Inglis TO-41001 Commercial Belt Drive Rebuild -A few questions-

[vegabass25]

Hey all, it's good to be here. Been enjoying working on appliances for almost two decades. Worked on many washers, But this will be my first belt drive unit. I've done plenty of research on them over the years, and have good memories of an Inglis Liberator washer my mother had years ago.

I picked this machine up the other day. I plan to restore it for my own use and interest. Inglis TO-41001. This is a commercial coin op unit made in Canada. It runs and functions just fine, But as youll see in the photos, Its pretty obvious a seal has failed and water is seeping into the gearcase.

I plan to fully service this machine and its gearbox. Since its a commercial unit AND Canadian made I was hoping to find more information on it before I source parts, Just in case there are small design differences. From what I can tell, It should be a regular old belt drive machine mechanically.

I'm assuming it was made in 1986 based on the mfg number on the motor. Seems to have the "quiet pack" skinny non ribbed belt and rubber damped pully, Which I find to be an odd choice for a commercial machine. Here are some pics. Any additional info on this neat machine is appreciated. Thanks

 

[combo52]

Last of the whirlpool commercial belt drive washers

Hi Landon, this is a great machine to fix up. It’s a little better built than the normal home models. It has a better porcelain finish on both the inner wash basket and the outer tub.

It should be an easy build. The parts are all the same as the normal home models both assembled in Canada and the US, the one thing I notice is the rear transmission brace is missing on your washer. This is very important for smooth spinning performance with an out balance, there’s two other races that might be missing as well.

But you’re correct it needs to be pulled completely apart seals and other parts replaced that are worn or damaged and it should work for a long time, I still know of two of these machines that are in commercial use in DC .

John

 

[repairguy]

Congrats on your find. This will be a fun and rewarding project to complete. There are many threads you can search for here on rebuilding whirlpool belt drives. There is a lot of knowledge here so ask questions. Can’t wait to see your progress.

 

[vegabass25]

I knew it looked a little too accessible in there...

Hey John,
Thanks for the info! Glad to hear it has a more robust finish on the washbasket and tub. This machine was still in service until two weeks ago. This makes it the third belt drive machine I know of in town that was still being used daily.

I noticed that brace missing, and am going to check for the two others. Not looking forward to trying to source those. I would much rather not use the machine without them to avoid undue stress on the parts. Those missing braces are the mark of a lazy repairperson in the past. Appears the transmission may have been opened as well, as the longer case bolt that connected that bracket appears to be in the wrong spot. It runs well and sounds good at least. I plan to get that transmission out of it and cleaned up ASAP before that water does any more damage.

Thankfully the water in the transmission was not a surprise, since I immediately noticed the agitator is a bit loose which compromised the airlock underneath it.

Where should I start searching for the brackets? I have two older appliance shops in town but this does not really seem like a consumable part they would keep on hand from back in the day. Seals and moving parts are a different story since they wear out with use. Finding a parts machine is unlikely as this is the first BD unit I've seen for sale in my area in a decade.

I plan to pop off the agitator and get a better look Underneath this evening to see more of what I'm up against. I'll post what I find, along with many other pics along the way. Google searches on this unit bring up not a whole lot. Hopefully that changes by the time this projects done as I document it lol
-Landon

 

[appnut]

Landon, I don't have anything to contribute to the needed discussion at hand but a reflection. In late 1974/frist half of 1975 I lived in a small apartment complex in Austin TX. Friends lived in a similar complex that aws brand new and the washers in their laundry room were exactly like this. Bring back fondd memories.

 

[repairguy]

There are manuals available for download in the manuals and literature section on this site. I should have spare braces if you can’t find any. Here are a couple good threads from the archives.

https://www.google.com/url?client=i...AQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw2joQnZxzRbMJm_BMIs1-ds

BD Rebuild

So with all the posts over the last few months detailing the rebuilding of various machines I decided I was inspired enough to try my first rebuild. I got my hands on an old Inglis belt drive last year and although it seemed like it had very little wear from the outside, as I've now learned...

www.google.com

 

[vegabass25]

Melven-
Thanks! I really look forward to making this unit run like new again! I think it will clean up quite nice. I even got the keys and spare coin slide parts so all that will be restored as well!

This forum has been extremely valuable for me in learning more about these BD washers over the years. I'll be documenting all progress on this machine here as I go.

Also, I got a better pic under the machine. I'll have more soon, Gotta finish up some other units to free up space in my shop.

Seems ALL the support braces/brackets are missing. What a bummer. Also missing a hinge/retainer for the top. Are the top hinges pretty standard amongst these BD machines?

More pics to follow this eve. Thanks.

-Landon

 

[vegabass25]

Melvin-
That is very much appreciated. I'll call a few places tomorrow but if you have a spare set of braces I would gladly buy them off you. I'll update as I call around.

