potatochips
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2016
- Messages
- 545
I have a mid 80s wiring diagram I could mail you Paul if needed.
Progress report on the 57 GE washer
- Thread starter turquoisedude
- Start date
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turquoisedude
Well-known member
The day so far....
While I do believe gremlins can play tricks on you when you are not looking, I still figured I should try the 57 GE again. Well ok, I triple-checked the wiring first...
Nothing was glaringly obvious so I figured I'd try a power test. But this time, I tried the washer in spin....
Sonofab.... started right up and went to full speed! Then I tried advancing to rinse and POW. The breaker tripped.
During the spin I heard solenoids buzzing and I observed the push-pull switch on the timer did not work....
So I still have an electrical issue, possibly with the timer. And I can't help but fret that it might be a shorted winding for clockwise/activation operation but I want to find out why that push/pull switch isn't working and why the solenoids stay on... Stay tuned....
While I do believe gremlins can play tricks on you when you are not looking, I still figured I should try the 57 GE again. Well ok, I triple-checked the wiring first...
Nothing was glaringly obvious so I figured I'd try a power test. But this time, I tried the washer in spin....
Sonofab.... started right up and went to full speed! Then I tried advancing to rinse and POW. The breaker tripped.
During the spin I heard solenoids buzzing and I observed the push-pull switch on the timer did not work....
So I still have an electrical issue, possibly with the timer. And I can't help but fret that it might be a shorted winding for clockwise/activation operation but I want to find out why that push/pull switch isn't working and why the solenoids stay on... Stay tuned....
Hey Paul, it really doesn't sound like the motor because all the timer does is reverse the polarity of the voltage into the start windings. If the motor works in one direction it should be fine in the other. It sounds like a miss wiring of some sort or an issue with the timer. Please keep us posted.
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Meet 'miss wiring' of 2018
And that would be me... LOL
I did some continuity testing and was troubled that there seemed to be'hot' power flowing to certain components through the neutral feed from the line cord. I checked the wiring diagram again and.... wait for it....
The white lead from the line cord had to be connected to the red-black terminal on the patch panel! How did I mess that up you ask? Well when Mr. Know-It-All very carefully (HA!) checked the connections it seemed fine - three white wires were connected to the white terminal. Except I neglected to trace the wires... I was and should have been 1 wire short on the panel because I disconnected the suds return valve and pump.
I connected the wire line cord wire to the red-black terminal and all my troubles went away!
The GE fills when it's supposed to and tricking it into activation with the water saver now actually starts activation. Timer runs, push-pull switch works, and it even spins. Film at 11... LOL
Seriously I am greatly relieved and will post videos probably early next week.
Now to raise a glass to victory!!
And that would be me... LOL
I did some continuity testing and was troubled that there seemed to be'hot' power flowing to certain components through the neutral feed from the line cord. I checked the wiring diagram again and.... wait for it....
The white lead from the line cord had to be connected to the red-black terminal on the patch panel! How did I mess that up you ask? Well when Mr. Know-It-All very carefully (HA!) checked the connections it seemed fine - three white wires were connected to the white terminal. Except I neglected to trace the wires... I was and should have been 1 wire short on the panel because I disconnected the suds return valve and pump.
I connected the wire line cord wire to the red-black terminal and all my troubles went away!
The GE fills when it's supposed to and tricking it into activation with the water saver now actually starts activation. Timer runs, push-pull switch works, and it even spins. Film at 11... LOL
Seriously I am greatly relieved and will post videos probably early next week.
Now to raise a glass to victory!!
Malotov!!!!!
As we say in the south...
Hot Damn!!!
lawrence
Hot Damn!!!
lawrence
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Yay!
That's all I will say for now. Video proof coming tomorrow or Tuesday.
That's all I will say for now. Video proof coming tomorrow or Tuesday.
potatochips
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2016
- Messages
- 545
Im glad you got this running Paul, and what a machine to work on too. This is a real beaut of a machine, special and milestone machine. Congratulations, were all proud of you!
Congrats Paul.....
Super happy for ya! Although its frustrating to run into a hiccup doing these projects, isn't it such a great relief when it turns out to be an easy fix! Your perseverance always pays off.
I'm glad you got it working and can't wait to see the full deal soon!
Super happy for ya! Although its frustrating to run into a hiccup doing these projects, isn't it such a great relief when it turns out to be an easy fix! Your perseverance always pays off.
I'm glad you got it working and can't wait to see the full deal soon!
