How to disassemble a Visimatic?

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tuxedoronny

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Aug 10, 2011
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Boston
Hi everyone, I'm sorry to say I'm not on here much- but lately I find I'm in need of some expertise. I have a Kenmore Visimatic, which I think was made in 1960, (with a model number of #1105902801 for those interested)that I love dearly, and hope to have forever. HOWEVER, the old girl's getting some serious rust spots around the wringer and "belt line" of the skirt that have developed further since I got it a while ago. At this rate it only going to get worse. SO: I picked up some appliance enamel and got to work. The lid and wringer parts are all shiny factory-white again, but I can't seem to make heads or tails of the specs to get the tub separated from the skirt. there aren't any visible means to get the thing apart from the agitator shaft, so I'm guessing the whole thing unscrews or has some kind of fitting underneath??? The hexagonal thing the agitator sits on comes off, but then what? And what of the pump/drain? The link is to a picture of the tub. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 
Not sure if anyone's seen this yet?

Anyway, I looked around here and google some more and found out I need one of those tub nut spanner wrenches at some point (the kind you hit with the hammer)but I don't have one, and am not really sure where to get one in my area. I would rather not order on online because money's tight and I'll only ever use it the one time. Is there any substitution for this tool? I have a few normal wrenches around, and I read I may be able to get it off with a hammer and screwdriver- but I'm afraid to break the little metal tabs on there! Any ideas, Anyone?

There are also those OTHER little tabs on the agitator shaft, what of those? :O
Maybe I'm supposed to take them off first? or... I have no clue.

Anyway, hopefully someone who knows what to do will see this!
 
HI Ronny

Looks like yours is a '59. Nice looking tub and very clean. Mine is a '66, but I haven't taken the tub apart and can't really perceive, studying it, how to do it.

 

We don't have many members who own Visimatics. I think another member, maybe Wetguy, is about to get one. Can't remember.

 

You're young and motivated, and I wish you luck, but I am not sure what you're up to. The tub and the skirt are all one piece, accented by molding. Visimatics are amazing machines.

 

I just went down and checked, and now I understand: the top half of the tub down to the molding is free stranding, while the bottom half of the tub is surrounding by the skirt. You want to separate them. From what I can see you'd have to remove the wringer column and the metal molding strip. Haven't had the machine tipped over in ages, and I can't do it tonight, but maybe tomorrow to see how the tub is fitted into the skirt from the underside. Alas, right now you and I may be the only members with a working Visimatic. I know what it's like to want to tear into a machine. So again, good luck if you're sure you need to do this.

 

Not sure what your goal is in removing the tub from the skirt, other than to figure out the architecture.
 
Just looked at your link for the machine sub-assembly

and you can see that part #39 is the brace to unfasten what now looks like a giant tub clamp that I have been calling molding.

 

The clamp lock or brace is situated right along the wringer column which must therefore come off before you can get at the clamp. Pretty cool that the molding is really the biggest washer clamp ever made.

 

The Visimatic never ceases to amaze. Thanks for the revealing "tell-all" link.
 
Hi Mickey

Thanks for the response and info! I was able to get the wringer column enclosure off, and sure enough the tub clamp in question was removable. Funny thing though, it seems it was a strictly decorative molding, and wasn't really holding anything together! Or maybe it was keeping the second level of gasket material between tub and skirt in. It's all hardened up now so who knows.

Anyway, although the tub is pristine, over the years it seems water has splashed over the side and pooled behind/under that clamp, causing big spots of rust around the tub and skirt section. I flipped the machine over (gently onto a moving blanket of course!) and it's got a big streak of rust running down where the timer is! I've noticed since I bought the machine (a year ago?) some outer rust spots have gotten bigger too fast for comfort- and I'm dead set on preventing them from eroding more of the machine. Granted I have time, these machines sure are built like tanks, arent't they!? Still though.

The only thing is the shaft that holds the agitator in the tub is in there like a rock, and I think is the only thing left holding the whole thing together (aside from the drain- piece of cake to disconnect) Home Depot sure didn't have one of these doohickeys for me to try (pic in link), so I'm thinking of just buying a giant monkey wrench and see where that takes me! More info to follow when available.

 
Here's the rest of the diagrams

For anyone else interested, these old diagrams show the rest of the workings and how they assemble; pump, wringer assembly, etc. I don't need to dismantle any of those things (hopefully), but maybe someone else can use them. I personally saved all the pics to my PC in case Sears ever takes them down. Click the part name and "View full size" to save them.

(see link)

P.S. There are other Sears/Kenmore model diagrams from over the century if you enter your model number in the search! What a goldmine of esoteric info!

 
Ronny, do you have any pix of the front of the machine?

I was checking your thread many times and hoped you didn't get in too deep, but you sound like a natural. Missed your posts. Thanks for the updates and new info.

 

Have you sprayed the shaft with WD- 40?

 

If you still can't get the agitator shaft loose, let me know and I'll call a friend who has removed hundreds maybe thousands of them.

 

 

[this post was last edited: 11/5/2012-13:23]
 
Hi again,

Here are some more pics of the rest of the machine I took a while back: [link]

I just put some WD40 on it yesterday or the day before, it might be pretty gummed up from years of lint and soap, so it might be a while. I also tried a lock nut wrench I found at Home Depot (the adjustable, swinging kind)- didn't work and I was afraid to hit it any harder with the hammer for fear I'd break the two pegs it pushed on, off. So I'm just going to try one of the actual washing machine ones. I don't know if they've changed designs or sizes over the years, but it's worth a shot I guess. I can always return it.

...These things are lefty-loosey, right?

P.S. The machine looks pretty nice in pictures, but just out of sight is some nasty looking rust, I swear! -You can see it developing back then, around where it says "Kenmore".

 
Ron ~

 

I talked to John (combo ) and he said he'll check your thread. He's a bit hard pressed just now, running the shop without a secretary. Dependable and reliable, he'll be here soon. Going to click your link and enjoy your pix now, so thanks. I'll be back.
 
Wow

A few of the pix show the machine as pink. Exciting for me because the first Visimatic I saw was pink, but when I got to the control panel pix, I nearly hooted. This is indeed my first Visi (in a neighbor's basement) only in white with the rare pull up controls for the Agitation and Drain/Filter.

 

I never knew the exact year of this style: 1959. You've got a rare gem indeed, well worth preserving. It's beautiful. Thanks again. John should be here shortly.
 
Excuse the pink pics,

My camera is a little funny sometimes, I don't know why, though in person the machine is definitely white. Thank you for talking to John about it, and for the info & compliments!
 

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