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thomasortega

thomasortega

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Wow, it's the first time I create a thread on the vintage forum. I feel so honored.

Guys, I won the auction! I'm the newest and proud owner of a Frigidaire Unimatic.
The machine should arrive here in a few days. FInally I'll have a machine older than I am.

Before that, I need all the help you can give me, starting by the transportation.

Some members gave me some overall tips. (Please check the thread "Paging Thomas")

I need detailed instructions about the crating procedure to protect this machine during the trip from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu.
Some people told me to use pieces of wood to secure the drum, would you please explain me exactly how to do it? I'll forward this informations to the seller and/or the freight company. Please note that I've never seen this machine in real life, only pictures, drawings and videos.

2) After the machine arrives (of course I'll make a video when I arrive at my aunt's house in Argentina so you'll be able to see the machine exactly at the same time I see it) I'll also need your knowledge with detailed instructions about the check up procedure before the first run.

3) Just in case, would you (Unimatic experts that use Yahoo messenger or MSN) add me so we can do the check up together using the webcam?

4) If necessary(i hope not) I'll use this thread to negotiate parts that it eventually needs.

5) Could somebody please post all the information available (history, instructions manual, etc) about this machine?

6) Tomorrow I'll send an email to my colleagues inside Electrolux. I'm almost sure they have some "classified" documentation about this model that passed from GM to WCI and then to Electrolux. Of course an ordinary consumer would never have access to those files, but I think I can get them. These documents could be stored at Electrolux Augusta or even at the Electrolux headquarters in Sweden. If I can get them, of course I'll share them with you.

7) I want to let this machine as original as possible, working perfectly and looking like recently built, even if I need to open moulds to remake some parts. I know I have free access to the press and injectors available at the Electrolux prototype lab in Brazil or even any Electrolux plant if I need a heavier press or specific injector. I can go back to the drawing board and redesign the cosmetic parts and have my colleagues at engineering dept. available to redesign any transmission/motor/suspension part. It could be a chance for us to have any parts we miss (of course if the cost isn't too high)

8) This machine can be the tiny detail that I need to finally convince Electrolux to launch an special limited edition of the Unimatic, the same way Whirlpool did with the Maytag Centennial. (be aware that it can't be exactly like the original because of the modern standards that we must follow). I did the project a few years ago using the cosmetic design, but the executives hated it.

9) Now I need the matching dryer too LOL... somebody please start an auction in Brazil or Argentina, better if you offer free shipping hahahahhahahahahah
 
to finally convince Electrolux to launch an special limited

Hopefully, you mean the 1957 version of the Unimatic....

Because that's MY favorite!

It would be awesome.

~Tim
 
Congratulations thomasortega!! You work at Electrolux? If I do hear if them launching a special edition of the Unimatic, I can at least say that I know of the person who started it all. At least you now have a Unimatic. Those in my area are non-existant.
 
Specifically you would want to secure the tub from getting slammed from side to side. You could cut a large round of plywood that would fit down into the tub opening and use the lip of the cabinet to secure it. Then you would just need to cut a large enough hole in the middle to protect the detergent column---or just disassemble it by unscrewing the screw for the trip.

I would also want to wrap the console well to protect it and would warn the movers against using the console for leverage when moving the machine.

Screw the feet all the way in and remove the hoses.Tape down the lid. (If you need new shoes----the ones from a GE FF fit perfectly and are still available). Hopefully the machine will be strapped down to a pallet anyway.

Do you know what model you are to recieve?
Keep us advised! I am so glad for you. There is nothing quite like a Unimatic.
 
Thank you steve!!

I'm going to pick it in 2 hours.

Probably arrive home in 3 hours with it and of course i'm going to test it..
let me recheck the basic instructions. please correct me if I'm wrong.

1) check the motor/transmission area and clean if necessary.
2) check the hoses
3) manually fill the drain hose with hot water (a few seconds, until reach the bottom of the expansion tank.)
4) manually fill a few inches of the fub with hot water.
5) test the water inlet solenoids, release them if necessary.
6) manually turn the drum anti-clockwise until it's limit
7) test the agitation for a few seconds (don't go to the next step if the agitator is stuck)
8) test the spin (Only if the agitator works OK, because the agitator also helps the brake)
9) (i forgot to mention before) check all the electrical wires.
10) test the drain pump, release it if stucked.
11) If it goes OK during all the tests, run a cycle without clothes, with hot water, to clean the machine.
12) (that's too obvious) clean the whole machine.
13) (forgot to mention before) check if the motor and the transmission are ok and if there's no water mixed with the oil. It might be necessary to change the oil (how do I do that?)

