The water valve I rigged-up is now working!...since I plan to leave the back panel off for unobstructed potato-pulley viewing, the valve is fine where it is...now to fix that leak of the tub drain hose with more glop, and it will be ready for its first test load!
One thing that I have to ask about is how one preserves the rubber boots in the older machines? Obviously spares aren't getting any easier to find, and the longevity on the machines is paramount.