Whirlpool belt-drive portable!

[norfolksouthern]

Dropped by the Salvation Army earlier today, and found a harvest gold Whirlpool portable washing machine with the surgiator agitator. I had a Kenmore dual-action direct drive many years back, and really liked that machine. I hardly come accross these, as all the ones I saw on Craigslist were newer, with the electronic controls. Nice, I though! So, I bought.

I got it all rigged, and plugged it in. No problem getting through the cycles, the pump works fine. Water levels, all there. I spun out a couple towels, and they're damp-dry, so it seems to have plenty enough power.

But I ran into a little snag. There was rust comming out on the first drain, so it must not have been used for a while. On agitation, it drains constantly no matter how high I hold the hose. I think there's something wrong with the pump staying engaged during agitation. The wig-wag, perhaps?

Anyway, I pulled out the agitator, and took out the inner tub. Then, I cleaned the outer tub which has some rust spots. I think I can get some Rustoleum to handle that, as it's just surface rust. But I would like to remove the outer tub completely. I started by removing the three base screws, which I though was holding it in place. Apparently not, as it wouldn't budge as I was pulling it up.

Question: Will I have to turn the washer completely upside down, and remove the whole transmission before getting the inner tub out? Or, will it work free eventually? All the screws were easy to remove, it looks all well-lubed and nothing appears to be stuck. So I'm assuming it must be in the design some place.

Any thoughts?

NorfolkSouthern

 

[revvinkevin]

Any chance your name has anything to do with the railroad??

Is this the full size, or apartment size portable?? Any chance you have photos?

Seek out KenmoreGuy64.... he has a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding all things Whirlpool & Kenmore!

 

[norfolksouthern]

It's an apartment sized portable, not a full-sized. And here's what the little harvest gold critter looks like:

 

[danelto]

Commandment Broken

I'm coveting. I'm so jealous. It's beautiful.

 

[supremewhirlpol]

Wow you don't see those very often.

I have a 95 Whirlpool DD that look similar to that though.

 

[tbolt25]

no money shot

What? No money shot(tub, agitator)?

 

[norfolksouthern]

Money Shot!

Let's go for a ride!

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Your questions/concerns

NorfolkSouthern -

I got your email, thanks for writing. I figured I'd answer here in case anyone else needed a similar question answered.

NO, it is not necessary to remove the tranmission to get the tub out, in fact I would not disturb either unless you must. Don't turn the machine upside down either - oil may well leak out of the transmission and spoil places it shouldn't be.

The outer tubs can sometimes be feisty and not want to be removed. Last summer I had one particularly tough one (in a full-size machine) which required cutting the lower rubber 'donut' (also called the centerpost gasket). The tub had slightly rusted in place, and it gave way suddenly without warning, and I slammed my left knuckles on the washer's left rear corner gusset so hard I needed stitches. My suggestion in your case is to try to turn the outer tub side to side. It may need to be disloged from the outlet hose, and the centerpost gasket may be a little stuck as well. One it is loose, if you put some liquid hand soap on the centerpost, it will be easier to slide up. HOWEVER, if the machine is not showing any signs of leakage, I wouldn't remove it. Pulling these tubs can sometimes cause damage to the tub lip, making a re-seal difficult if not impossible. If you are wanting to address the surface rust I saw in your other post, I'd do it while the tub is installed. That rust is not major, I would be tempted simply to cover the spots (when FULLY dry) with sealant. The rest of the tub looks good. So does your centerpost.

As far as the pump still pumping out when agitating....does the machine recirculate water when agitating? You have a filter outlet at the 11 o-clock position in your photo. My thought is that the pump is not internally switching from agitate to pump-out, at least not fully. Check to be sure the pump lever is secured in the notch on the cam bar, and that it stays there. The pump used in these machines blocks-off water flow outbound in agitate, and opens wide open in drain. The pump should be in one of the two positions at all times. However, if the pump is bad (for example the return spring could be broken so the shift lever isn't engaging all the way) or if it got clogged and imobilized by the rust/crud that came out, the pump may need to be replaced.

