Whinin' bout the Westy... Why won't you run??

[turquoisedude]

I try not to get too stressed about about my vintage washers, but AAAARRRRGGHHH... the Canadian Westy CLB-6 Laundromat is driving me nutty...
I had thought the thermostat was the reason why the motor never got power when I done my previous tests. Well, I found a replacement one at Modern Parts in Ohio, and Darren (alspsinboy)was kind enough to forward the parts from the USA up to me in Canada. It arrived Saturday, so I hooked it up...

 

[turquoisedude]

But the son of a gun would not run!! I did notice that after the thermostat replacement, the timer no longer seemed to 'click' when I pulled the knob out... I took the sides of the timer off for a look, but I couldn't see anything...

 

[turquoisedude]

I then did the second most stupid thing I have ever done with an appliance repair project (number one was messing with an electric dryer barefoot on a wet basement floor)- I took the timer escapement apart...
Yeah, you can guess how well THAT went...

 

[turquoisedude]

So after a couple of very frustrating hours with many, many, colourful expressions, I gave up...
I put the washer back together.

 

[turquoisedude]

Why? Well, maybe I thought I knew when I am beat... I have totally messed up that timer now and my only hope of getting this washer back up and running is to get a replacement. And despite being very discouraged, I recalled how I never thought that I would get the GE Combo timer to work again, how I never thought that I would get the dial light in the 56 GE dishwasher to work again, and how I thought the 'train wreck' of a 1950 Laundromat might never wash again...
BUT, I will find a replacement timer. That washer will once again tangle my clothes. I just know it...
After all, I found that 'time capsule' 63 Frigidaire and the latest 72 Maytag just found it's way to me... I just have to be patient...

 

[pierreandreply4]

and don't forget that you also have your inglis washer to fix as well lol but its a great collection

 

[turquoisedude]

OOH! Don't remind me, I miss that wonderful old Sterling so much...

 

[rollermatic]

what 63 frigidaire paul?

think i missed that one, would love to see pics, you know me and frigidaires! anything that goes up and down i am mad about!!! probably explains my love of rollercoasters too!

as for the timer, maybe larry might be able to help. i generally don't have good luck with escapements either! i try to "escape" from working on them altogether.

if worst comes to worst that beautiful washer could still be used in a manual mode. i did it with my maytag till i got the timer this week and also with one of my kd-12's till gansky was kind enough to send one last year.

but like you said one will probably find it's way to you!
in the meantime enjoy the washer manually!

 

[rp2813]

Don't give up on the timer. It just might be salvaged after all.

I have a small spring-driven clock from the golden age of television. It was a promo item for a TV station in Portland, OR. It matches my bakelike Admiral TV perfectly. It stopped running over 25 years ago. I took it apart, things went flying, so I gathered everything and threw it in a box and there it sat, buried in a larger box shoved up in the garage rafters until we moved two years ago.

Fast forward to earlier this month. I just happened to show the exploded clock to a visiting whiz kid and he immediately began to piece it together. 15 minutes later my clock was back to normal. It still doesn't work, but at least I can take it to a repair guy now for the next step.

You might get that timer back together yet, one way or another. Hopefully it won't take 25 years, but don't give up.

 

[roto204]

LOL

If you really want to savor that and see where it came from, I can patch you through to my parents, whose anniversary present one year was a 150-year-old wall clock. I took the faceplate off to free the weight cables that had gotten snagged in the works. I didn't realize that the pins and faceplate held the entire clock mechanism together like a mechanical sandwich. The whole thing dumped its contents in my lap.

Unlike yours, I was able to figure it out and put it back together and get it to run. I didn't put the trigger for the chime back, though, because my parents didn't really want it to chime at all hours.

Like Roger said, "A human being designed this object, and I'm not an idiot!" Study anything long and carefully enough, and you'll get it.

 

[rp2813]

Nate, I really hope you're not letting your housemates in the living room see that picture ;-)

 

[gansky1]

15 years ago, I took a Lux vacuum fan apart once thinking it was the source of a no-suction problem. I got the fan back together after more than an hour's toil -- and then cleared the clog in the hose.

You'll get it.

 

[whirlcool]

ARRRRGGG!
Nathan:
I don't know what I would have done if that clock incident had happened to me. I love clocks, but dare not touch them except for winding them.

 

[roto204]

!

Greg: HAHAHAHA!!!! Oh, I have SO been there!

Ralph: It keeps them honest

Allen: If you can deal with puzzle pieces, you can deal with clocks. You kind of have to look at things and see what might go where by the shape and wear patterns, but it's possible to sort it out. Start with what fits on the back plate, and build up from there!

It's only really tough when you deal with components that are truly sandwiched between other components that actually touch the front and back plates. Then you may have to go back and re-piece it.