Hoover 0611 Spin Tub Buffer Seal

[MIPS]

Hello everyone!
So I spotted a Hoover twin tub washer the other day and took the chance to buy it as I always wanted to try one.
It's a 0611 which is apparently your basic unit. It was relatively clean and there wasn't too much rust. WD40 and two test cycles found no electrical or mechanical problems however....

1)The pump leaked
2)The spin tub buffer seal was leaking

Top priority was the pump. Instead of leaking at the O-rings it was leaking out the valve seal at the top at a fairly fast and steady rate. A replacement seal could not be sourced so I rectified it by installing in a tightly fitting o-ring inside and stuffing the cavity with grease.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/CGS_0190.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/CGS_0191.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/CGS_0192.jpg

The whole pump was dismantled, cleaned and the o-rings regreased even though they were fine.

The buffer seal is different. From the looks of the spray pattern it's been doing it for a while however it's a mere drip compared to the torrent of water from the pump. I removed the spin can and pulley and the inside of the buffer is starting to crack so I want to remove it, clean it, and apply silicone goop as well as take a drill brush to the inside of the tub to clean up the corrosion blisters.
I removed the snap ring and according to the exploded view you push the seal into the tub ( http://cdn.appliancepartspros.com/images/diagrams/dcache/0028310441_4.gif
...however even with a wooden block and a hammer I can't move it. Does it normally take a large amount of force to remove old buffer seals or has it rusted and reacted with the aluminum tub?

 

[unclejohn]

0611

Allo MIPS!

First of all,

welcome on this forum!

I too have one 0611 (bought in 2012) about which I had to fix only one thing, that is - a cracked rubber seal beneath the spin tub, quickly repaired with some amount of GE silicone rubber gel, after that no problem whatsoever. The repairs you refer to seem quite a bit more difficult. Perhaps you should get some helpful discussion on that matter with knowledgeable people regarding restoration.

This is a nice little machine, basic but practical. Please could you tell us where did you find - and how much did you pay for it? I got mine's (last year) for fifty bucks from a woman whose mother passed away so she had to get rid of that lil babe

BTW, it'd be cool if you could post in here a few pictures of your machine. I'm in preparation to post some photos of my own 'backyard collection' as soon as I can.

 

[MIPS]

Well I was hoping that someone here might know a bit more. All the other forums I frequent don't specialize with large appliances like here.
I purchased it at a used construction supply store that sits on the Mt. Paul Industrial Park's main drag. Paid $75 for it which was the high end of what I wanted but I have not seen a twin tub in years so I bit the bullet.
The unit obviously had a lot stacked on it. The lids are scratched up and the spin lid even has a piece of palstic riveted on because the aluminum is starting to break along a perforation. Cosmetics like that IMHO are fine by me.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0008-1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0009.jpg

Inside the spin tub (ewwww~)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0010.jpg

Washer tipped over
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0011.jpg

Underside of the spin tub (still have not gotten the buffer off)
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0012.jpg

That leaks been there a while......

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0013-1.jpg

 

[twintubber]

Oh my.....

She's a little beat up around the edges, that one. But a beauty no less.
Glad you rescued it and finally got yourself a Twin Tub! They are LOADS of fun (I know-groan...)
You have however, just reminded me of the task I will soon have to face with my recently acquired Hoover TT.
The pump works just fine in mine, (thankfully), but the spin tub seal leaks from cracking. I tried silicone sealant and it still leaks.
So come Spring, I'll get all new belts and a new seal and get it finally up and running smoothly.
I look forward to your success and hopefully learning from your efforts.

 

[unclejohn]

Thanks for posting some pictures of it, MIPS. It IS the very same model as I have. Cool! Here is a nice little machine, and I hope you will have fun working with it.

 

[MIPS]

Managed to get it off. Decided to take a risk and dent the side of the buffer's metal ring and then a few more taps with the hammer and it fell out. It's in pretty bad shape but again, it's not something I can affordably source a replacement for so out came the Goop and after being washed, scrubbed and dried it was given a light application.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0015-1.jpg
I'll probably have to put some more around the outside edge when I reinstall it because it's a tad warped from the prying.

As for the tub, it was also pretty bad. Some of the blisters had eatean right through but again, a good cleaning an application of Goop to the inside and outside of the tub looks like it will hold out.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0016-1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0014-1.jpg

The drain was also messed up. A dime sized hole had corroded away. I cleaned that up then applied JBweld with a bridge patch to keep the epoxy on the hole.

That should about do it. Hopefully after everything sets for a day there shouldn't be any leaks or immediate issues with parts rusting out.

 

[unclejohn]

Good work !

MIPS, seems like you're on the right path to rejuvenate this machine. Hope it will work fine from now on, with NO leaks. Except for metal fatigue, normal wear, etc., rust is the worst enemy of our beloved household appliances. It's a fight to death against corrosion... And, well, washing machines are exposed to this problem, more so than any other appliance (dishwasher or humidifier excepted). Let us know, when your washer 'is back on its feet'. :-]

 

[barcoboy]

Nice machine MIBS! Hope you get it leak free soon.

