Speed Queen solid tub tune-up

[akronman]

99% done

My hands were greasy and cold, so I wasn't in a picture taking mood often, but the boot replacement went well. This pic sucks, but I scraped gunk off the shaft, vacuumed up all the crud that fell on the assembly below, screwed the new boot on with the old bands, then used some clear RTV sealant on both the top and bottom of the boot.

On the inside of the cabinet, I scraped and Rustoleum'd the minor rust, and on the back of the cabinet and the worst spots of the base, without major dissasembly. The pump and all 3 belts and inlet hoses and water valve all lookk like they were replaced withing the last six months, so I did nothing to them. I got a few drops of oil into the top of the motor's top bearing, and some on the various sparkling clean agi shaft and various clean and oily assemblies between the tranny and the center shaft. I do not know what the parts are, some fulcrum item that pops the tranny out of agitation?

The exterior has minor surface rust near the base, at the screw holes, and I can't imagine finding the right paint cclor, so I sanded lightly then used Rustoleum Clear Epoxy. I bought the wrong size stainless steel screws, but will buy the right ones tomorrow. I think it will look better than the day it came home, and will be proected better than before.

I bought Perma-Tex Blue epoxy gasket maker for the tub gasket rim, where the outer tub hits the machine top, but so far I've done 3 loads with the rear and front removed for excellent visual inspection, and no leaks. I never opened the blue epoxy. I'll wait maybe 3 more loads of clothes and constantly inspect with a flashlight, from front and back. You can see an amazing amount of the gasket with all that open area. If everything stays dry, I won't do the extra epoxy and just consider myself lucky.

 

[akronman]

more

Here's the front open, to inspect for leaks. I haven't found one yet, 3 loasd of clothes. I did not take the entire base apart, so the new paint is only on the edge rusty areas. The way the sides are used to pull the top down on the tub gasket means you can run it damn well with both the back and front removed, to watch.

 

[akronman]

last

and the rear removed for watching everything. There's no signs anywhere of recent leaks. I believe the pump and inlet valve caused plenty of problems in the past, but not any more. I cleaned all around the outside of the tub so I can see new soapy crud water stains if anything does go wrong. 3 more loads andno leaks means I put the front and rear back on and just have SQ ST fun. It's BOL, one-speed, small tub, and runs wonderfully and washes well and rinses fantastically. It won't do a rug or comforter or even heavy jeans, they slosh water over the rim and gone, but everything else comes out wonderfully rinsed in a quiet humming machine with lots of overflowing action. Very Cool

Thanks Yogi and John L and Malcolm and Gansky! It's leak-free, 98% rust free, 100% fun! This now fulfills my 2 year search and hope for a Speed Queen solid tub! Next is maybe a long slow search for a slant-front Westinghouse? Or even the flat-front Westy's of the 70's?

Mark

 

[akronman]

also

the inside of the outer tub in reply 23 above-------I used clear RTV sealant on all seams(minor rust lines in a few spots) and coated the 4 bolts/washers/gaskets with the same. That should forestall additional rusting for quite a while!

And the 4 hole gasket in the pic, under the wash tub, got some damage from all the boot stretching removal/re-installation, so I coated it with the clear goop and ran some on the mating section of the washtub before I re-installed. IT was just edge damage and the entire gasket did NOT seem to want to come off, so I just gooped away. That's the scientific explanation.

 

[rollermatic]

enjoyed reading

your thread here very much. I have a speed queen very similar to yours, mine has the stainless solid tub instead of porcelain but everything else looks the same.

never have taken mine apart, it runs fine as is, hopefully it will continue to do so. the pump on mine has some bad corrosion on it so I make sure I completely drain the pump and drain hose after each use to help prevent further corrosion.

enjoyed the pic of the inner tub out of yours. didn't know they came in 2 sizes!

again, enjoyed reading and looking at your pics!

 

[gansky1]

Looks and sounds like you're a Speed Queen restoration graduate!  You should have many years of washday fun now.  Enjoy your solid tub Queen!

 

[rollermatic]

i do have a question for

you akronman (or combo52)

that boot that you both refer to and show a pic of, I'm not finding it in any of your pics here.is it on the top of the outer tub or bottom? curious what it does?

I assume my machine has same boot? when you say many parts will be destroyed if it fails it makes me hesitatnt to use mine anymore.

and being in northern ohio did you get that part from modern parts in parma or is there another old parts place in the Cleveland/akron area that may still have old parts for these classic old dishwashers and washers we collect.

thanks1

 

[akronman]

boot

Rollermatic----Thanks for your interest.
This pic shows the original boot in place. It fits inside the outer tub, clamped in place around the outer tub flange and the thick shaft that rises up. It's dirty as hell, and the white ring in this pic is just 40 years of crud/soap scum, etc. Next pic will help too.

 

[akronman]

boot removed

and this pic shows the removed boot just hanging around. Huge hose clamp goes around the bottom attaching it to the outer tub lip. Smaller hose clamp goes around the top, closing it to the shaft, well beneath that 4 hole flange.

Frankly--I may be wrong----but I think I could have removed the clamps, cleaned up all around the mating surfaces with the gasket loosened, then reclamped it and used RTV sealant at the edges where water could get through. The Speed Queen PN is #20129, I believe the same exact boot covered decades of SQ solid tubs.

I bought it at a local Akron place, Akron Home Appliance on North Main. While they may not have as extensive an inventory as Modern Parts, they have been in the same old building since the 60's, so I have been lucky.

 

[akronman]

pump

still available. The bottom thumbscrew lets you move around the ports to fit a variety of machines. I believe, not entirely sure, the same pump with a single pulley was used on SQ Wringers for decades.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPEED-QUEEN...658?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cdbf62222

 

[akronman]

boot again

this diagram shows the boot and clamps, top of the pic. It does NOT show where it fits in the machine.

My machine is a DA3780, Sears Parts let me download around 23 pages of diagrams for my machine. Do you know your model #?

 

[yogitunes]

Mark....your machine spins clockwise, did you get the exact pump for your machine?....

it gets a little tricky because a solid tub with the banging solenoids spins counter-clockwise....and the picture you have up there from ebay is for this type of machine.....

no big deal during wash, they both will pump, but during spin, you want the full force of it spinning in the right direction for the port...

just make sure you match up any purchase with the one already installed..

 

[akronman]

Martin

My pump was installed by the previous owner and works perfectly. I was just Ebaying "Speed Queen Pump" to show Rollermatic that pumps are still available. Thanks for letting us know there are differences--

 

[rollermatic]

thanks for the info akronman

both on the pump on e bay and the parts store in akron. I did pull up 2 previous threads done by you and me, #41424 and #49864. enjoyed your's and also re-looking at mine.

can't find the model # for my machine handy but do remember i was told here that my machine was a later model solid tub from the 70's. once weather warms up I will pull machine out, remove front and look for it, too cold here in cinti right now, my laundry room is basically unheated. not freezing but cold!

yogitunes, thanks for info on pump direction. from looking at new pump on e bay and pics on mine from my thread 41424 it does look like mine pumps in an opposite direction from the one on e bay.