I have a 1-18 washer that has a leak (water dropping onto the transmission). Is this very difficult to fix? Are there seals still available? Can they be made if not available? I'm trying to fix it, but if not worth the effort then its going for parts or recycling. Any thoughts?
GM Frigidiare 1-18 washer
- Thread starter treeman
- Start date
Help Support :
Leaking 1-18
I have one with the same problem....
I have one with the same problem....
If you can procure parts, disassembly is pretty straight forward. Make sure where it's leaking, most times it's the center seal, or a bad bellows, but at this age, it might be the outer tub rusted.
I think
you also should have a repair manual handy. I think you can download one off the site here, if not I can .pdf it to you. Also do a search on the site and check out (rollermatic)'s posts on this as he did this procedure a few years ago. Also, please ask us all kinds of questions so we can help you along if need be.
you also should have a repair manual handy. I think you can download one off the site here, if not I can .pdf it to you. Also do a search on the site and check out (rollermatic)'s posts on this as he did this procedure a few years ago. Also, please ask us all kinds of questions so we can help you along if need be.
Thanks for responding. I don't think the drum is rusted out and I have downloaded the manual from the site (thanks for the offer). I'll continue with the dissassembly and hopefully find an obvious tear in the bellows or seal. I'll see if this leads to any more questions.
Alot of people have removed the snap ring(s) with the use of a c-clamp. This procedure must be done carefully so that you don't bend the tub lip that the bellows seals to. Also, you could try one of these jar openers (pictured below) they look a whole lot like the bellows pliers do, minus the knotches that are cut into them.
Bump
Bumping this thread up and checking to see how these repairs are going for you?
Bumping this thread up and checking to see how these repairs are going for you?
rollermatic
Well-known member
that main tub seal is still
available at part select.com. i bought one in 2009 for my 1-18 and a complete thread depicting the restore of that machine is on this site somewhere in the archives under my username "rollermatic". again in 2009 sometime.
the part sells for around 45 bucks if i'm not mistaken. i have the part number in my files, can dig it out if needed. e mail me direct if you like. those pliers are available thru mark michaels, i believe he is called "simplicity" on this site. i have his direct e mail if you like.
i have restored 4 rollermatics and one 1-18 in the past 5 years and have never needed those pliers. i used channel locks to open the clamps and a series of wooden dowel sticks, also depicted in threads on this site to put them back on and lock them. mark was asking a very high price for those pliers and i thought it was ridiculous to pay that much when simple wooden dowel rods worked perfectly! but i think he is still trying to sell them for anyone interested. if i remember right he had bought a large lot of them.
available at part select.com. i bought one in 2009 for my 1-18 and a complete thread depicting the restore of that machine is on this site somewhere in the archives under my username "rollermatic". again in 2009 sometime.
the part sells for around 45 bucks if i'm not mistaken. i have the part number in my files, can dig it out if needed. e mail me direct if you like. those pliers are available thru mark michaels, i believe he is called "simplicity" on this site. i have his direct e mail if you like.
i have restored 4 rollermatics and one 1-18 in the past 5 years and have never needed those pliers. i used channel locks to open the clamps and a series of wooden dowel sticks, also depicted in threads on this site to put them back on and lock them. mark was asking a very high price for those pliers and i thought it was ridiculous to pay that much when simple wooden dowel rods worked perfectly! but i think he is still trying to sell them for anyone interested. if i remember right he had bought a large lot of them.
toploader55
Well-known member
Hi Peter
How are you ?
Nice to see you posting. How have you been ? Any more KAs to your collection ?
How are you ?
Nice to see you posting. How have you been ? Any more KAs to your collection ?
rollermatic
Well-known member
hi toploader!
hope ur havin a good winter! i pop in here once and awhile when i have something to add. usually frigidaire or kitchenaid related. place has changed a bit over the past few years hasn't it!
my latest dishwasher is a kdc-56 model a friend from this site named don gave me when he came to pick up that bendix tombstone i sold him this summer. it's all torn down gettin a complete rebuild, starting with a sump and outer tub bottom paint job and rust proofing as i always do to them.
i also added that maytag 1960's style reverse rack last summer, think i posted it though. and that japanese mini 18" montgomery ward dishwasher last feb ( i know i posted a thread on it). and i bought a countertop dishwasher this summer just to see what it would do but after 3 months i put it in storage. i plan on doing some posts here later this year.
ps 474733 is the part no. on that seal at partselect.com
thanks pete
hope ur havin a good winter! i pop in here once and awhile when i have something to add. usually frigidaire or kitchenaid related. place has changed a bit over the past few years hasn't it!
my latest dishwasher is a kdc-56 model a friend from this site named don gave me when he came to pick up that bendix tombstone i sold him this summer. it's all torn down gettin a complete rebuild, starting with a sump and outer tub bottom paint job and rust proofing as i always do to them.
i also added that maytag 1960's style reverse rack last summer, think i posted it though. and that japanese mini 18" montgomery ward dishwasher last feb ( i know i posted a thread on it). and i bought a countertop dishwasher this summer just to see what it would do but after 3 months i put it in storage. i plan on doing some posts here later this year.
ps 474733 is the part no. on that seal at partselect.com
thanks pete
It took some doing to find the parts (oil, water bellows and tub seal) but they are in and the machine is not leaking. Thanks pdub for the help in locating the parts.