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Time for some videos
I apologize in advance for the video quality. My shakes and shudders make it a challenge to take video with my phone (still haven't gotten a new camera...) and I was pretty darn excited too - these are the very first tests with water in the washer. Now, I have to do some serious rearranging down in the Ogden Laundry to make room for not only the 57 GE, but that 58 Duomatic, too!
I apologize in advance for the video quality. My shakes and shudders make it a challenge to take video with my phone (still haven't gotten a new camera...) and I was pretty darn excited too - these are the very first tests with water in the washer. Now, I have to do some serious rearranging down in the Ogden Laundry to make room for not only the 57 GE, but that 58 Duomatic, too!
turquoisedude
Well-known member
A short video of activation with suds. Note - this is not a test with Rosalie's Zero Suds.... LOL
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Here's the first spin post-restoration. It seems as if it takes a while to spin out the water, but then again it's not a Frigidaire.... LOL
What has me slightly puzzled is the way the Sudskill behaves on this model - the spin cycle pauses but there's no water flowing in as it does on the '51 (and supposedly on the '53). I did read the service manual (no comments, please) and did not see anything to indicate that the WA855 does a water-spray Sudskill. Could that possibly be because of the suds-saving capability in this model? I know that both the Kenmore and Inglis suds-savers will divert the spray rinse drain water to the drain port that goes to a standpipe and not into a wash tub.... Anyway, something else to keep me up a night.
But boy, this was a sweet victory. Can't wait to try some clothes soon!!
What has me slightly puzzled is the way the Sudskill behaves on this model - the spin cycle pauses but there's no water flowing in as it does on the '51 (and supposedly on the '53). I did read the service manual (no comments, please) and did not see anything to indicate that the WA855 does a water-spray Sudskill. Could that possibly be because of the suds-saving capability in this model? I know that both the Kenmore and Inglis suds-savers will divert the spray rinse drain water to the drain port that goes to a standpipe and not into a wash tub.... Anyway, something else to keep me up a night.
But boy, this was a sweet victory. Can't wait to try some clothes soon!!
Victory!
Oh Paul, this is wonderful! So happy for you and the progress you've made with this amazing GE! I believe you are the only one in the club with a working '57?
The spin does seem a bit slow but I'm no expert on these. If it is indeed slower than normal it may take a few loads for the clutch shoes to break themselves in again.
Ben
Oh Paul, this is wonderful! So happy for you and the progress you've made with this amazing GE! I believe you are the only one in the club with a working '57?
The spin does seem a bit slow but I'm no expert on these. If it is indeed slower than normal it may take a few loads for the clutch shoes to break themselves in again.
Ben
We have LIFT-OFF!!!!!
Thanks for the videos - fun to watch, fun to see the 1957 brought back to life.
lawrence
Thanks for the videos - fun to watch, fun to see the 1957 brought back to life.
lawrence
Congrats once again Paul!
I see what you mean about the spin stopping and then starting back up again - what would be the point if there isn't any spray? Maybe it does have something to do with the Suds Saver? I don't know very much about GE washers but I know with the older Inglis machines the timer was the same whether you had the suds model or not. If GE did the same thing you could rule that out maybe? Or maybe its somehow a by-product of removing the suds saver components? Agree though, its odd that it stops spinning and then starts up again for no apparent reason.
Awesome job!
I see what you mean about the spin stopping and then starting back up again - what would be the point if there isn't any spray? Maybe it does have something to do with the Suds Saver? I don't know very much about GE washers but I know with the older Inglis machines the timer was the same whether you had the suds model or not. If GE did the same thing you could rule that out maybe? Or maybe its somehow a by-product of removing the suds saver components? Agree though, its odd that it stops spinning and then starts up again for no apparent reason.
Awesome job!
stricklybojack
Well-known member
.
Thanks for sharing, I love you persistence.
Thanks for sharing, I love you persistence.
Excellent work, Paul! Congrats on getting this running again, you'll enjoy solid tub Filter-Flo washing a lot, it'll be one of the best for removing "Canyon hair" from your washday blues 
Suds-Kill
Archie,
AFAIK the suds-kill is built into and underneath the Fill-Flume. There's a small metal plate inside the inlet port that constantly diverts some of the water down into the outer tub. I noticed it when I first broke into my 850-P, brilliantly cracking the hard plastic flume so I got to dissect the thing. That's when I noticed the flume had a port for the rinse dispenser on top and a port on the bottom to send water into the outer tub, presumably to add water to start activation but also to rinse spun suds down the drain. I haven't operated the 850-P for many years, but the spray rinses on the other Solid Tub FF's I've seen have two generous 20 second spray rinses on either side of the big pause.