Is there something else I should do?

I plan to use the machine only once or twice after this test and wait for the manual you've sent me.
 
Unless someone cleaned it up, you should be able to tell if the oil bellows has a hole in it by by the evidence of oil coming out of the tube and runing down the mechanism, coating the solonoid on the way down as well.
So if there is a lot of oil-----beware----- you may have some work ahead of you.
 
I want to kill Jet's attendant!

I left my office exactly at 5pm, like always.

of course, everything against me. Huge traffic on the Paraguay-Brazil bridge, lots of trafic in Iguassu (i have to cross the downtown) plus another trafic jam on the argentinian customs. (stop, show id, open the trunk, etc..)

I arrived in front of Jet (the freight company) exactly at 6:59 (1 minute to park in a very tight space right in front of the entrance and close the car). The attendant watched me parking thru the window.

Exactly at 7:01 we both reached the door. I was going to push the handle when she locked the door and turned the sign to "Closed". Sarcastically she said: "Sorry, we're open up to 7P.M. and now it's 7:01, please come back on Monday." I almost started crying but that wasn't enought. she said "I'm sorry,sir, there's nothing I can do.

What should I've done with an attendant like that? What the hell is that? Would stay for more 5 minutes or less kill her?

I must confess for a second I saw myself breaking that glass door and punching that b**ch until break all her facial bones and then get my machine which was right in front of my eyes. Of course I didn't do that.

So... let's wait until monday. While that, please give me more relevant instructions that I must follow before running the machine by the first time.
 
It arrived!!! It arrived!!! part 2

Hey guys

I´m at my aunt´s house in argentina..

The machine finally arrived.

Like always, the seller said it was in absolutelly perfect condition, that´s not true.

the machine needs the lid handle, the agitator cap (and maybe something inside it), the rubber ring isn´t tight and doesn´t stop at the position and the bottom rubber part of it has two almost insignificant damages.

It´s missing the water inlet solenoids and as expect, it needs new wirings and a general clean.

the panel is shiny, but has a spot (easy to fix)

The motor is.... SPOTLESS! NOT EVEN A DRIP OF OIL!! WOOOO HOOOOOOOOO

The suspention looks ok, but you´ll have to teach me how it should be exactly.

I´ve noticed the drum doesn´t stop after a few turns (by hand) as I saw on youtube, but i can feel it a little hard to move after some point.

Overall, it´s very nice..

More news and some pictures as soon as I arrive home.
 
Turn the tub clockwise and see if the brake engages it. It should be very hard to turn.

New energy rings are very hard to find. Does yours have a split or is there a piece missing? They are often brittle from age and it is a good idea not to overload the machine----especially with stiff fabrics such as new jeans! Another reason I use HOT water exclusively in mine is to make sure that the rubber is very flexible during the operation of the machine.

As far as the rubber ring on the detergent column. You will need a good, thick rubber band and some clear High-temp "liquid gasket" such as you can get at the auto parts stores.

Remove the column.Be careful unscrewing the "shepard's bow"- looking screw as it is pot-metal and VERY soft and easy to strip or break!!!! Position the rubberband just over the indentation where the ring goes. Now turn it upside down.
The rubberband should hold the ring in place. (I prefer the ring to be a tad further up than "factory-spec" for more "splash" on the down-stroke).

Now take a thick bead of the liquid gasket and go all the way around the inside of the underside of the ring---where it meets the column. Use plenty of gasket to form a thick bond.
Smooth it out with your finger.

Now set it aside for a few days to set.
Turn rightside up, remove the rubberband, and re-install.
POOF! Your problem solved!

I am suspicious of the "spotless" condition of the motor. Proceed with caution!
 
the test.

1) the inlet valves are missing, and the previous owner just cuted the hose and passed it thru the back of the panel (between the panel and the cabinet)
2) I filled the drain hose with hot water, to release the pump. (it wasn't stuck)
3) some hot water in the drum to make the rubbers flexible
4) turned on (agitation is ok and not noisy)
5) timer seems to be failing... not sure. (but I think I can fix it using any variflex timer, am I right?)
6) set the dial to spin.
wooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. it spins but it's noisy like hell! (not a malfunction, i guess it's because of the open lid) balance was just perfect. the drum bounced a little bit, but it was almost insignificant.

reached top speed OMG!!!!! that thing is really fast.

