead of purchasing endless sheets of sand paper got a brush for my drill. Over the weekend or even tomorrow if one has time will get at the rust area on the underside of the metal tub. Want to see how large the hole is and extensive to better know what one is dealing with and thus form a plan of action.

Thank you for all your assistance and suggestions! Please keep em coming Akronman. Have been reading over the archives on tub repair in particular Plastisol to get a better idea from those that have done this before.

Am very interested in a product called "Rust Bullet" that seems to work better than POR-15. But have not read up that much on how or why some feel that way. Do know from examples both here and given in other groups POR-15 can and may not always stop rust permanently. [this post was last edited: 7/18/2014-00:05]
 
Don't know if this will help you or not but I hope it does. Our hot-tub had a jet leak and all the water kept leaking out. The pool supply guy suggested JB Weld Marine Epoxy. I bought mine at Auto zone and kneeded it to fit and smoothed it out and everything sealed great. Have had no trouble in 2 years.
 
After laying down repair epoxy

*Caution, Slop Artist At Work*!

Epoxy proved a bit more sticky and more difficult to apply than one imagined. Rather like trying to fit chewing gum into crevices and smooth out onto surfaces. Still think one did well for a first attempt.

Will see how things look tomorrow or Monday after curing is done. According to package the stuff should set up in an hour and fully cure after about eight, but have other things to do tomorrow.

Cannot find fiberglass sheets locally other than what are sold in those tub and sink repair kits. Very over priced IMHO for what one gets so will pop into Homeless Depot during the week or perhaps order from online/eBay. Will use that material when dealing with the hole on the metal underside of the tank. Before attempting that repair want to see if the inner tub work is satisfactory. For one see no reason to patch the outer metal until one is sure the inner tank is water tight. If it is then the outer tub can wait as in theory no water should continue to flow under the Plastisol to cause damage. Also want to investigate this Por-15 or Rust Bullet products you lot rave about. From limited research however neither should be used indoors for the fumes that are given off so that may be me for you.

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I don't think you'll need fiberglass to repair the hole in your dishwasher. One of my dishwashers was repaired from the exterior by the previous owner with fiberglass and it did more damage than good as it kept the water between the fiberglass sheet and the metal... The bubbling from the rust pushed on it until the resin wouldn't stick to the metal anymore. I just removed it, did a minor repair from inside and it's fine now. And the hole was much bigger than the one in your dishwasher!

 

Almost any kind of filler and fiberglass, when used to repair a car tends to hold not so well. I've been told many reasons why it doesn't hold well, some say because it's acidic, I think it's because it doesn't expand at the same rate as the metal it holds to but what I know is that it eventually cracks and let water go behind. That's not happening when you have an all-fiberglass structure.

 

To repair cars, where they cannot be easily welded (like around windshield posts), I had good results with some filler from France called Debrasel. It's very hard stuff and it sticks well to the metal. Of course, you need to have the surface correctly prepared and no rust remaining when you applied.

However, the product is very expensive and I wouldn't recommend buying a can of that just to fix a small hole like that. I think the epoxy you used should do well, if you need, you can apply tape under the machine to hold the epoxy in place while it's curing if the hole is too large. 
 
Yay A New DW

We are all hoping it works, I could not imagine living without a DW.

You did a great job with the epoxy, plastisol repairs are often not pretty but they are not too difficult to make effective, just stay on top of any new breakouts.

DO-NOT try to dissemble the pump unless it has to be repaired, the pumps in these GE DWs are difficult to dissemble and repair without replacing NLA parts. If either hose connection [ one drain the other goes to the power-shower ] on the pump leaks these are easy to deal with as they are just held on with simple metal hose clamps.

It will be interesting to see how you like this DW once you start using it, it probably should be better than the D&M 18" machine. You should avoid letting it go through the heated dry cycle as this added stress on the old plastisol in the bottom of the DW is not a good idea. If it is too big an inconvenience to try to catch and stop the dry cycle a relay can be added under the DW so the heater will only be on during motor operation. You will need any extra heat that you can get with this DW if your incoming water temp is not over 120F, you could even wrap a comforter around the machine to keep in heat and reduce noise, LOL.

John L.
 
Great job, Launderess!   You'll be rebuilding washer tubs too before you know it...  

 

POR-15 or other products can be used indoors if there is good ventilation.   I've managed to not asphyxiate myself using it in the Ogden basement but I did have all the windows open and a couple of fans to help move the fumes out and it was when doing a very small paint job.  If you have a balcony or porch, that could be a good place to work also.  

 

And that tub looks much better after the cleaning - it looks like the machine did not get used too badly.   Anxiously awaiting the news of the first water tests! 
 
