My first break up

[sesteve]

Well as the song goes - breaking up is never easy I know but it has to go.......

It was beyond repair as the gearbox had gone and leaked oil everywhere. I was going to have a go and see if I could fix iit but Austin warned me it would be difficult and he wasn't wrong. The seal by the pulley had gone and there was loads of play. But the rest of it was not great either as the pictures show ........
Before ..

 

[sesteve]

Corrosion

The drive shaft was heavily corroded ...

 

[sesteve]

Poor quality

Most disappointing was the corrosion on the edge of the wash tub. This was the last run of twin tubs and I guess the quality was not there as per the earlier models

 

[sesteve]

RIP

I've never got to grips with the hotpoint date codes so not sure exactly what year this machine was. At least I've got the 14890 and a load of spare parts to keep it working ))

This got me wondering how have other AW users felt about their first break ups?

 

[optima]

Hotpoint

I had the same dilemma with a Hotpoint Toploader that we picked up from a customers house the other day & that had a real bad oil leak. I so badly wanted it but i'm afraid it was to far gone to repair, it looked in tip top condition from the outside & that made me feel all the worse for parting with it.

 

[aquarius8000]

Oh no!

Steve! That's tragic!

PLEASE, if it's not too late, please may I have the wash tub lid please? Mine has a crack in it and looks horrible! And anything else you don't want, I'll take.

Shame, these are great, mine is great too!

Chris.

 

[brummybear]

Would Love One !

I would give my high teeth for a Hotpoint twintub. I see them on E-Bay but they go for silly money

 

[aquacycle]

Well, I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to "Knowing Me, Knowing You" in quite the same way again....

 

[sesteve]

Sorry for late response but have been away

Craig - what model top loader was it? At least with the top loaders you can repair the gearboxes and parts are still available but the twin tub seems to be a sealed unit. It was sad as I like to try and preserve machines where I can but this was not worth it and there still seem to be loads available. I'm about to pick up what will be my 3rd top loader tomorrow (I did sell one so will have 2)

Eean - don't give up looking. Sometimes they appear and no one goes for them so keep your eyes peeled. I would get one with the auto rinse for maximum fun!!

Hi Chris. I haven't binned the lid yet so it's available - will try and get the spin lid off too and then they will match. They will be going into storage next week until I move into my new house later in the autumn

Chris - oops hope I haven't ruined ABBA songs for you

S )

 

[supermaticjames]

Steve you probably have sussed this out already but just for everybody's reference the spin lid on most Hotpoint Supermatic's is held on to the actuating lever at the rear right hand corner by two screws, once the screws are removed you open the lid back and gently lift the lid towards you and pull away from you so that the retaining shaft slides out of the bottom left and corner. The lid is now removed! Sorry if I have made it sound over complicated hahaha!

James.

 

[ozzie908]

My 9404

is in the shed as it started to knock when agitating and for the life of me I am unable to get the nut inside the wash tub off, the one the agi screws onto its a bitch and a half so I have left it while I ponder what to do.

Oh dear Steve that detergent corrosion on the top of the tub was pretty grim it looked like it had a right bashing over the years lots of boiling over I would think.

This parting comes to us all at some point its how we end up with a shed full of parts lol

Austin

 

[sesteve]

Hey James

Thanks for that. I was going to look in the service manual as I couldn't fathom it out when I broke up the machine although it was getting dark - my excuse! so that will save me digging it out.

S

 

[chanceskydiver]

First time saw one was back in 80's and was in a neighbours house in their garage spent a lot of time there admiring it
It's a shame has to get scrapped

 

[markluton]

Hi Steve

The later Hotpoint twin tubs suffer badly with top of the wash bowl corrosion. I think in the later production years the enamel got thinner and thinner. They would also suffer from when users would not dry out the bottom of the wash bowl and it would start to rust and then rust through. I saw a lot of later wash bowls with a hole rusted through or nearly. And a lot with rust all round the top.