There is a new issue however. Aggitation is fine, machine switches to spin (sanitize setting), gets a little speed, and the motor trips the thermal switch. This happens when there is water in the tub, but not when it is empty. I cleaned the rollers and drivers and tightened the belt hoping that it would be enough. Sorry to say that was not the case. I still had to empty the tub water by hand.
I do get a high pitch whine as the motor starts to build up speed. Thoughts on what to do next before my wife kills me for wasting time.
There is a new issue however. Aggitation is fine, machine switches to spin (sanitize setting), gets a little speed, and the motor trips the thermal switch. This happens when there is water in the tub, but not when it is empty. I cleaned the rollers and drivers and tightened the belt hoping that it would be enough. Sorry to say that was not the case. I still had to empty the tub water by hand.
I do get a high pitch whine as the motor starts to build up speed. Thoughts on what to do next before my wife kills me for wasting time.
This is quite odd. Tell your wife to cool it, you're working with a vintage treasure here
There should be 1 inch deflection in the belt, no tighter than that or it will be hard on the pump bearings. I would run the belt off the pump pulley and try to determine if in fact the noise is coming from the motor or the pump area. Typically however, this problem means that the clutch needs to be cleaned and adjusted. Are you all the original owners of the machine? Do you know if the clutch has ever been serviced?
Glad I could help you in finding the parts. Something is causing the overlimit switch to cut out on the motor. It sounds as if the weight with the water is too much for the motor. Any experts out there that know how to diagnose why the motor would be pulling too much current with a full tub as opposed to an empty one. Could something in the transmission be binding? Could it be a bad thermal cutout switch?
Hopefully someone will chime in with an answer.
Patrick
Hopefully someone will chime in with an answer.
Patrick
Sounds like the clutch is not working. Try taking the clutch apart, cleaning it, and put it back together and trying again. Thats the problem with an old Frigidaire, you are never done working on it. On the plus side, it is easier than the bellows job. Good luck!
philr
Well-known member
If you can make a video of it to show exactly what happens, maybe this would help some members making suggestions.
I never had this kind of problems in my 1-18 but I'm thinking that the water that leaked might have caused another problem. Maybe the spin clutch is stuck or too tight so when the spin starts, it puts too much strain on the motor. These can be adjusted, but then the high pitch noise you're describing could be related to it too. This noise happens just during spin?
I never had this kind of problems in my 1-18 but I'm thinking that the water that leaked might have caused another problem. Maybe the spin clutch is stuck or too tight so when the spin starts, it puts too much strain on the motor. These can be adjusted, but then the high pitch noise you're describing could be related to it too. This noise happens just during spin?
I just remembered that fellow club member Bob Orear had this same problem on his 1-18 about 2 years ago and cleaning the clutch fixed the problem. I'm willing to bet that the leaking water caused the clutch to gunk up and while it's been sitting idle for repairs this condition worsened. Simply put the clutch needs cleaning and is best done with the use of small wire brushes, a toothbrush and break parts cleaner. The manual details the disassembly and so do a number of threads here on the site. If you need help please let us know.
I want to thank all of you that have been replying. I'm getting closer to having a working machine. I pulled apart the spin clutch and indeed found that one of the clutch pads had bonded to the clutch plate. Cleaned and reassembled the spin cycle doesn't trip the motor. However, I'm getting too much slippage now and the spin never gets really going. Durring dissambly the clutch pads (and brake pad) were quite worn. Maybe a 1/16 of an inch of material was worn away on each pad. The clutch adjustment markings was the second mark to the left of the H when I pulled it apart and I kept it there for reassembly. So, would adjusting the mark closer to the H make the clutch hold better? If the pads are that worn should I just replace them with new? What is the part number for the clutch and break pads?
I also took a video of the machine adjatating and spinning mostly to know if they sound like they should. I'm not sure if I can upload it to this thread (its not a jpeg), but I can e-mail it if anybody wants to take a look.
Thanks
I also took a video of the machine adjatating and spinning mostly to know if they sound like they should. I'm not sure if I can upload it to this thread (its not a jpeg), but I can e-mail it if anybody wants to take a look.
Thanks
I'd like to see your video. From what you say it sounds like a clutch cleaning was definetly in order. Those clutch pads can be turned over and used on the other side as well as the break pad. As I'm sure you have found out the clutch is pretty easy to work on after you understand it. I have had good results with flipping the clutch pads over and placing the adjustment in the middle section, this is the stock factory setting I believe.