 

[barcoboy]

Oops, sorry, I meant MIPS.

MIBS is another acronym having to do with where I work.

 

[MIPS]

Lose one leak, gain another (or two)
I had a feeling that the drain from the spin tub would leak since it's the only place there was no hose clamp.....and it did but that was easy to fix.
Unfortunately our old friend is still being annoying. While reassembling the spin can assembly I noticed I had some extra play on the shaft which might affect the ceramic rotary seal but the documentation never showed a spring so I assumed that 1/16" more play wouldn't hurt.
It did. Add a bit of water and now it leaks around the shaft which means the rotary seal is not getting the compression it needs to keep water in. Everything is keyed so you can't loosen the pulley bolt and pull the spin can tighter against it so I guess orginally everything was a perfect fit and now that stuff like swelled up corrosion and damaged seats have been cleaned up it is now all out of spec. Either I can find a spring to place on the spin can side of the seal to press down against the other half on the buffer or find a washer or two and shim the buffer up from the underside against the other half. What would be better?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hoovermatic

Congratulations of finding and restoring this great washing machine, they are fun to use and relatively easy to work on, great job of de-rusting the outer can and getting the resiliant mount seal out with tearing any more holes in it!!

By the look of your resiliant mount (see link pic) it looks slightly different to the ones over here but our has a strong spring and copper seals on the shaft access, looking on your pic I cant see the spring on your seal.......

http://s11.beta.photobucket.com/user/ballsandy/media/DPP_0015-1.jpg.html

 

[MIPS]

I was wondering why there was that giant cavity.
When I pulled apart thebuffer I found a large amount of rust but no spring.
I since reassembled it using large amounts of goop........
I'll pull the buffer out again and hopefully I can separate the pieces but where could I find a new spring?

 

[MIPS]

Pulled it apart agian and cleaned most of the goop out. Here's what you get.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/CRW_8222.jpg

The exploded view a few posts up and with googling I can't find ANYTHING that says this had a spring in it. There's the face, counterface, the buffer and a thrust washer.

 

[MIPS]

Right. Problems.

So the lack of a spring in the rotary seal was apparently made up with one face being flexible with a reinforced steel ring around the edge. I bought a large washer and glued that inside the cavity of the buffer, then gooped in the rubber mount for the ceramic face. This was to seal over the old corroding seat and to lift up the seal a little.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0017-1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0018.jpg

I then took another washer and fitted that on the other side so that now there was zero up/down play and the rubber face mount was partly compressed so the two ceramic discs were tightly together.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0019.jpg

But it didn't do anything. You add water and it immediately starts trickling down around the shaft. the buffer is good, the ceramic seal should now be good.....

 

[MIPS]

Say, unclejohn.
Would you be able to tell me how the mechanical seal assembly on your 0611 is assembled? I've gone over my seals, goop and everything thrice. Either mine isn't getting a flush seating between the discs (which is odd because the rubber buffer should flex it into place if it was not) or I'm doing it all wrong because there's no other palce this water can be leaking from. The only illustrations I can find online do not get detailed enough to show how it goes together and you are the only other person I know of who has one of these machines.

 

[MIPS]

Only took forever but with careful balancing and reseating of the seals I got it. Ran it through two cycles with no leaks. There is some squeaking but I don't know if that is the washer shim on the underside of the shaft rubbing its way into the new home or something else. Between how sensitive the seal is to alignment and screaming at a hose clamp for an hour because they suck to put on, I'm not taking it apart again.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0021.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a166/ballsandy/DPP_0020.jpg

 

[unclejohn]

0611

Dear MIPS,

Good to hear it seems to work its way without problem. Hope it will continue to give you hours and hours of washday pleasure!

Beautiful machine. Mine doesnt have the original red and silver metallic logo. I had to 'replace' the missing badge by a peel & apply type of color sticker with the round hoover logo (see pic below). Thank you for sharing the photos.

btw, have you had a look at these? (see link)

0611 Hoover Washer Parts Diagrams & Free Repair Help - AppliancePartsPros

Original, high quality parts for Hoover 0611 Washer in stock and ready to ship today. 365 days to return any part.

www.appliancepartspros.com

 

[chestermikeuk]

"and screaming at a hose clamp for an hour"

Ha ha , that sound about right for some of these repairs, glad to see you persevered and got the trusted Hoover twinny working, now make sure you use it regularly, most of these oldies have just as much damage from not being used...

Heres a link to the Hoovermatic 3301 which is the nearest model to yours here in the UK...

Hoovermatic 3301 Twintub Washing Machine (1966)

This was Hoover`s 3 rd series of twintub washing machine and main design change was the conrols which where placed on the top washdeck console for easier access. It has a linked heater / wash timer and a new snap in style empty hose.

www.flickr.com

 

[MIPS]

Had to run it today when the Inglis had its timer give out halfway through a load.

Does anyone know the diameter of the original spin mats? These things don't like working without them unless you want the machine rumbling across the floor.