I have broken up many machines in the past and its not an easy decision. There was one machine I broke up which was total sacraledge and I don't know why I did it and regret it so much. I think it was when my collection I used to have became too much and I was depressed. The machine had some faults and I wasn't thinking clearly and broke it up. I have done some stupid things in the past!

Now I can't have a collection as my flat does not have the room but i have sqeezed in two TTs. I found out recently though I could have an older Hoover matchbox size machine which has given me some hope. The space I have for an auto is smaller than normal so can't fit a 595 or 600 machine in. I had to get a compact auto. Thanks to another member I was informed the matchbox size machines are smaller width and will fit in the space I have...yey! Am now on the hunt.

 

[vacbear58]

Smaller machines

Mark

Matchbox machines are few and far between but keep your eyes peeled for the Servis automatic models which continued into the early 1990s as these will be much more plentiful and will easily fit a smaller space

The link below has much information on them, the earliest models will be contemporary with the matchbox models

Al

Servis Quartz Club

Well I have finally joined the Servis Quartz club with my Quartz Plus 6035 which I picked up last week. Had a right rigmarole getting it as it was near Manchester so I arranged for a courier to collect and deliver which turned into a right farce (don't use Parcel Monkey) so ended up doing a...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[markluton]

Hi Al

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking more of a Logic? Those are apparently smaller in width? I know I won't find a true matchbox style as they are so rare now but you never know.
I didn't realise Servis machines were still smaller going into the later quartz style. I thought only the Servis "slimline" models would fit. The size I've got is 55-57 depending on if I can get a machine past the skirting board.

I do like the Servis machines but I don't like the very short wash times. If I remember the 40 wash was about 20 minutes.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Steve

Every collector will inevitably reach the stage where a machine is acquired that is too far gone for restoration.
Next best thing for them is to provide parts to keep other machines working so they don't go to waste.

I hate breaking machines up and the first thing I try to do is remove the fascia and powder drawer. Removing its identity makes it easier to do the dastardly deed, as it is no longer a Hoover A3350 Electron 1100 (yep - I parted one of these out), but a kit of Hoover parts.

Your kit of parts 9404 will enable other machines over the years to keep on going. Machines live on in others and knowing that
Paul

 

[sesteve]

Hey guys

All hectic here so only dipping in and out of AW at the mo.

Austin, I had the same problem with that nut as the service manual says this is the way to remove the gearbox but once I saw the corrosion and coupled with the fact that I wasn't bothered about keeping this machine (they are a bit boring without the auto rinse in my opinion) then it had to go. I tried all sorts of tools and techniques but it just wouldn't shift.

Hi Mark. I would agree - I think all manufacturers have looked to cut quality over the years so that we have virtually disposable machines cos they are so cheap now in relation to how they used to be. Before I got into collecting machines, I too scrapped machines that I would love to own now. My first automatic I bought was a Hoover A3060 which was a great machine. One of my neighbours in York had thrown out a Hoover 1100 A3260 into the back ginnel as the drum had split so I swiped it under the cover of darkness and cannabilised the A3060 as I thought the electron was more up to date and a better machine - the sacrilege!! At least it went on to work for several years even with a dodgy door release button. I guess we all go through this at some point . Good luck with finding a machine for your space. I love my Quartz machines and just wish I could get them sorted out properly

Hi Paul - the shed is pretty full now. One of the Hoovermatics I bought some time ago came with a whole load of spare parts as the rather elderly couple who sold it had gone through a number of machines over the years so I've got pumps, motors etc and some have come in useful already. One funny thing with this couple was that her children had bought her an automatic but she refused to use it so her husband was doing the washing. Her parting comment was she had no idea how she was going to cook the Christmas pudding in future lol. Bless

S

 

[slowspin66]

don't be too sad

Steve a break up is really sad but you have to remember that all those spares go towards saving others. !! This hotpoint twin tub was a bit of a hybrid with the bits form here and there. It went together a treat in the end. The later machines like most things in life were not as good quality than their early relatives !!
I put a rinse function on the spinner but didn't put the switching on . Still it worked great.
I'm sure your machine will live on in the form of saving others !!! Darren