ISO Help from 3-Belt Front-Loader Buffs!

[fermdq]

Hi guys,

I'll very much appreciate your help here. I know there are many 3BFL fans along with several pros here with decades of experience. I have only come here seeking knowleeedge, things they would not teach me of in colleeege. LOL! I humbly ask if you pass some of yours to me ... please!

So, the saga/restoration of my 1962 LCC30 Westy continues. I've found a bunch of brand new parts for it which has been great, but I've hit a roadblock ... RUST! Only a tad to the outer tub, some to the inner-tub/spinner-basket (on the back not too far from the shaft), and a lot to the front tub.

After looking around for replacements (forget new, just plain ol' used ones) unsuccessfully, I gave up and started looking at repairing mine. De-rusted the front with some steel-brushing and gentle grinding, and finished it off with electrolysis so I got to the bottom of it ... to bare metal ... and to some serious holes!

So I got POR15, SS mesh and epoxy putty ... but I'm thinking I'd much rather replace it altogether. Any advice? Does anybody have or know of one laying around somewhere?

Also, I read on the forum here that some of you have been able to replace the inner tub/basket with a SS one from later models (I guess by Frigidaire/Electrolux). Does anyone know of compatible part #s or model #s I can search for? (FYI, mine is a 'full-size' and the basket is 22" in diameter X 12-1/2" across the perimeter wall X 13-3/8" in the opening). My online searches and parts cross-referencing research have given me nothing certain.

Thanks in advance and may the (brute) force be with you!
Cheers,

FR

 

[moparwash]

Good luck with your rust fixing...wish I could help with advice, but my 1961 had no rust on the inner and outer tubs, just stains from hard water. W was well known for thin paint and not using porcelain on the outer cabinet, so a leaky door boot like on mine almost rusted the door opening to the point of being unusable, so hope your cabinet is in good shape. Please post some pics when you can so we can see what rust issues you are facing

 

[fermdq]

I'll need lot's of luck!

Thanks moparwash for your reply. The cabinet is in great shape thankfully--only a couple rust stains on the cross beam below the door, two rusty spots on the bottom of the door and door panel, and another one at the bottom of the front lower panel. The boot must have leaked at some point, but it must have been replaced (it says "Frigidaire Q133321") reasonably quickly b/c rust is not bad at all--the floor panel has barely any.

I've read here on AW that rust to the front tub is a well-known cause of death for these machines-- bendixmark told me as well. Combo52 wrote somewhere here that no repair will match the performance of the original part, which convinced me to attempt replacing it-- besides saving me the time and effort of fixing mine.

But I have little hope that I'll find a decent front tub anytime soon so I'm trying to do the best repair job I can on mine. I wish I could weld but I don't so I'm going with POR-15 (rust preventer on bare metal, epoxy putty on SS mesh on holes, and 2K Urethane--hardens like enamel and is water resistant).

I'll post pix in a bit.
Cheers,

FR

 

[combo52]

Rusty slant front WH washer

Hi, unfortunately there is no stainless steel basket shaft assembly that fits these models that I know of.

Unfortunately without seeing your tub front it's hard to advise the best way to repair it or whether it's repairable at all I've tried repeatedly to get together with you we're only about 15 minutes apart. I'm out of town right now call me next week if you like it, but it's hard to help repair something like this on line.

John L

 

[fermdq]

Thank you John!
Yes, we've played tag I guess. Mostly my bad, sorry! I stopped by your shop on my way to Costco last weekend b/c I saw activity there but only your employee was in.

I'll call you Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

So no full size SS tub? Bummer. I thought a late model would have one. When did SS baskets come out? During the WCI era? Frigidaire/Electrolux? Any idea what year?
Cheers,

Fernan

 

[bendixmark]

Tub

The stainless steel tub came out in 1996 when they reintroduced the frontloader.If you could put one of those on your machine it would make your machine a mongrel something we frown upon around here.Like the Police reference,I saw the synchronicity tour twice and saw them at Fenway park when they did their reunion tour.

 

[panthera]

Disagree!

Having been confronted with Westinghouse front loaders and finding parts (without the help of several members here and Greg's generousness gift, we'd still be working on a slant-front dryer nine years later:

If a more modern piece fits and works:

GO FOR IT.

 

[panthera]

Disagree!

Having been confronted with Westinghouse front loaders and finding parts (without the help of several members here and Greg's generousness gift, we'd still be working on a slant-front dryer nine years later:

If a more modern piece fits and works:

GO FOR IT.

Some may frown upon it, but those of us who actually have worked on Westinghouse appliances know that they are a world apart from the far more easily serviced GE/GM/Whirlpool machines. You take what you can get and make an appliance live again - and if the Imperial Queens don't like it, they can just get over themselves.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Would modern plastic/polypropylene outer tubs fit, with their respective matching inner steel drums?

That way, the inner drum and outer tub would be more of mechanical match.

 

[combo52]

The needed tub front was only used 1959 through 63. The newer post 1996 basket and spider will not fit these older washers.

The plastic outer tub assembly will not fit in these washers and to put that in it would totally change the character of the machine other than its outward appearance.

 

[fermdq]

Argh, 1959-63 is a pretty early and short time-span so the odds of finding a front tub are rapidly approaching zero. I know later models have the fill hose on the other side and at least some have a hole below the boot for a bulb or something. I could live with that I think. Switching/modding the fill hose and plugging just one hole sure beats fixing my front tub!

About the mongrel thing, I see the point though I am not sure if for me sticking to form supersedes rescuing the machine and improving it's performance and lifespan. You see, I aim to finish the restoration and not having to ever work on it again! MWAHAHAHA!

Now seriously, even if I managed to get a SS basket in there--which is looking increasingly unlikely--I would paint it with POR-15 enamel matching the original color. You see, the dark side hasn't really gotten me! What's true though, is that I wouldn't mind if my Westy outlasted me after it's all said and done.

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Cheers,

Fernan
PD: didn't forget the pix ... they are coming

 

[neptunebob]

"I wish I could weld"

There's an excuse to go to a community college or vo-tech and learn how. Could lead to a career!