Congratulations. I happen to like these troublesome, noisy, controversial- quality machines (isn't that what some think of the Mobile Maids or did I extrapolate descriptions?). In any case, I'm glad you found something that appears to have minimal issues that you've already tackled. I am learning something with each appliance experience, thanks to this great support group. I hope it's not too loud - even if, personally-speaking, I tend to like a little noisier machine(I come from the Motor City, for sure).

Hope to see this MM up and running in video and thanks, as always for the witty remarks. :-) LOL.
 
Thanks All To Pieces

For all the kind words!

Checked the result of yesterday's labours earlier and the stuff set up hard as rocks. So now the only question is how the patching will react to water and so forth. Am tempted to pour about two cups of hot water into the sump to begin "bringing the ship to life" as it were but haven't decided should deal with the rust and hole underneath first. Will probably at least hit the rust area with a coarse cup brush and clean things up, just to see what one is dealing with, then go from there.

Am rather on the fence about POR-15 and other so called "rust preventing" substances.

From researching around various other site including automotive there are those who swear by Por-15, Rust Bullet, et al, and others who swear at them. *LOL* Some simply feel the best thing to do with rust is remove as much of it as possible, then patch and or otherwise rebuild the area. More claim that all these substances do is delay the inevitable and that often rust continues to grow under the coating and even eats it's way trough. What does seem important at least with POR-15 is the prep work. Unless done correctly results are not going to be up to par.

With warmer weather and thus often the place shut up because the AC is on am not looking forward to being sealed in with fumes from Por-15 or whatever while they gas off. Will see how things go; maybe can slap some waterproof duct tape over the hole (after abrading off much of the rust) and wait for cooler Fall or Winter weather for any chemical repair work. That way can leave windows open and even clear out for a day or so until the fumes die down.

Other school of thought is to simply remove the rust, patch with epoxy and perhaps hit the area with Rustoleum product and call it a day. If the inner patch jobs hold long as no new breaks in the Plastisol occur there shouldn't be any water leaking out. That should keep a lid on the rusting, and can always just keep an eye on things.

@combo52

Can count on perhaps one had now many times one has used "heated dry" for any dishwasher in my life. Just don't see the need as between a good supply of hot water and rinse agent things dry well enough on their own. Being as that may am way ahead of you in considering that using the heated dry on this unit routinely probably is not the wisest. It looks as if someone was playing around with the unit and or used heated drying too often as part of lower upper rack (the one that hangs off the back of the tub) is melted a bit on one side. Am *very* concerned about the patch job which is not far under the heater. Don't want to risk exposure to too much heat often.

According to the service manual I have for the Hotpoint version this machine inside temps reach about 180F or so.

Our hot water has been around 135F or higher the past several months. Don't know what is going on but it bodes well especially considering it will only go higher in winter when the boilers are on for heating purposes.

Kept the insulation blanket from the Frigidaire/Kenmore 18" before it was chucked. After washing down the outer cabinet and polishing things up will see if one can find away to wrap it around the MM cabinet at least the back and sides. This hopefully will help holding in some of the heat and keep the noise down.

Know from reading the owner's manual that came with my machine and the Hotpoint service books how to stop and restart the machine after resetting to "wash" again. These directions are given as part of a the process for cleaning the tub to remove stains/spots/scale buildup with various substances such as oxalic acid. In theory once one learns where on the dial the main wash begins can simply stop and reset the unit. If done before the thing dumps the wash water should get another cycle. However unlike my late Kenmore there isn't a temp sensor in this machine, so it will continue heating water for the entire "second" wash. That could result in water temps >160F depending upon several factors.

This machine has a 50 minute "normal/daily" cycle with about twenty minutes of that devoted to heated drying. Also according to the manual lid remains closed at the end of washing, thus no automatic "pop up" as with other Mobile Maids.

In general:

This Mobile Maid in some ways is more compact than the portable Kenmore 18".

Because the water and drain hoses are up front it can be pushed almost flush against a wall. Where the Kenmore required several inches of space in back and therefore stuck out, the MM makes a smooth line with the Miele and AEG washing machines that are in the same row.

From reading the owner's manual you can fit a boat load of dishes in these things! While the motor and heating will draw more energy than the Kenmore did, will only have to run this baby perhaps only once a week since it holds so many dishes. It may be one of those situations that the thing won't be run until one is out of clean things to use.

If the thing does workout plan on only running it during the day or early evening. Both to keep the noise from bothering anyone and to keep an eye on the thing while it is running.

Kept the top from the old Kenmore (it had to come off anyway to get at the hoses), and placed it over the patterned vinyl top of the MM. This will protect the surface of the latter as one keeps things on top including a convection oven. The Kenmore top is also easier to keep clean and being solid much less prone to damage than the vinyl of the MM.

