Rust on Kenmore centerpost

[washer_newbie]

The centerpost is pitted on my 1984 Kenmore Belt drive. I cleaned off the mud and caked on detergent. This is the brown in the pic. You can see the large pitting spot on the centerpost. Sorry about the poor pic quality. I'm not sure if this salvageable.

What caused the rusting? What should I do next? Do I need a new centerpost?

 

[kenmoreguy64]

It may soon become decision time...

You haven't mentioned the reason for taking the machine apart, but rotten centerposts are problematic for WP-built belt-drives.

You unfortunately cannot change the centerpost without replacing the entire baseplate. The centerpost was pressed into the baseplate as part of the assembly during manufacture and is not removeable.

The centerpost gets wet when the machine is filled with water. As seals in the machine's spin tube and upper centerpost age and wear, water will slowly wet more and more of the centerpost. You can see the original detergent line on your basket's centerpost (in your other thread) where for many years the water would stop under the agitator due to a trapped air pocket.

Once gunk starts to form on the centerpost from detergent residue, etc. this will keep the centerpost wet, and hasten rust.

Unless you have a donor machine with a better centerpost, there isn't much choice but to try to spruce up this one. I just did that very thing on a 1982 vintage machine, and I think the results came out pretty well.

I wire-brushed the centerpost thoroughly. From there I removed the outer tub (it needed to be re-sealed anyway) and coated the centerpost with several coats of POR-15, which is a type of rusty metal sealant. Many membes here use it. As long as your centerpost is not rusted through and/or not cracked, you should be able to halt the rust progress for quite some time with the POR-15.

I'll try to locate some pictures of this which I took this summer.

What is the problem with this washer that has you going through all this?

Gordon

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Here are a few pics:

Is this similar to your 1984 machine? It should look nearly exactly the same. I was surprised to see how bad this centerpost was.

The white granules are bean-bag pillow or animal stuffing - someone's favorite teddy bear must have departed the earth in this machine's last load. There was stuffing EVERYWHERE even on top of the mixing valve. And its still in the lid hinge pads!

 

[kenmoreguy64]

With outer tub removed and centerpost wire-brushed.

That nasty mini-pizza is from a leaky hole around the rear mounting bolt.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Here is a shot of the POR-15 coating after the first application. I did three. I didn't take any other shots however but you'll get the idea. The whole centerpost has a silky smooth coating on it that is said to be impervious to air and water when done right.

This was my first use of POR and I found it to be quite runny. We'll see what the post looks like after a year or so of use.

Good luck with your machine!

Gordon

 

[goatfarmer]

One other thing about POR15, I hear it's near impossible to remove from your hands. Wear gloves.

 

[washer_newbie]

Thank you for the help. I took apart the machine because it was making a squeal sound when the washer went into agitation. I believe the problem is with the brake and clutch drive unit. Also the water pump has a slight leak. I really like this machine it is well built and has been used almostly weekly since 1984.

Will the Por15 come off from the centerpost over time with use? Is this stuff safe to use?

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I don't think the POR will come off anytime soon. There have been many users of it on this site, if you search some of the old threads, you'll be able to get some testimonials. When I decided to use it this summer, I did a lot of research on their website. I would encourage you to do the same thing.

Gordon

 

[whirlaway]

Por 15

I used it on the innertub and post of my 55 Frogeye,it wasnt actually very rusty,but I thought While its apart,why not paint it,I also used it between the outer tub and the base,also in the trunk of my Desoto.Great paint and hard and tuff.Like what was said TRY!!!!! not to get it on any unprotected skin,reseal the can really good and it can be reused!,,,,,,Good Luck Bobby

 

[washer_newbie]

I have some por15 ordered and on the way! This is a great site.

Can the inside seal in the centerpost be replaced without removing the centerpost? This is part number 28 in the link below.

http://c.searspartsdirect.com/lis_png/PLDM/00039616-00002.png