The First Lady

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Hey Ken, your LK has (or should have) a 4 port pump similar to this one below.   The pump has a main pump section and secondary pump section (smaller area on the bottom) and there is a seperate, smaller impeller and a drive shaft.   

 

You may remember my full size, portable KM washer (green).   It has a manual lint filter and while the drain pump would drain, the filter would not flow.  It turned out the small shaft driving the secondary pump impeller had broken and the impeller no longer turned.   

 

So while I am not saying this IS the problem, it is a possibility.

 

Kevin

 

[mrb627]

Agitator Cleaning

Have you ever tried taking a dirty agitator to the car wash. The kind where you have the handheld spray wand. I have cleaned up many of plastic wash tub at the local car wash. And the looks you get from other cleaners is priceless.

Beautiful machines by the way. I know you will be happy with them when installed and refurbished.

Malcolm

 

[qsd-dan]

Got a pre-KD18 dishwasher? Pull the upper rack out, put the agitator in upside down, and take it for a ride on the "hurricane in a box."

 

[jetcone]

Nice colored buttons Ken

And I've not seen a white Vari-Flex yet. Cool looking.
Enjoy the stroll down memory lane!

 

[mrb627]

Odd Lid

In reviewing the pictures yet again, I was surprised to see the chrome handle on the lid combined with the plunger style lid switch. I expected the mercury style lid switch instead. Guess I haven't seen enough Kenmore machines from that era.

Also, in looking at that nastiness that lives on the inner agitator, I wonder if Kenmore ever recommended the owner ever disassemble and clean the agitator.

Malcolm

 

[bajaespuma]

I love the car wash idea! Usually, I have a spare top-loading portable dishwasher on hand with the top racks removed for washing stuff like agitators, parts, trash cans, etc., but it's out of commission right now. So, with a combination of Clorox Clean-Up, Soap Scum remover and Mr. Muscle Oven cleaner, plus some elbow grease, I was able to clean both parts of this Vari-Flex down to "Sparkle-Y!!" I don't think this machine was in service much. All of the grime was superficial and the polypropylene underneath is very smooth and scratchless. Here she is in her Quinceanos party dress all ready to do the twist!

 

[jetcone]

nice clean

scrub-a-ribs!

 

[mrb627]

WOW

<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">She cleaned up to minty freshness. Apparently, she isn't the dirty girl that she was masquerading to be... </span>

<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Malcolm</span>

 

[jetcone]

that would

slosh-i-nate much better than the goldie!!!

 

[bajaespuma]

The clean-up progress

Well, thanks to Kevin, I was able to open the cabinet top with unbelievable ease and treat myself to a close-up examination of the complex and wonderful dispensers on this old Lady. The detergent dispenser assembly came out with the removal of just two screws, but the combination bleach and fabric softener dispensers were attached underneath a flange that you Kenmore experts must be very familiar with as it holds one of three steel rods with what looks like a "four-on-the-floor" bakelite shift knob on top of it. This is part of the suspension system for these machines and, of course, in trying to get at the clogged and filthy dispenser tank I managed to undo one of the suspenders and the tub dropped into the cabinet. I hope and I think I didn't do any damage, but when I replace the dispenser tank I will yank the tub back up and try to reconnect the suspender rod. Meanwhile:

 

[bajaespuma]

It's amazing how many times I've cleaned up this identical mess:

 

[bajaespuma]

...and it's always the same waxy blue/green sludge that has to be scraped out of the dispenser in question. Can't tell whether the users never bother to dilute the softener as instructed or whether this build-up is inevitable. One of the interesting surprises for me here with this dispenser is that, although they are operated by two solenoids, the solenoids merely lift delicate little plastic plungers up from two little drain holes into a small reservoir on the bottom of the tank that leads to a small hose connected, as with Maytags, to the lower side of the outer tub. An elegant little system if one could keep it clean.

 

[bajaespuma]

After several washings, rinsings, Soap scum remover, Clorox Clean-up, Ammonia and boiling water, the dispenser is clean. A good look at this pretty clear acrylic thing reveals that this dispenser was assembled and cemented by hand. I'm treating it like one of the Crown jewels because if I drop it and break it I doubt I'll ever find one to replace it unless I find another identical Lady Kenmore.

 

[bajaespuma]

Ditto with the control dial, but I couldn't help myself. I just had to scan it: