Kenmore Belt Drive - Belt changing question

[northwesty]

Well one of the '51 Kenmores is having a problem. It's pump wasn't working. I've been getting some help on this but it still has a problem...

It appeared that the belt was only loose so we tightened it up. It only worked twice and now it's back to the pump not working. We're thinking that a new belt could do the trick as this one doesn't seem to be gripping or is too loose to tighten any more.

Apparently these earlier ones there is a rod to the transmission -- an arm on the tranny to the brake - part of the spin tube. The trick it to get a gap big enough to get the belt around. It sounds like this is a little different on the 51 as opposed to the later belt-drive Kenmores. Does anyone have a picture or manual page of how to do this? I don't know if this 51 is alot different here than the pictures of the 57 restoration pictures. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Unimatic1140]

Hi Brian, that sounds very odd, but I have the very first Whirlpool automatic washer repair manual and I will scan that section tonight when I get a chance for you.

 

[northwesty]

Hi Robert thanks so much.

I suspect that it could also be the pump -- that I think would also explain it. But it did work the two times and spun real well, but before it started to not work I noticed that the spin wasn't so great. So maybe the belt is it. In any case I would sure like to know how to replace the belt anyway.

This '51 I'd sure like to get on line. The other one is doing, well, 10-20 washes every week and is going strong but I'd like to divide up the work load a bit.

Here's a pic of the painting process I went through a year ago {I can't find my digital camera right how to post a new laundry room pic} (I haven't posted this before)

 

[Unimatic1140]

As promised Brian here is the belt procedure from the earliest Whirlpool manual...

 

[Unimatic1140]

page 21

 

[Unimatic1140]

Page 22

 

[Unimatic1140]

And now here is a page just for us girls...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Also check out this picture, this service manual is from 1948 and look the agitator appears White and the basket only has two rows of holes in the bottom!!! Now isn't that interesting????

 

[andrewinorlando]

I just absolutely love how sexist the text is....Mrs. America, service man.....kind of reminds me of the stories in my Little Golden Books storybooks from the 1960s...oh, the language!!! If they only knew......

 

[bpetersxx]

oh great now I have to figure out how to convince Robert to scan and post the rest of the pages in the book

As Paul Harvey says "The rest of the Story"