question for the rollermatic experts please!

[rollermatic]

slightly better pic

of the console.

after what i did to this poor machine last summer when i dropped it off the truck in a ditch i'm lucky it looks this good! and it works! all but 2 of the option buttons work perfectly!

 

[rollermatic]

the stubborn water bellows!

i've heard you guys talk of what a nightmare it is to get these on. i immersed mine in really hot water and it seemed to slide right on with a bit of gentle help with my fingers. but that clamp is a different story!

that blue enamel paint will not be seen once pulsator is back in.

this is the bellows that came with the machine, it looks to be in great shape with no tears or holes so i'm reusing it! oil bellows was fine too!

another idea i have is to wedge small wooden dowel sticks in between clamp and tub wall spacing them about 6" apart to 'hold" clamp as i work my way around it. then pushing it closed with one of the dowel rods. just an idea but i may try it tonite when i get home from work. i should just buy the bellows pliers and be done with it!

 

[rollermatic]

found a cheap way to get the water bellows

clamp on. bought a dowel stick for $1.29 and cut it into 9 1/8 inch lengths. i wedged them between the bellows clamp and the tub and after putting 3 of them in i was easily able to push the open end of the clamp closed and locked using a 4th smaller length stick!

it also works to take it off!

i used a 1/2 inch dowel stick.

whatever works!

 

[rollermatic]

another view

of it

 

[rickr]

Good job Pete!

Sorry to say, I do not have any clutches left for the Rollermatic Solid Tub Machines. All I have left are for the 1-18's Got several of those, new in boxes....

 

[joelippard]

Hey Rick

Would that 1-18 clutch work on one? I thought they were the same except they're the sure-spin variety rather than the earlier "impact" style? That sure spin certainly is easier on the rollers...

 

[rollermatic]

what exactly is the sure spin

vs the impact style?

and rickr, thanks anyway for looking!

joel, i have a 1-18 all torn down and the clutch itself is bigger than the clutches on my rollermatics. the whole rollermatic transmission is bigger it seems, and heavier.

i'm gonna take this clutch off my red machine completely apart and clean the linings with brake cleaner as suggested above and see if that does it.

 

[mickeyd]

Good luck with big red, Pete

and thanks for the close up and stunning shot of the roller mechanism. Wish I could help but I'm still in first grade with this stuff and not afraid to admit it. Your pictures advance the learning curve immensely. Neat trick with the bellows. Call Mark for the pliers. He's got a bunch of them.

It'll be a great day when you get this TOL Roller back in business.

 

[rollermatic]

today the clutch came out!

it basically was a peice of cake! nothing was hard to remove! the agitator shaft coupler removed with a easy turn of a vice grip wrench, and after moving the agitator arm out of the way i could get to the clutch itself.

 

[rollermatic]

here is the spin

wheel and clutch assembly

 

[rollermatic]

next the center nut

came off very easily

 

[rollermatic]

the entire spin wheel clutch assembly

lifted right out exposing a very dirty and oil soaked brake plate. this is what the brake lining rubs against to brake the machine. no wonder it is not working!

 

[rollermatic]

i removed the plate by

taking out the 4 screws. the lower bearing was under it. a bit dirty looking it wiped clean and seems to be good, don't feel any play when i turn spin shaft orr hear any rumbling sound.

 

[rollermatic]

taking the assembly out in the

sun here is how it looks. this is the brake side hub and it is full of oil and dirt. the linings mesh in around the teeth of the hub.

 

[rollermatic]

here is the

clutch plate. it has a lining on both sides of it. the inner lining that i couldn't get to before was oil soaked. hopefully that is why it wasn't spinning the tub.

 

[rollermatic]

here is a pic

of the clutch plate, one of the clutch linings and the brake cam in the middle. this cam is what moves the spin wheel assembly up on the shaft and pushes the brake lining against the brake plate to stop the tub from spinning. they were all oil soaked!

 

[rollermatic]

here is the

brake lining, also oil soaked and dirty.

i am going to the auto parts store now to get some cleaner for the linigs and oter parts as well as more alcohol and paper towels from the drug store. i shopuld have this assembly cleaned up, dry and re-assembled by tonite!

i was surprised at how simple this design is and easy to get out and work on. these rollermatics are fascinating, at least to me! they really engineered them well. i guess that's why they still are in such great shape after 45 years!

hobart and frigidaire are definately my 2 favorite vintage appliance makers!

 

[saltysam]

WOW that's a lot of oil!!!!

Pete,
No wonder your brake didn't work and the tub wouldn't come up to speed. That's a lot of oil! I was looking at the recent pictures you have posted and noticed what appears to be a lot of shavings around the end where the agitator shaft exits the spin tube. If those are indeed metal shavings that may be why there is so much oil. My thinking is that the machine was making a lot of noise and someone previously oiled the hell out of it thinking it would solve whatever the problem was.

Just a thought but it might not be a bad idea to take the spin tube apart and clean it up also because there might be a lot more oil/grease trapped in there which after some use could work itself back down into the brake/clutch housing ruining all the hard work you just put in.
Just a suggestion.

I am like you, just amazed at how simple but efficient the design is. Pure genius in my book. Can ya tell Frigidaire is my favorite? lol
Keep us posted on the progress!
Mark[this post was last edited: 4/29/2010-20:49]

 

[joelippard]

I can't believe

How much oil is in that clutch, no wonder it wouldn't spin up!

Pete, the difference in the clutches to the best of my knowledge is that an impact style places full motor torque through the rollers to the tub, similar to what a Unimatic would do, you'll notice on that style that the motor ramps up slowly. The sure-spin, carries the full weight of getting the tub up to speed, the motor instantly comes to full speed along with the rollers, transmitting the power to the clutch, this type of setup is easier on the rollers as it places all the stress on the clutch.

 

[rollermatic]

this washer will be

the death of me yet!

cleaned clutch and put it all together again, put tub back in after carefully making sure tub seal was spotless.

hooked it up and it is better than it was but not good!

if i disconnect timer motor wire and let it spin for about 5 minutes on high speed motor it will come up to speed i think! but it still starts out slow and takes forever and there is no brake!

here are some pics at least.

cleaned everything in brake cleaner and rubbing alcohol. it all came out clean as whistle!