Matchbox Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3243H Restoration

[servischris]

Hello,

This is a machine I have kept quiet for a few years, it's a Hoover Keymatic 3243H from the Matchbox series. Its taken me almost two years to restore it and I'll show you how I did it. I will make a few posts showing different stages of the restoration etc with an explanation of whats going on!

The story begins two years ago next month when the machine was listed on Shpock, a UK selling app much like Gumtree and a bit like eBay. Somehow I ended up buying it so a price and date was arranged to collect the machine from Wednesbury which is near Birmingham. My best friend Phil and I set off on a saturday morning to collect the machine, Phil drove as at the time I hadnt got a car I could carry washing machines in. Many thanks Phil. As we pulled up outside the machine was sat in a car port behind gates and under a polythene sheet, I remember the excitement of actually seeing it in person and it being mine! Cash exchanged, the machine was loaded in to Phils car for its next stop in Derby, with most of the drive admiring the manual and keyplates! Happy days

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 2

So, we took the machine to some good friends Rob and Paul who we stayed with for the remainder of the weekend. We decided we would try the machine on a spin but not water test it. (This is where the trouble began you see!). It works, hooray! Paul set about cleaning the machine while a new door seal and soap tray housing to tub hose was fitted as the original was totally shot as seen below. Rob and Paul also own the later version of the 3243H with orangey highlights so the oppotunity was taken to take photographs of both machines side by side. Then it was back home to Southampton...

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 3

Back home now and this is where the major issues come to light. Will it hold water? No.

Unfortunatley this machine is two months earlier than the other 3243H in this color scheme preserved which (Annoyingly) has a two leg tub like models to follow however mine had three. This would make finding a replacemebt tub impossible. The outer tub was too far gone to repair. What looked like a small hole to start with, as soon as i touched it it all fell apart basically. New tub required so it all came apart...

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 3

So with the hope of finding a replacement tub gone I enquired to see if one could be made. In the end I ended up with a cylinder with the front of the old drum welded on, but the wrong shape and would not work. More money down and lost all hope, I left it for about a year and a half.

This is the 'tub' I was left with..

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 4

So fast foward to a few days ago and after much thought I decided that I would attempt to put the suspention brackets off the old three leg tub onto a newer two leg tub. So I cut the old brackets off both outer drums, drilled holes in the brackets and drums to fix them, filed the round holes to square(ish) holes to bolt the brackets to the drum with. Bolts put through and bracket pads attatched, ends cut off and fibreglass patches applied to cover the bolts on the inside..

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 5

So today then it was put it all back together. Get all the bits out that I took off two years ago and hope I remember how it all goes back together. Washed the soap tray housing out as well. Outer drum in first, set the suspention springs up and check the brackets and suspention line up, yep, they better do, fit in the concrete block, pump, motor, bolt the inner drum and back plate for the drum back to it, re fit the door and door seal, working up towards the inlet valves and fitting the drawer back together lastly...

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 6

It was at this point it suddenly hit me 'Wow, this is actually coming together'!

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H Restoration 7

All in, back together. Thank goodness. And does it still work? Yes! I will water test it tomorrow but I have all confidence in it that it will be fine. Will post results tomorrow and add video links in time.

A bit about the machine... Its dated April 1972 so its just hit 48Y/O. Scary. Unfortunatley at some point in its life it has had a new programmer and keyplate reader...it runs using keyplates and timer from the later A3062 1100 Keymatic. The spin speed is still limited so it stays at constant speed (750-800?) instead of going up in the progressive stages like an A3062 was. Its also had a replacement inner drum in its life before too, I am amazed that it had had all this work done to it over the years! In my ownership then it has had new valves, heater, door seal, drawer hose, tub seal and this tub repair so its certainly not 100% original. hey ho.

Many thanks Rob (Aquarius 1984), Paul (Matchbox Paul), Phil (ServisSlimline) for providing service diagrams, measurements, parts and so on.

To leave you with a few photos...

Chris

(Ive added two lots of images, ignore that haha!)