Parts that I'm sure I need for now:

-- agitator cap
-- Is there something that goes inside the agitator? there's only the perforated metal part and a long screw with some kind of hook in one end.
-- the operation light cover (the ambar light is still working)
-- The lid handle
-- one of the lid screws and one bolt (maybe easy to find)
-- solenoid to drum fill hose (easy to reblace by any other hose, but if possible original, why not?)
-- water inlet solenoids (same as the hoses. i can use other, but original is better.)
-- rewire the machine (the electrical wires are awful) used for test only and won't turn it on again until I replace that.
-- new timer? I think that will be the worst part... somebody please help me!!!

instructions needed:

1) how can I open the top of it? should I remove the two screws on the back?
2) after it was cleaned, I discovered only two tiny damages on the porcelain. the porcelain is mint!!! can I use those touch up paint that looks like a nail enamel?
3) it has an electrical diagram on the back but part of it is damaged. is there any special direction to rewire it?
4) how can I reach and fix/replace the timer? (well, i need to check if it works, i didn't let it on enought to see if the timer moves or not, but I discovered it makes some operations even with the timer off.
5) is it normal to agitate while accelerating the spin?
6) maybe there's a leak on the drain pump (under the motor) but it can also be the hose damaged by the clamp.

Restoration starts tomorrow night. first of all, cleaning and polishing. By the beginning of the next month I'm going to remove all the crome parts and remake the crome.

By the way, now I know what peple mean about a different white. Even dirty it's much whiter than all my other machines. the panel also shines more than all other crome parts i know. even coverd with years of dust, it shines.

overall finishing is FAB!
 
wooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. it spins but it's noisy like hell! (not a malfunction, i guess it's because of the open lid)

Unimatics should be very quiet during agitation or spin. Did it sound like bearing noise? If so water has gotten into the mechanism and it will need to be rebuilt. The spin bearing is standard.

5) is it normal to agitate while accelerating the spin?
No should not do that.

How about some pictures?
 
OMG! The excitement!

A typical list of issues.
Sounds like you will have some work to do.

If it is really loud in the spin you will need to replace the bearing.(I use an SKF Explorer #6006 2RSJEM. I use needle-nose pliers and pull the race-way cover off and flush out the grease from the bearings). To do that you will need to fashion a specialized tool to remove the spanner nut holding it in.When ready let me know and I will tell you how to make the tool. Makes me curious about whether the bearing is bad because of old age----or is the oil bellows bad? (Oil Bellows Part#5433572/Water bellows #5433576). It it is bad then is the Water Bellows also shot? A bad combination if so. That would allow water containing detergent to seep down into the mechanism. The good thing is the mechanism doesn't seem to be locked-up----which is what happens when water gets inside and it rusts. I would be curious to remove the large bolt (oil-plug) on the side of the mechanism and see what the oil is like.You would have to tip the machine to that side to get some of the oil to spill out. Is it fluid or is it sludge or worse-watery?
Which brings me to:
The pulsator should pump up and down while the tub is decelerating. The pulsator SHOULD NOT be going up and down while accelerating to spin-speed.
This would not be a good sign.
Check to be sure the end of the trip-shaft lever is still attached to the solenoid on the side of the mechanism.
If that looks o.k., then it is likely a broken Torque-Spring (part #5430641).
They are very hard to find and you are dead in the water without one.

You cannot remove the top without disconnecting the long screws on the back of the cabinet to which one screw holds the unbalance-lever in place-----as well as removing the long metal piece protecting the fresh water hose running from the inlet valve to the fill-flume.

Timer issues may only be bad contacts, so you may be able to use some spray to clean it up.
The timer for your machine is part# 5430706 and is VERY rare.

Anyway. Try not to loose your enthusiasim! You have a great and rare machine. It likely needs some rare parts. It will take some time but you will eventually get it up and running.

You should have your copy of the Re-Operation manual soon---I sent it Air Mail.
I will pull all the pages I can find from the "Tech-Talk" series in regards to a WO-65, copy them and send them to you as well. That way you will be armed with all the published information that can help you. After that it will be "baptism by fire" just like the rest of us poor shmucks who manage to get the damned things up and running!

If you have questions ask. I may not know all the answers but I sure do know what I know. Others (I hope) will also help.
Best wishes to you with your new toy.
 
The WO-65 Supplement and Tech Talk are found in the Service Manual section on the home page. Also, the complete Unimatic re-opperation manual is found within the 1958 Manual, as well as a separate supplement, also found in the Service Manual section.

Enjoy!

Ben
 

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