Being a FF, our first Solid-Tub oversudsed frequently(until some serviceman told us to use Dash instead of Tide) and I don't think the suds ever stalled that machine. Usually the suds cake would rise above the balance ring and get pushed out into the outer tub through that big gap between the ring and the lid that they later closed up with a rubber boot.
Archie,
AFAIK the suds-kill is built into and underneath the Fill-Flume. There's a small metal plate inside the inlet port that constantly diverts some of the water down into the outer tub. I noticed it when I first broke into my 850-P, brilliantly cracking the hard plastic flume so I got to dissect the thing. That's when I noticed the flume had a port for the rinse dispenser on top and a port on the bottom to send water into the outer tub, presumably to add water to start activation but also to rinse spun suds down the drain. I haven't operated the 850-P for many years, but the spray rinses on the other Solid Tub FF's I've seen have two generous 20 second spray rinses on either side of the big pause.
Being a FF, our first Solid-Tub oversudsed frequently(until some serviceman told us to use Dash instead of Tide) and I don't think the suds ever stalled that machine. Usually the suds cake would rise above the balance ring and get pushed out into the outer tub through that big gap between the ring and the lid that they later closed up with a rubber boot.
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Interesting!
Ken, I didn't see any kind of a metal diverter plate on the broken fill flume nor on the NOS replacement I put into the 855... And further, I did not observe power to the cold solenoid during the spin after the wash cycle either while testing or in the timer cam charts in the book. I can't help but think the suds-saver models didn't do a cold spray sudskill... The manual that I have seems to detail on both of the suds-saver models offered in '57 but not the non-suds models. I have to do me some more diggin'.
I have observed a bit of splash back while the machine is filling and I now think it may be due to the rinse tray inlet. That didn't debut until '58, n'est-ce que pas?? Thanks for that illustration - it has been most enlightening!!
Ken, I didn't see any kind of a metal diverter plate on the broken fill flume nor on the NOS replacement I put into the 855... And further, I did not observe power to the cold solenoid during the spin after the wash cycle either while testing or in the timer cam charts in the book. I can't help but think the suds-saver models didn't do a cold spray sudskill... The manual that I have seems to detail on both of the suds-saver models offered in '57 but not the non-suds models. I have to do me some more diggin'.
I have observed a bit of splash back while the machine is filling and I now think it may be due to the rinse tray inlet. That didn't debut until '58, n'est-ce que pas?? Thanks for that illustration - it has been most enlightening!!
Just use Rosalie's
I don't see why that would be so. The suds saving would happen during the "throw"; the water isn't sprayed until a few intervals after that. I am assuming that they designed the saver pump solenoid to divert back to the regular drain hose in that time. You will want to cap off that rinse port, most probably. I've seen NOS Solid Tub flumes both with and without that port; I have to assume my flume wasn't OE.
More importantly, is the Suds Return System working? I just was given a Solid Tub Suds Saver by Jon Charles and I can't wait to get an external tub and a return hose to see and watch it work.
I remember first reading about the feature in 1969 in the 1969 Consumer Reports article on washing machines (those Debbie Downers poo-pooed them overall), but I had never seen one. I guess they might have been popular in rural areas where housewives were being encouraged to give up their Wringer Washers where they were used to saving the water. My maternal Grandmother would have bought that feature but I'm betting my Mother steered her away from it because the idea back then was to get her to stop going down to the basement to do the laundry where she had a wringer machine and one of those old beautiful huge laundry sinks for storing the water. Exactly what I need right now but I know I have a Homart tub buried somewhere in the bowels.
There isn't a cycle description in the manual for the 855 P? I'll dig my 1957 GE Service manual out and look at it. Then I'll clean up my entire house and property, by myself, sell it and move to Vancouver BC so I can look at pictures of Justin Trudeaux instead of Krusty the Klown, and have Chinese food in Richmond. Hey, it could happen.
[this post was last edited: 6/12/2018-09:53]
I don't see why that would be so. The suds saving would happen during the "throw"; the water isn't sprayed until a few intervals after that. I am assuming that they designed the saver pump solenoid to divert back to the regular drain hose in that time. You will want to cap off that rinse port, most probably. I've seen NOS Solid Tub flumes both with and without that port; I have to assume my flume wasn't OE.
More importantly, is the Suds Return System working? I just was given a Solid Tub Suds Saver by Jon Charles and I can't wait to get an external tub and a return hose to see and watch it work.
