kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Hi everyone long time no see....
So here is the story.
It's about the belt drive Whirlpool that I restored 4 years ago for which I spent so much money getting a new transmission for shipped to Italy, the new bearings and new seals installed etc.
Basically what you may call a money pit washer
If not a lemon tree not just a
For some reasons which I ignore (no I don't use vinegar no I don't use any acid in the machine whatsoever) it started to have its basket gradually losing its shine to the point of starting to noticeably thin up anddevelop rust in-between the porcelain speckles.
Basically looking like it loss its vitreous protection.
Now, in a desperate attempt to try to save it I tried coating it with a product called kbs diamond clear finish that claimed to become as hard as a rock when cured and that can be used underwater in boats etc...
Removed the basket and gave it a nice tick repeated coat of the stuff that cures in 7 days..
Now as I say this is an attempt to save it or at least gain some more time until I find a spare basket. Which I know I probably will have to.
I really hope it's going to work but I'm not sure and there are no records of other people using this product and being successful so time will tell...
In any event, at the moment I have much bigger fishes to fry and here comes the real problem:
Of course as I removed the basket I found a limescale mess, our well water don't forgive.
The limescale I thoroughly cleaned it only to find out that the tub porcelain is starting to get rough as well on the bottom and some small rust is coming out...
Nothing a good coat of POR 15 won't address...
But the worst surprise (hence the bigger fish I have to fry now) was to find the center post in very bad conditions, which again as for the baskets I cannot wrap my mind around at how it became so bad in only four years and especially why.
It wasn't bad 4 years ago....
By cleaning it from the thick limescale buildup the donut seal popped out again and by popping out I have seen the rust likely made its way under it as well so I had to remove the outer tub too.
And indeed rusty it was.
See video.
Now...
As you may understand I cannot possibly obtain a new tub support...first because I am an Italy is going to cause me a fortune too and second because they are already a rare to be found by themselves.
So I was wondering if there is a way to be able to save the center post.
The post is pretty rusty and possibly under that rust there might even be hiding some holes or something very close close to become an hole.
I was wondering if a thin stainless cylinder or a stainless thin sheet or either aluminum cylinder can be put around it on the outside and welded in either chemically with epoxy JB weld glue or actually welded in ( spreading epoxy around the post would be easier).
Of course that's once the rust has been wire-wheeled away.
And making sure top is sealed good (with epoxy whatever) to not let water in between the post and the cylinder am gonna put.
I know the donut tub seal can eventually adapt to something slightly larger and I'm gonna replace the donut tub seal anyway as the outer tub undergoes a nice POR 15 bottom coating.
If I cover the post with some JB weld glue and slide in a cylinder around it will it do?
If feasible what you think is best alu or stainless? Considering that the stainless steel tubes I found are doubtfully very high quality stainless steel?
External diameter of the post at its larger point measured is 1.76 inches, the tubes I already found as candidates vary from an internal diameter of 1.772 inches (45mm/4.5cm) to 1.811 inches (46mm).
About 50mm (1.96inches) the external one in both.
Did someone do it?
So here is the story.
It's about the belt drive Whirlpool that I restored 4 years ago for which I spent so much money getting a new transmission for shipped to Italy, the new bearings and new seals installed etc.
Basically what you may call a money pit washer
If not a lemon tree not just a
For some reasons which I ignore (no I don't use vinegar no I don't use any acid in the machine whatsoever) it started to have its basket gradually losing its shine to the point of starting to noticeably thin up anddevelop rust in-between the porcelain speckles.
Basically looking like it loss its vitreous protection.
Now, in a desperate attempt to try to save it I tried coating it with a product called kbs diamond clear finish that claimed to become as hard as a rock when cured and that can be used underwater in boats etc...
Removed the basket and gave it a nice tick repeated coat of the stuff that cures in 7 days..
Now as I say this is an attempt to save it or at least gain some more time until I find a spare basket. Which I know I probably will have to.
I really hope it's going to work but I'm not sure and there are no records of other people using this product and being successful so time will tell...
In any event, at the moment I have much bigger fishes to fry and here comes the real problem:
Of course as I removed the basket I found a limescale mess, our well water don't forgive.
The limescale I thoroughly cleaned it only to find out that the tub porcelain is starting to get rough as well on the bottom and some small rust is coming out...
Nothing a good coat of POR 15 won't address...
But the worst surprise (hence the bigger fish I have to fry now) was to find the center post in very bad conditions, which again as for the baskets I cannot wrap my mind around at how it became so bad in only four years and especially why.
It wasn't bad 4 years ago....
By cleaning it from the thick limescale buildup the donut seal popped out again and by popping out I have seen the rust likely made its way under it as well so I had to remove the outer tub too.
And indeed rusty it was.
See video.
Now...
As you may understand I cannot possibly obtain a new tub support...first because I am an Italy is going to cause me a fortune too and second because they are already a rare to be found by themselves.
So I was wondering if there is a way to be able to save the center post.
The post is pretty rusty and possibly under that rust there might even be hiding some holes or something very close close to become an hole.
I was wondering if a thin stainless cylinder or a stainless thin sheet or either aluminum cylinder can be put around it on the outside and welded in either chemically with epoxy JB weld glue or actually welded in ( spreading epoxy around the post would be easier).
Of course that's once the rust has been wire-wheeled away.
And making sure top is sealed good (with epoxy whatever) to not let water in between the post and the cylinder am gonna put.
I know the donut tub seal can eventually adapt to something slightly larger and I'm gonna replace the donut tub seal anyway as the outer tub undergoes a nice POR 15 bottom coating.
If I cover the post with some JB weld glue and slide in a cylinder around it will it do?
If feasible what you think is best alu or stainless? Considering that the stainless steel tubes I found are doubtfully very high quality stainless steel?
External diameter of the post at its larger point measured is 1.76 inches, the tubes I already found as candidates vary from an internal diameter of 1.772 inches (45mm/4.5cm) to 1.811 inches (46mm).
About 50mm (1.96inches) the external one in both.
Did someone do it?
