New acquisition: 1969 GE FilterFlo Washer - Beginning the Dissassembly and Restoration

[dishwashercrazy]

Bad looking on the top, but what about around the bottom?

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Wow! Looks like it pulled the whole tub groove out with it!

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Turns out that likely, the Transmission Boot was not leaking at all. What I did find, after doing some scrubbing was a pinhole through that groove in the tub where the boots sits. There is also a large rust spot next to the drain, which is very thin and delicate.

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Closeup of the area where the pinhole is located.

 

[dishwashercrazy]

So what is next?



Next, I plan to work on the rust areas. I have done some preliminary scrubbing and cleaning. I am uneasy scrubbing much more in the groove, and that large spot by the drain.

I want to coat the rust with POR-15, but I cannot get it here in Peoria. Therefore, I have ordered a Starter Kit directly from the POR-15 customer support.

Next step after that is to use a Bondo Fiberglass Repair Kit to form a patch over the worst areas.

Finally, paint the affected areas with an Enamel paint.

All further suggestions most welcome.

Thank for reading so far.

Mike

 

[macboy91si]

That Sucks!

I've seen several machines like that. My boot in my GE looked similar and had become very hard. Water likes to stand in all of those rust spots and I guess over time it eats away at the porcelain and attacks the metal. That lip will also flex a lot when the metal becomes compromised and that only accelerates the problem.

 

Sorry to see that, do you plan on sourcing another outer tub?

 

-Tim

 

[mtn1584]

one word....................................................

GORGEOUS!
Mike

 

[turquoisedude]

Great find Mike! You're going to do this pair proud!
Mind if I borrow your 'belt trick' for future reference?? LOL
Looking forward to following your progress.

 

[cfz2882]

'69 GEs

nice pair -those are really close to the very first washer and dryer i stripped
down back in 1979,pair i stripped were kind of a pinkish color but not really
a true pink.They might have been a couple years older than '69,but all the
details were the same as the '69 pair pictured.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Great video Mike, I love the fact that you tested it right on the truck as soon as you got it home.  I've done that, sometimes us washer boys just can't wait to see it run!

 

[bajaespuma]

Glad you got it home!

Mike, I've fixed many of those holes in the outer tub successfully with the Bondo. Just use it fast, it sets up very quickly. Clean the rubber boot with oven cleaner spray then rinse it well and clean it with Lime-away. Works wonders on many of those parts.

 

Whoever designed that first generation of plastic hub cover deserves to have to pry it off of a 100 year-old machine to enter Heaven. I can't help but think that GE repairmen had a dedicated tool for its removal. Even when you know how it works it is a difficult and frustrating job.

 

Can't wait to see the machine in action with its new pimped-up spiral activator+mini tub.

 

[rickr]

Best of luck with your Filter Flo restoration Mike!

I had a 1964 Filter Flo that stunk like hell, before I cleaned out the crud out of the bottom of the tub as you are doing. It always smelled fresh after that work was done, so it is well worth the extra work to clean the machine out properly.

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Thanks everyone...



Tim (macboy91si): I purchased a new Transmission Boot from my local Maytag/GE dealer for $30. To me, it is worth having a brand new boot in the machine. I didn’t think about the turned up lip weakening due to the rust in the groove. Nevertheless, I would really like to save the original outer tub, so I am going to proceed with a repair, rather than a replacement tub first. I did hear from my appliance store owner/friend in Missouri after I asked him for some assistance on the plastic agitator shaft cover. Apparently, he has some spare outer and inner tubs from this era that I could use as a replacement. It is nice to have that option.

Mike (mtn1584): THANKS!

Paul (turquoisedude): Thanks Paul. Yes, you, and anyone else can take advantage of the agitator removal method using a leather belt. Just slip it under and across the midpoint of the agitator. I closed the buckle on the belt forming a continuous loop. Then I just yanked and pulled and jerked on the belt until the agitator came loose. I have not tried this method on a couple of my Maytag washers yet, but I do want to give it a try one of these days. The POR-15 should arrive Thursday. Anxious to get started.

cfz2882: Thanks.

Robert (unimatic1140): Thanks, glad you liked the video. Yes, I was anxious to get to see the machine run, however, there is another reason why the Washer & Dryer were, and STILL are, on the truck – I don’t yet have a place to put them yet. I am hoping to sell the two dryers (Maytag and ASKO), which will open up the perfect location in the basement for a Washer/Dryer pair.

Ken (bajaespuma): Thank you, and Thank you for all of your advice so far with this acquisition! I really appreciate your expertise. As I mentioned above – I bought a new boot for $30, so the peace of mind is well worth the small expense. I totally agree with you on the design of the plastic hub cover. What a bitch to get off.

Rick (rickr): Thank you. I am looking forward to sharing the restoration project with everyone here.

By the way, if anyone is looking for a GE FilterFlo, I am going to have For Sale, a 1990 Model WWA8350GBEAD (Almond). I use it quite regularly now, but once this restoration is complete, I will be looking to had this 1990 machine off to someone else.

THANKS to all for reading.

Mike

 

[jetcone]

I can't believe you got the tub bolts

out so easily. Those are the hardest bolts to release in Applianceville! Now you're on your way to Filter-Flo Freedom!

If you have the option, I'd go for the replacement tub; you're 90% there already and it will be so much stronger in the end = many problem free washdays ahead.

 

[mrb627]

Amazing

You've come a long way already. Looking good from here.

I second the opiion to replace the tub if you have that option. You'll be much happier in the long run!

Malcolm

 

[MaytagA710]

Aww what an excellent looking set! Congratulations on your find! There is a dryer exactly like yours on Kijiji here in Halifax, I have half a mind to just pick it up now. Great video and good luck with the restoring process.

 

[gansky1]

Very nice, Mike!  I've been doing the exact same repair on a FF recently too - the tub flange and drain area of the tub rust out terrible.  (leave those lids up homemakers!)  I used POR 15 and silicone before on these outer tubs and it worked great.  Since the outer tub doesn't really have much stress of the moving transmission and basket it holds just fine. 

I just bought a mess of GE boots on ebay for $7 each - newly made of silicone and they are beautiful!  This pic is after the repair and new boot.  Hopefully the new boot won't degrade like the old rubber did - mine was the same thing, the boot was OK but the tub rusted right at the flange where water stayed around the boot-lip.

 

Best of luck with the new GE set - they are in very nice shape!

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Thanks Jon, Malcolm, Kevin, and Greg.

While I understand replacing the tub may be the preferred option for some of you, I believe I am going to follow Gregs example first and try to repair the tub. I may regret the decision, but I truly want to keep as much original iron in this machine as possible. BUT, I will double check with my sourch of the outer tub, and perhaps reserve it just in case.

Mike

 

[mixfinder]

Rusted Outer Tub

While watching Greg work on his Filter Flo I learned some background on tub rust outs.  GE did not have an out of balance function.  When the wash basket would bang against the tub trying to get up to speed in the spin cycle it damaged the outer tub creating dents and breaks in the surface where rust can begin to infiltrate.

 

[gansky1]

Unless there are very large holes, your outer tub should work just fine for many years to come.  The picture I posted above is an oddity in that it looks as though there is rust all over the surface of the lower regions when in fact, that was a reflection or a flash anomaly - it's as clean and blue as the rest of the tub except where I used the POR15 around the flange and the drain/pressure switch outlets.

 

Good luck, Mike, I'm sure you'll make it work and it will be as good as new when you're done with it.