I remember first reading about the feature in 1969 in the 1969 Consumer Reports article on washing machines (those Debbie Downers poo-pooed them overall), but I had never seen one. I guess they might have been popular in rural areas where housewives were being encouraged to give up their Wringer Washers where they were used to saving the water. My maternal Grandmother would have bought that feature but I'm betting my Mother steered her away from it because the idea back then was to get her to stop going down to the basement to do the laundry where she had a wringer machine and one of those old beautiful huge laundry sinks for storing the water. Exactly what I need right now but I know I have a Homart tub buried somewhere in the bowels.
There isn't a cycle description in the manual for the 855 P? I'll dig my 1957 GE Service manual out and look at it. Then I'll clean up my entire house and property, by myself, sell it and move to Vancouver BC so I can look at pictures of Justin Trudeaux instead of Krusty the Klown, and have Chinese food in Richmond. Hey, it could happen.
[this post was last edited: 6/12/2018-09:53]
None of the solid tub GE's of this period had a spray rinse. The pause during the first spin is standard on ALL GE's. It has nothing to do with the suds saver. The models without it have this same pause for suds kill. Not sure when the spray rinse was added but the 56 thru 60 models definitely did not. We had a 59 with no suds saver when I was growing up and it had the pause on both the normal and short cycles.
turquoisedude
Well-known member
No return on suds
I've decided not to put the suds-saver system back into the 57 GE for the moment. I have the key component, a brand-new-still-in-the-GE-envelope gasket for the suds valve but I have to do some finagaling to replace the rotted hoses and figure out how to mount a modern replacement solenoid on the valve. I am itching to play with the 'new' GE, what can I say...
Interesting that the sudskill-spray-rinse was not around in the later 50s machines. Always good to know!
I've decided not to put the suds-saver system back into the 57 GE for the moment. I have the key component, a brand-new-still-in-the-GE-envelope gasket for the suds valve but I have to do some finagaling to replace the rotted hoses and figure out how to mount a modern replacement solenoid on the valve. I am itching to play with the 'new' GE, what can I say...
Interesting that the sudskill-spray-rinse was not around in the later 50s machines. Always good to know!
Beg to differ here
Both my 1960 T models have/had spray rinses. My WA1050T has the spray rinses I described above and the WA630T that we had in the '60's also had spray rinses.
I'm pretty sure the '59 TOL also had it, but I hope members with 1959-1957 models will chime in. I have service manuals from all 4 years; when I find where I put them I will publish the cycle descriptions if they indicate spray rinses. It may be that 1960 was the the last year of the Solid tub but the first year with spray rinses and plastic filter pans.
Both my 1960 T models have/had spray rinses. My WA1050T has the spray rinses I described above and the WA630T that we had in the '60's also had spray rinses.
I'm pretty sure the '59 TOL also had it, but I hope members with 1959-1957 models will chime in. I have service manuals from all 4 years; when I find where I put them I will publish the cycle descriptions if they indicate spray rinses. It may be that 1960 was the the last year of the Solid tub but the first year with spray rinses and plastic filter pans.
frigidaireguy
Well-known member
'57 GE Spray Rinses
My aunt had a '57 GE that was pretty much BOL. It only had one speed - Hot & Warm Wash - Automatic warm rinse. It did have the water saver option. It did pause in the middle of the first spin and I always wondered why. There was no spray rinse. It would fill for the rinse and then the final spin.
Bob
My aunt had a '57 GE that was pretty much BOL. It only had one speed - Hot & Warm Wash - Automatic warm rinse. It did have the water saver option. It did pause in the middle of the first spin and I always wondered why. There was no spray rinse. It would fill for the rinse and then the final spin.
Bob
The little nozzle on the top of the fill flume is for the fabric softener dispenser. The suds kill pause (75 seconds) was simply meant to stop the tub before reaching full 610rpm speed and let the suds settle down about before going into spin again. If there are a lot of suds in the outer tub, the suds act as a brake and stops the tub from coasting very fast, otherwise the tub usually doesn't even reach a full stop during the suds kill pause. I remember the 1951 model having a spray during the suds kill but my 1958 model does not have a spray rinse at all. I wish it did and may have add that lol.
hippiedoll
Well-known member
WOWZERS!!
You did an amazing job on this GE Filter-Flo!
It looks GREAT!
I like the 3-vane agitator/activator.
)
You did an amazing job on this GE Filter-Flo!
It looks GREAT!
I like the 3-vane agitator/activator.
)
57 GE!
Paul you did such a Great restoration - Best Of Luck!
Peter
Paul you did such a Great restoration - Best Of Luck!
Peter
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