question about using wd-40 on a new but very old dishwasher seal

[rollermatic]

i just bought this motor and pump for one of my old hotpoint dishwashers, the one's with the black pump and spray arm from the 60's! i have 2 of these machines. one portable, one built in.

this motor is new in the box never used but again at least 45 years old or more!

i don't plan on using it yet as my dishwasher is not leaking and the pump and seal are fine. it could be a year or so before i install this one on it.

my question is do you think it is wise to coat the rubber parts of that seal with a dab of wd-40 to kind of protect and keep soft the rubber on that seal? this motor will be stored in an unheated room but the temp usually doesn't get below freezing in the winter. or i could store it elsewhere. i want to do all i can to keep that seal pliable and soft until i decide to use that motor. will wd-40 hurt rubber parts? i know i have been told not to get oil on a rubber seal.

appreciate your advice as always guys!!!

pete

 

[rollermatic]

this is the pump

the motor operates. i just love these old 60's hotpoints!!!!

 

[kb0nes]

I'd likely not use WD-40. Remember that WD-40 is basically just a petroleum distillate, on the MSDS its listed as Stoddard Solvent. Depending on the type rubber it may be attacked by a solvent like this. Even if there was no negative reaction I'm not sure it would do anything beneficial either.

You'd probably do better to use a silicone grease like they sell in the plumbing section of hardware stores. I have yet to run across any rubber that silicone grease has damaged. Still not sure that it would preserve the rubber though. I have heard some people say Glycerin is what you need too.

I think my approach would be to seal the entire assembly in a plastic bag with a silica gel desiccant pack. As long as you can keep oxygen and ozone away from the rubber it shouldn't degrade to quickly. Purging the bag with nitrogen would be better yet. If you have a thermal bag sealer use it.

Bottom line is you are trying to preserve it, you don't want to use anything that will make things worse.

 

[norgeway]

I use

Armor All on old vacuum hoses, WD40 will eat up the rubber, i know where there are 2 of these Hotpoints brand new, the trouble is the old man that has them wants a fortune for them, they are both portables,he also has tons of nib coffee makers and toasters,its an old hardware store, and he must have really stocked up years ago because there is a ton of stuff.

 

[norgeway]

I Love..

These old Hotpoint too...all except they sound like a chainsaw running!lol, but they will clean dishes.

 

[alr2903]

Please be very careful.  An entire family suffered an autoimmune disorder that was linked to some type of caulk sealant. 
The heat and the detergents caused some type of breakdown in the caulk.  What about plain old medicinal mineral oil? Not an expert but please do not invite an illness.  alr2903

 

[whirlykenmore78]

I wouldn't do that

WD-40 and rubber are not friends.  In fact WD-40 will dissolve many types of rubber as it is a strong solvent.   When I worked as a small engine tech. I used it to break down and remove old gaskets and stuck rubber seals as well as break down varnish in fuel systems and rust on bolts. 

As Phil-kb0nes said silicone grease would be a better alternative.

WK78

 

[combo52]

Cool Hotpoint Dishwasher

Hi Peter, it is neat to see one of these DWs and the pump and motor for one in new condition. We worked on many of these back in the 70s, they were reasonably rugged but not very long lived DWs [ ten years of once a day use was considered great for one ], the pot metal drain pump housings corroded pretty fast and many of these had the entire pump and motor assembly fall off the bottom of the tank when the steel mounting flange rusted and gave way.

 

One of the interesting things about these DWs was it was the only wash arm style DW I ever saw where the motor was only a 1750 RPM motor, virtually all other DWs I ever saw had 3450 RPM motors main motors, this is why the drain and main pump impellers are so large in diameter. We have a fairly deluxe one of these that was never really used that will be installed at the museum as part of the Great Wall of Dishwashers so people can see one that is actually working.

 

As to persevering that nice new pump and motor it would be best wrap it up and keep it away from moisture, freezing certainly would not hurt it and in fact if properly wrapped the best place to keep it might be in the freezer, 0 degree temperatures slow down rusting and deterioration in almost any thing.

 

[rollermatic]

thanks to all who replied!

kb0nes- thanks, that bag sealer idea would be great for all my small rubber appliance parts, bellows, seals etc. that silicone grease sounds good too.

i used to live in burnsville minn. when i first moved to mpls.in 1979 and 1980. i transferred out with cedar point from ohio as a manager with valleyfair. moved to shakopee after that to be closer to the park. love minn. but way too cold for me now! had a lot of great memories there and met some super people! lived in minn. off and on for 8 years. loved the "gay 90's" bar complex, it was my hangout in the 80's!. lived in south mpls. the last few years!

norgeway- yep those machines sure are noisy just like the g.e. mobile maids with the vertical pumps! love em all! the noisier the better for me! i turn em on and it's music to my ears!

do you possibly have a name and/or number so i could reach that guy with the hardware store and 2 hotpoints? maybe i could talk him down to a reasonable price. would love to have another one (or 2). any info would be great.

air2903- thanks for the advice. i'm not gonna use anything on that motor seal at this time. gonna wrap it in plastic and store it till i'm ready to use it. appreciate it!

whirlykenmore- thanks, didn't know wd-40 was so caustic to rubber! i always thought it was a rubber protector. silicone sounds good! thanks again.

combo- was hoping you would see my post,you are always a wealth of info here. your museum sounds wonderful, would love to see it someday.

i always thought that was unique too that the hotpoints had the 1725 rpm motor but the d&m's, the hobarts, i think even the ge mobile maids used a 3450 motor. i always thought too that that's why those hotpoints had such a large impeller with that ufo shaped pump. and as you said that large drain impeller. i remember some later models had food chopper blades on that stainless steel drain impeller (or am i wrong here?)

also while i've got you here do you know anyplace i could get a wash impeller for those hotpoint machines. i see a pump housing on e bay right now that i probably will buy but i have never been able to find an extra wash impeller? also those seals for the ge mobile maids, wd15X19, do you know of anyone who may have any extra for sale?

and do you or anyone here know of any appliance parts stores like larry at modern parts in parma that i could call to inquire on these vintage parts. surely there is some store somewhere where more old parts are just sitting on the shelf. any info would be great!

and lastly combo, if i were to peel over and basically croak you are welcome to any and all of my collection for your museum free for the taking. i have instructed the person who would handle my affairs to contact you first, then AWG as a whole to offer my machines to new homes. i have a pretty good chunk of appliance nostalgia here with my frigidaire rollermatics, ge dishwashers, hobart machines, not to mention a bunch more and would hate to see them hit the dumpster! ofcourse i don't plan on going anywhere for awhile, i still have to find another 1965 frigidaire custom imperial rollermatic first!

appreciate it!

 

[kb0nes]

Peter,

Interesting parallel universe, I used to live in Alliance, Ohio. We moved out to MN in 1977 when my fathers job relocated. The Ohio stint was short, only 3 years there. It was like a bit of an acclimatization period between Beltsville,MD and Minnesota!

I greatly dislike the winters too, but the rest of the experience is pretty worthwhile.

Remember preservation is typically all about avoiding degradation from oxygen and moisture. John is right that storing something cold does preserve it, but beware of temperature variations which lead to condensation. Seal your items in an air tight bag, ideally with a desiccant pack (extra points for using a vacuum sealer!) and the items will last for many years. Even if you are sure that a silicone grease won't harm the rubber, I'm not sure that it offers any added advantage over just excluding the oxygen with a sealed bag. Imagine if 5 years from now you open that bag and find the grease destroyed that gasket! First do no harm...