Frigidaire Unimatic Problem

[jessed]

Hi everyone. My Frigidaire unimatic s doing some funny things. I just got it working again today by putting on a new fill valve. I ran a load of towels through and everything went well. Then I went to run a load of bed sheets and the problems began. When the machines goes into spin the agitator continues to go up and down for about 40 seconds into the spin. It seems like this is keeping the machine from getting up to full speed right away too. Any thoughts as to what is happening?

 

[tomturbomatic]

There is a shift solenoid that might not be working properly or, horror of horrors, it might be something inside the mechanism.

 

[jessed]

If it were the solenoid would it spin at all?

 

[thomasortega]

Torque spring maybe?

I've heard that horror story once....

 

[swestoyz]

Pulsating during spin = broken torque spring

Do you hear the solenoid snap confidently into spin AND it continues to agitate, or as previously suggested is the linkage not properly engaging the trip shaft? Is it not fully getting up to speed?

You should be able to manually move the trip shaft with ease. Otherwise, it sounds like it might be a torque spring which will require a full re-operation to replace the spring.

Ben

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?18681

(Thread with a link to a Youtube video showing the symptoms of a broken spring) https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?27545

Saving a Unimatic - a Custom Imperial restoration

Hey gang - it's been a long time since I've had an open window of time to post something in the Imperial forum, and I'm excited to share with everyone a project that I worked on between August of this year, through the fall. About 5 years ago a 1958 Frigidaire Custom Imperial set came to live...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I replaced a lot of torque springs for that same problem. I can still remember the box they came in, wrapped in this oiled parchment like paper. I only go as far back as Frigidaire blue & white boxes, although I remember old stuff in the parts department in blue & yellow boxes. Either way...I'm old!</span>

 

[tomturbomatic]

I remember the blue and yellow boxes and the oiled paper.

 

[jessed]

I did not get to check to solenoid shifter yet but I did try to just run spin with nothing in the machine and the agitator goes up and down while it starts spinning and eventually after some speed gets built up it stops moving and gets up to full speed spin

 

[jessed]

I just checked the shift arm and it is free. Also, the solenoid seems to be working properly and fully pulling the arm down when it goes into spin. Most of the time the machine will continue to agitate for a while in spin and then eventually get up to speed, and very rare will it go right into spin as it should. Does this mean it is broken or worn spring?

 

[Unimatic1140]

Yes it sounds like the clutch torque spring is weak or broken unfortunately.