Operation Matchbox Rescue! - Hoover 3236H

[matchboxpaul]

after over 5 hours of graft the bodyshell had proved a minor miracle, with the left hand bodyside looking like this...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the right hand side looking like this (cant do much for the top right bit - obviously where the weather hit it, but the pitting is much reduced)....

 

[matchboxpaul]

wont do a front of the machine shot just yet - am off for my tea!

More later.

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Back on the inside now...

view from top

 

[matchboxpaul]

and to the famous.....

....MTH 951 timer...

 

[matchboxpaul]

serial number 480807.

Later machines, in particular the orange machines had GTR timers, with the later Crouzet timer conversion kits being introduced in the 1980s...

 

[matchboxpaul]

the drawer assembly....

...with no option for fabric conditioner! The three compartment drawer was a Keymatic De Luxe perk and not available on the Automatic De Luxe.
Still, better than the Automatic which didnt even have a powder drawer at all!

 

[matchboxpaul]

a descendent of the 3235 is our electra A2E04, lacking the powder drawer...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Back to the 3236H

and here are the hot and cold inlet solonoids...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and on the other side of the machine, the steam vent hose.

When my mum put Tide in her machine by accident, rather a lot of foam exited the machine through this hose...

 

[matchboxpaul]

top of machine again...

this time from the front...

 

[matchboxpaul]

and after a bit of a clean...

the outside of the powder drawer assembly is pristine!

 

[matchboxpaul]

and a bit of polish and a vac out...

and the tub aint bad either...

 

[matchboxpaul]

inside the powder drawer now....

mmmmm....nice!

 

[matchboxpaul]

....

 

[matchboxpaul]

TA DA!!!

some more elbow grease produced this....

 

[matchboxpaul]

The powder drawer is quite shallow on Matchboxes and there is no preventative measure to stop water flowing out from under the front of the powder drawer chute.

Finally a reason for the many memories of rusty matchboxes is found.
Even my mums machine used to leak and she always put a blue J-cloth around the left front wheel to soak up the puddle that would form there...

 

[matchboxpaul]

To the back again...

original hose, with a really useful plastic hooking device. Why the hell cant all machines have something like this!...

 

[matchboxpaul]

other side of the solonoids...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Time for a new door seal

so old one off....

 

[matchboxpaul]

revealing the lower part of the enamel outer tub front - looks really sound - with its block of concrete underneath....

 

[matchboxpaul]

the older door seal had looked in superb superficial condition from the front...

 

[matchboxpaul]

but was torn right across the top of it...

 

[matchboxpaul]

as well as being a tad mouldy!

 

[matchboxpaul]

Had to be done

a replacement ugly grey door seal added.

If only they were still in black!

 

[matchboxpaul]

Pictures of the underneath now....

two of its three leg suspension, with their big springs - rock solid...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Heater arrangement...

 

[matchboxpaul]

module cover and motor getting a look in...

 

[matchboxpaul]

New drawer to drum hose, as the original was cracked at its lowest crease....

 

[matchboxpaul]

Looking much better for a days external cleaning and internal tidying up...