Help with Old GM Frigidaire Refrigerator

[cjhsa]

I have this 1970s vintage fridge in red at my up north cabin. It gets used about 8-months out of the year. It works, but has started to make some rather scary sounds, bad enough my buddy and I thought we had an animal in the place when we first heard it. Now, when you open the door, it goes "BLAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH". Best I can describe it, pretty loud too.

I'm wondering if perhaps just a fan is going bad? Maybe two fans? When you open the freezer door, there is no off switch, so you can hear the fan/compressor grumbling away, which is not new. The noise in the upper half is.

Is it worth fixing or if I should replace it? It's kind of cool but not super retro, other than the color.

http://https//youtu.be/CXR-HCKFQSg

 

[panthera]

Ok, a few possibilities

1) The flowing cold fan is in the freezer or way down deep behind the right crisper. They eventually suffer worn out bearings and make similar sounds. A standard kit fits these just fine (they'll tell you they don't work, they don't exist, blah blah blah but I've done a 1967 and a 1965 with them in the last two years so, yeah, OK.)

2)It's possible something fell into the fan or broke an impeller or it came loose on the shaft and is hitting something when it turns off (when running, it moves nearly 3 millimeters out from the frame).

 

In any event, it's reparable, worst case a universal kit. Just have a made up Whirlpool number for the idiots when you go into the store or order it online.

 

[cjhsa]

Thanks. What exactly do you mean by a "made up Whirlpool number"?

 

[goatfarmer]

Bad fan motor. Get the model number, and post it here. Can get complicated to fix, but certainly worth fixing.

 

Model # may be stamped on the back, or look on the side of the crisper drawers for a model tag.

 

[panthera]

made up number man's

A model number for a real whirlpool so you don't have to listen to the Tom-fool idiots tell you it can't be done, too old, etc.

 

[combo52]

70s FD Refrigerator With Noise In The Freezer

I am assuming you have a top freezer model, if so you either have a bad fan blade, a bad fan motor or a another very common problem with these refs was an ice build up from the automatic defrost function where the water does not drain properly and builds up and freezes and starts hitting the spinning fan blade.

 

If you think it might be ice you can shut down the ref for at least a few days [ unplugged with both doors open ] then turn it back on and if you don't have the noise for a week or longer it was likley an ice build up.

 

Getting to and repairing the fan area of these refs was a PITA, unless you are really in love with this ref you may want to replace it with something more energy efficient that will also keep your food better and longer.

 

[panthera]

Not fun but doable

I wouldn't classify replacing these fans with changing the belt on a Whirlpool belt drive washer from the 1950's but there's no question but what it is a project.

Still, I've done two fairly recently and if I can, anybody can.

 

[goatfarmer]

The worst ones were the ones that used the square nuts BEHIND the housing holding the fan in place.

 

[panthera]

Oh, yeah

BOTH of the two I did recently had those dratted nuts. What were they thinking?

Well, I know what I was feeling.

However, it's all good. I did one on a brief visit from Germany to the 'States back in the late '80s - little young to blow out, but, well, it did. Replaced the bearings by using two top bearings from VM record players. Still working, today.

 

[cjhsa]

This is a bottom freezer model. I will have to look for the model number the next time I go up, it will be at least a couple weeks.

 

[combo52]

Red Bottom Freezer FD Ref

Well its not a 70s model for sure, FD probably only ever made about one bottom freezer model [ ever ] in red around 1968-9.

 

You can disregard most of what I said about what the problem is and what to do about fixing it on a 60s BF ref. The most likley thing that may be wrong with this ref is just a worn out freezer fan motor.

 

Post a picture of your ref if possible and even a recording of the noise it is making, we can give much more accurate advice that way.

 

[cjhsa]

Heres is the sound (link to youtube video).

Only pic I could find was one of my mom standing in front of it about 20 years ago. Sorry, not very helpful.

http://https//youtu.be/CXR-HCKFQSg

 

[ken]

Sounds like the fan hitting the housing and coming to a stop. Is this fridge designed so the fresh food compartment fan stops when the door is opened? 

 

[cjhsa]

Yes

 

[goatfarmer]

Fan motor, either going bad, a bad fan blade, or something in the blades. Looks like a 67-68 refrigerator,I don't recall Frigidaire's being red then. Maybe a repaint?

 

[panthera]

Poppy Red and Sunshine Yellow

Were, despite the official cannon, still on offer in 1967-68. We have a Custom Deluxe Refrigerator in Sunshine Yellow from 1967, which officially does not exist. And it's originally this color, not repainted.

Ditto a 1968 dryer in poppy red we saw in a home recently. Unfortunately, it got sent to the Habitat Restore who metaled it - they don't 'do' old appliances.

 

[panthera]

Poppy Red and Sunshine Yellow

Were, despite the official cannon, still on offer in 1967-68. We have a Custom Deluxe Refrigerator in Sunshine Yellow from 1967, which officially does not exist. And it's originally this color, not repainted.

Ditto a 1968 dryer in poppy red we saw in a home recently. Unfortunately, it got sent to the Habitat Restore who metaled it - they don't 'do' old appliances.

 

[circlew]

If it's from the 60's

and the factory finish, the color is probably "Matador Red".

"Poppy" was shaded, and introduced later. In '77 the shading was removed and it became "Terra Cotta".

http://https//books.google.com/books?id=pVUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA124&lpg=PA124&dq=Frigidaire+Matador+Red&source=bl&ots=Vrd3SXDmHM&sig=jZmB0oPVIEbJEc1LvHGfFLPDqn8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwikyIDWoLTUAhVj2oMKHRJhDVsQ6AEITDAK#v=onepage&q=Frigidaire%20Matador%20Red&f=f

 

[panthera]

Tom,

You're right.