 

[servisslimline]

Keymatic 3243H

Well then, amazing to see this at last, i can just about remember the day we collected it! dont remember it being so sorry looking, certainly a huge transformation.
Nice to see another Key finally saved & restored again!
Phil

 

[ozzie908]

@chris

Well done Young Sir on a remarkable restore...

Having never seen the black keyplate before what's the difference with the orange one ? Is your machine cold fill only?

Look forward to seeing it in the flesh soon

Austin

 

[chestermikeuk]

Keymatic

Great work Chris, pity about the tub, I now understand what your other good spare parts friend Mathew was saying about now after you where discussing replacement tubs with him, 2 / 3 strut washers ,
very interesting...pity with the made tub, at least its worth knowing peeps about that can make them..

The black keyplate is actually for the last keymatic made the A3112 , so what is the part number of the timer in this model ?

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Chris.

What a project this has turned into and frightening to realise that it was just shy of two years ago that you popped in, having picked the machine up.

As well as the rust you found later, am I right in thinking that the top of the original tub had a pretty much terminal failure as well - was there a split up top?

The planning and effort you have put into getting your 3243H sorted is so very impressive - I envy your skills!

One of your posted photos was a nostalgia trip when it was taken back then and still a strong one today - the picture below was what I used to see when I would go and visit Mr and Mrs Holt at number 1 (I lived at number 4).
Stacked in the room behind their garage, just next to the door into their kitchen, both were replaced in 1993 by a matched set of Hoover New Wave's and I last saw their 3243H as I looked out of my bedroom window at their house across the road - it was sat at the front of their garage, waiting for the council to come and take it away. Ahhh memories, albeit a sad one.

The very best of luck with the further testing over the coming days.

Paul

 

[rolls_rapide]

Reply #5, photo 5...

I like the way the chicken casts a critical eye over the proceedings!

Were the 3-leg tubs more stable or any quieter than the 2-leg versions?

 

[sesteve]

Fab work Chris. I like the way you’ve thought about and tried solutions and then thought some more when it’s not gone as thought. There’s a lot to be said for a bit of reflection as you’ve demonstrated here. Looks really good and fantastic solution you’ve come up with. Have you done any more protection of the inside of the drum to prevent any future corrosion? I’ve been using the 2-part epoxy paint that Rob Marshall recommended a while back and it really does the job. I hope all the testing goes well and look forward to the updates.

Re: 3 legs - I’m not entirely sure why 3 were used initially on some machines - early Hotpoint machines also used 3. I would speculate that it was to do with the twisting force of launching into spin but I could be wrong. I don’t think there’s an explanation in the service manual why they changed but it was probably through fine tuning the design

 

[keymatic3203]

Brilliant work Chris.

look forward to the videos, enjoy the testing and using this lovely machine.

Well done

Mathew

 

[keymatic3203]

Brilliant work Chris.

look forward to the videos, enjoy the testing and using this lovely machine.

Well done

Mathew

 

[keymatic3203]

sorry don't know why

the page didn't reset after posting, so posted twice.

 

[servischris]

Hoover Keymatic De Luxe 3234H

Hi again, thanks everyone for your knid words

Mathew, thanks, I forgot to thank you for the worktop you provided me with which compliments the machine as well as hiding an ugly rusty patch on the lid! Sorry, and thanks again.

Mike, the black keyplate hasnt got any model numbers stamped on it like your one does in the photo above. The timer is a Crozet 734K / 88714059 if that means anything!

Paul, time flies! Yes there was a rusty patch and a crack on the crease for the bit where the back plate bolts on to the tub. Well remembered!

I dont know why the early models had three suspention legs, Steve's explanation is better than mine I honesstly have no idea.

Anyway, the machine was water tested yesterday and there was a slight weep from the thermostat seal so I sealed that and tried again in the kitchen today. Happy to say it held up and I ran a load afterwards which I have filmed and hope to post the video later this afternoon.

In the mean time I'll leave you with a few more of todays pictures..

Chris

 

[gizmo]

Wow, that is a gorgeous machine. Well done!

In the photos at Rob and Pauls place, is that a Hoover Zodiac 12 I can see in the background? How did that find its way to your side of the planet?

Chris.