Norge LWA 2040 A 00 No Water - Round 2

[pilsnermonkey]

Greetings. Long time no wisit. Some of you may recall a thread on my old 60's vinage Norge LWA 2040 A 00 20 pounder from 2011: http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?32280

Back then, some of you helped me solve a solenoid issue. Thanks again, hope yer all doing well. Some of you may recall my mouse friend from back in 2011. No mice this time!

The old Norge is up to her tricks again...

Like last time, the spin cycle has ceased to function. Agitate cycles work but tub does not fill with h2o. I can manually move the solenoid hammer to engage & disengage the spin cycle but this time, even with the lid closed (haha), the machine will not fill with water.

My question is: does this sound exclusively like a solenoid issue or could the problems run deeper. Pump, water valve etc?

I don't want to give up on this Norge. When it runs, it is a terrific machine and I'm sentimentally attached now that I have some repair time invested.

I have a whole archival pic history, complete with money-shots, model tag, schematics and of course the mouse. Poor little guy.
Link: http://bowvalleyit.ca/images/Washer/washer.html

If anyone can share some insight I'd sure appreciate the help. In the meantime, I'll be trying to locate another Westward solenoid.

Thanks gang.

http://bowvalleyit.ca/images/Washer/washer.html

 

[pulsator]

Does the machine agitate without any water in it? If so, it sounds like a water level switch issue to me. If I remember correctly, these machines start spinning once the water level switch is deactivated (thus the partial drain before spinning). If the water level switch is stuck in the activated position then the machine would agitate during the wash without filling and would refuse to spin. It also explains why it won't fill with water, the machine thinks it's already full.

 

[pilsnermonkey]

Thanks for the info Pulsator. Yes, the machine agitates with no water. Interesting, I did notice that the water level switch was in between high & reset when the problem began. The switch has 4 positions: low - medium - high and reset. I'll check out the switch & wires and report back.

 

[pilsnermonkey]

Thanks for the comment Pulsator. That got the wheels turning. We are back in business. I dumped a couple buckets of water in the tub and let the machine finish the agitate cycle. That got the timing sequences all straightened out. We are AOK & all systems go. Solenoid is holding up just fine apparently. Note to anyone with an old Norge like this: keep an eye on the retention bolt that keeps the brake mechanism snugged up. It appears to be very prone to loosening which may have messed this up in the first place. LocTite here we come. 18 years to go on our 20 year 'hope it lasts' dream.

Also: if anyone is into parts supply, or just likes to have handy stuff for Norge on hand, keep an eye out for these solenoids. They are becoming scarce. We lucked out and found an old stock unit 2 years ago for $14. They now range from $30+ all the way up to $80. PN's include 8779, 33-6357, 33-7963, 33-8291, 35-0472, 626-779, LP 241 and probably a whole lot more.

 

[washerlover]

Great news, Pilsnermonkey! Happy to hear that another Norge continues to live and is going strong! These are my favorite machines and thanks for the info on the solenoids -- I want to keep my '66 Norge and '74 Wards Signature clanking and clunking til the day I die!