The seals seem to be available still, But that belt seems tricky to find. Is it a proprietary size? looks like a 3/8" V belt but the pulleys have quite a deep grove to them.

I think I have a repair manual for the BD machines somewhere. If I recall it was the "Do it yourself" one so not sure how in-depth it goes. I remember it being over 100 pages anyway. Ill see if I can dig it up, and check out the literature section as well.

Thanks -Landon

 

[repairguy]

The belt would be a 96388.

 

[qsd-dan]

Before purchasing any parts, tear the machine down and check the condition of the center post. If that's too far gone, things get really interesting very quickly.

 

[circlew]

Nice machine for a coin-op. Did it come out of a washateria, or some place like an apartment building?

The lid is unusual, as it appears to be one like on a Kenmore, but opens to the rear like most other Whirlpool machines. The majority I've seen have the handle at the front. My cousin Diane had a mid 70's coin-op, but can't remember if if was a Kenmore or Whirlpool. Regardless, the lid opened to the rear.

 

[vegabass25]

Fingers crossed the center post isn't pooched! I just removed the agitator and brushed off the shaft and retainer nut. Agitator came off easy, and fits a bit loose on the shaft. Splines are a bit rusty. Shaft has some corrosion further down but not as rough as I was expecting. Top and Washbasket will come out next upon further disassembly. Gotta finish the little GE/Whirlpool thing in the last photo for a buddy first lol

The Machine came from a very small trailer park and was sold alongside a direct drive machine that appeared very similar in age and design. Both where in use until a few weeks ago when they upgraded to machines with modern payment equipment.

Thanks

 

[repairguy]

You are going to need a new agitator shaft. I can see from picture one that it is rusted in the seal area and that’s what caused the water in the gearcase. As Dan suggested I would tear the machine apart before ordering parts to make sure it will actually be able to be rebuilt properly.

 

[vegabass25]

I'm going into this assuming it needs pretty much everything so I will most certainly be waiting until full disassembly to order parts. It will run again. It has no choice. I look forward to the challenge.

It functions and held water overnight a few days ago for testing, so it's got that going for it. I want to get it running functionally like new, and I want the rebuild to last so I'll make sure to do things correctly.

96388 comes up as a cogged belt. This unit has a smooth skinny one but could be aftermarket. I'll look for markings to double check

All this help is appreciated thanks!

 

[114jwh]

Congratulations on your find Landon. Look forward to seeing updates on your progress.

I just completed another belt drive overhaul recently and found that this time around, parts were much harder to come by locally than when I did the first one in the thread Melvin linked to about 10 years ago. In most cases I did have to leverage eBay which does typically have the more common parts.

Its coincidental this one came up, a few months ago I saw an ad for someone that was selling about 10 of these and the older commercial version with the taller backsplash. From the pictures it looked like they were in a storage locker so must have been in tucked away for many years.

There was a recent thread about the narrow belt and I think when I looked at that time some parts suppliers had that listed as a cogged belt when in fact it isn't cogged like the standard belt is. If its the original belt it may still have the old Inglis part number on it but 96388 is the more common part number for the narrow belt.

Good luck and let us know how it goes

 

[qsd-dan]

"It will run again. It has no choice. I look forward to the challenge."

The correct attitude, I like your style. Too many give up easily these days.

 

[ragnboneman]

Anyone ever try a solution for the shaft like a speedi-sleeve?
I use these on industrial gear boxes and motors that needed a quick fix.

SKF

www.skf.com

http://www.fiberglassics.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/IMG_5207.JPG

 

[vegabass25]

Those speedy sleeves seem quite interesting. I've heard of a few other ways of restoring various shafts used in industry. Down the road when the NOS parts become full unobtainium, this could really save someone's machine.

I plan to remove the basket tomorrow to assess the tub and center posts condition. After that, I plan to remove the transmission to see how its doing internally so I can get various parts orders together. Then I can have everything ready to go for an excellent holiday/winter project.

Thanks again to everyone commenting here. I really like this machine. I've always had a thing for the "commercial" versions of various appliances.

 

[vegabass25]

Here's where I'm at so far. Top came off with ease as well as the top splash guard.
No major rust on the tub rim, and the seal is in excellent shape.
The basket nut came off with ease with the proper spanner.
The basket is putting up a bit of a fight. I ran out of time for the day and will let some penetrant soak in and give it another shot tomorrow.
The underside of the top is in excellent shape with very little rust. A nice plus!
Note the mercury lid switch. Really cool. Not sure how common that is on old washers, I just wasn't expecting to see one here.

Any tips on gently freeing the stuck basket before I give it another go tomorrow? I'm very familiar with getting old, stuck fragile things apart without damage. Just want to be as careful as possible to not damage the coating or knock it off balance.

More pics of course. Cheers!