Also kept the unicouple hoses from the Kenmore which may come in handy as one sorts out how to get the MM near enough to the kitchen faucet and sink. Another worry is that the quick connect on the kitchen faucet is the larger/fatter version that works with my Miele and AEG. Am not going to be swapping it out for the smaller style "GE" version each time one wants to run the thing, so again that needs sorting.
 
Thing Makes More Noise Than A Hooker If You Don't Pay

*LOL*

Spent most of Sunday evening and early Monday morning doing a final cleaning, waxing and buffing of the Mobile Maid. Tipped it on it's back to get at the rust spot and hole underneath and now that is sorted. Hole overall is about a nickel or quarter give or take. Will patch later this week with another type of epoxy am considering.

Wanted to swap out the short MM hoses for the longer uncouple saved from the Kenmore, but my luck on of the screws securing the front panel is stripped and stuck. Tried "Liquid Wrench", banging, several sizes of Phillips head and even normal screw drivers, the thing won't budge. Am going to have to either borrow or purchase some sort of extraction tool to get it out apparently. When it rains it pours.....

On to more exciting news?

Yesterday one had noticed each time the unit was tipped on it's back for work, somehow the tub got dirty. Reached down last night and felt it was water that had come up from the sump. Indeed the area around the seals was "moist". Am wondering therefore how long this machine went unused.

With that in mind poured four cups of hot water into the sump Sunday afternoon and went about my business. By Sunday evening noticed no leaks and that the water level remained same. With that in mind got the unit prepped and gussied up after giving up on getting the front panel off.

First thing this morning decided to see once and for all what the deal is with the unit. Wheeled it into the kitchen and although it is a bit of a squeeze can get around the thing enough to hook it up to faucet and so forth.

However we have several problems.

First after the Unicouple is attached and faucet turned on slowly water comes out of the "spigot" and goes into the hoses at the same time. Once you get to full flow no more "leaks", well not into the sink.

With the dial at "off" however once water is turned on full force you can hear it splashing out of somewhere behind the front panel. Since we cannot get the thing off cannot tell from where. However if the dial is moved past the first wash to "Rinse" the sounds and one therefore presumes leaking/splashing stops. Ran the machine through from that point until "dry" and couldn't hear or see anymore leaking.

According to the Owner's manual the dial should be at "Off" when connecting the hoses, so what is up with water leaking down? This probably explains why there is rust at the bottom of the front panel and how that screw became rusted tight.

If anyone can shed any light on what could be the cause of the "gushing" water one would be obliged.

L.[this post was last edited: 7/21/2014-08:13]
 
Relax

This happened to me too. When the water from the inlet solenoid is released into the siphon-break (to fill the dishwasher) it sounds like water is leaking. If you don't see any water on the floor underneath the unit while this is filling, that's probably the cause of the noise. It is unsettling and worries me a little each time I hear it. On the built-in Top Loaders, this doesn't happen because the solenoid is way in the back of the unit, connected to the frame, not the tub, and is piped over the top of the frame and into a small opening at the top of the tub, so you hear a little water gurgling, but not the gushing that makes you think there's a leak.

 

You've done a great job on this and done your due diligence. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Yes, it is noisy, but it's fun, quick and does the job.
 
Sadly we got lots of water on the floor

Well not lots but enough to make several large "wet" areas on the puppy "wee-wee" pad placed underneath.

Again cannot be sure but think the leaking/gushing stopped once the machine began operating. Say this because there are periods of respite from the noise (when the motor stops) and things are quiet.

Just remembered did not select a cycle before starting the dishwasher, but did so after noticing. Also what does the little asterisk mark just after "off" but before "wash" indicate?
 
leaks

The splashy sounds are as described above, the siphon break under the solenoid valve. It's approximately at your left knee when standing in front of the machine. To remove the entire front, take off the timer dial. Two screws down near the floor remove the front, then sort of swing it out from the bottom, it's got tabs near the chrome handle that hold it in place, just swing straight out.

Then you can put back on the dial, start up the machine without the front and watch that solenoid for leaks. My solenoid leaked for the first 3 or 4 loads, then I tightened all the screws that held it together and no more leaks. Watch and see how it openly sprays water into the funnel, you'll understand the sounds you hear.

Funnest Dishwasher ever. Everyone mentioned loud. It's also hot, since there's no double tub or insulation. All that HOT water is pounding against the very cabinet walls you see on the outside. It heats your kitchen while washing!

This picture is on it's side, sorry, but you can see the front of the DW with the front removed. It'll help you know what's going on(a bit). And you can see the wet rug. It took a while to locate and fix the vrious leaks, but now I've had no leaks since last October.

The link covers some of my repairs


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