Most pumps in these machines, since the mid-60s anyway, are plastic and not worth trying to take apart. Your pump is either a three port or a four port, but my guess would be a 3-port. Accordingly, the proper replacement is part number 285317 and can be found at most self-respecting parts stores as this was once a VERY widely used pump. You may not find a Whirlpool FSP pump, but I've heard ok things about the current SUPCO offering. Don't hesitate to use it if you find a decent one. If your machine uses a 2 or 4-port pump, part numbers are 350365 and 350367. They are still offered by Whirlpool.

Good luck, feel free to let me know if you need more help!

Gordon

 

[dogboy44]

That is the best machine!

Our first washing machine when we lived in NYC. The laundromant by us was lousy, I saw it in the window of an appliance store down the block and went in and bought it, I think it was 1985. It was expensive for the time, like maybe $350-400? I wish we still had it, I gave it to a neighbor as a farewell when we moved and got a grown up size Whirlpool matching Washer and Dryer. I wish I still had those too!

 

[norfolksouthern]

It looks like I'm going to need to take the pulley off of the pump on mine, because it uses a serpentine belt instead of a standard V belt. The pulley is made of plastic, and I'm not sure how I can get it off. There is no allen wrench fitting, so I'm assuming it must be glued on permanently. Does this mean that I will have to change out the motor and transmission pulleys, and get a new belt as well?

NorfolkSouthern

 

[kenmoreguy64]

The new pumps come with a replacement pulley to fit the multi-V grooved belts of the portables. They also have instructions on how to remove the stock pulley from the new pump. It's a simple procedure as you just put a coat hanger or flexible plastic rod, etc. into the incoming port and block the impeller. Turn the pulley counter-clockwise and it will unscrew. No sweat at all.

I have saved every one of the pulleys that came with these pumps. If you need one, let me know.

 

[autowasherfreak]

Beautiful

Nice! Harvest Gold is one of my favorite colors. A friend of mine had a Sears portable belt drive in coppertone with matching dryer. I used to go to her house and do laundry before I got my portable Whirlpool set

 

[norfolksouthern]

Thanks for the motivation!

I found a new pump off of EBay, for $20.00. Shipping included. When it comes, I'll look for a socket set so I can get it installed. I don't think the problem is the wig-wag, because the pump is designed to keep running so water flows through the lint filter. Only the valve to the pump opens for draining when the shift lever puts the agitator in neutral. When I unplugged the drain hose and looked at the valve on this one, it was so badly rusted that it wouldn't seal completely. So, I think that settles it.

Meanwhile, I need to find some sealant for the bottom of the outer tub. Perhaps one of the local appliance repair centers in my area will have something that works for porcelain/metal.

There are a few parts that I can use, if anybody has info. I need a new set of casters, and I haven't a clue where to find them. Also, I think I may need a new timer control knob, as mine turns freely whether it's pushed in or not. But I can still move the dial its self. Could it have been designed that way? Also, if anybody knows where I can get a tub ring for an old Whirlpool portable, that would be great because I won't have to improvise a way to fasten one of the tabs to hold down the upper ring.

When this is all done and I'm at my new place, look forward to some action shots with lots of good old fashion detergent suds!

NorfolkSouthern

 

[chestermikeuk]

Top Loader

Great machine there, love the colour having been used to mainly white for our appliances over here!!!

The Canadian version of this machine was imported to UK and badged by Servis as one of the last top loaders they did....never used one myself but do look cute...

 

[launderess]

Casters

Can be found at Sears. Just ordered a set for my vintage Whirlpool dryer (also in Harvest Gold).

Telephone Sears Parts Direct and give them the model number for your washing machine,they can bring up a list of available parts from that information.

 

[jons1077]

3-port pump

When I got my Kenmore Portable it was siphoning water during the wash cycle terribly. The problem was the machine had sat too long with no use (great however because the machine was like new!) but not good for the rubber flapper inside the pump. They tend to warp and lose their seal. I have a spare 3-port pump here, maybe two of them. I went through 2 pumps that I ordered from Sears before finding a good one on ebay. New pumps do not mean they will work because of the same issue I just described.

Let me know how the pump works. I believe the ones I have are good ones so let me know if you need one. The process is a bit of a pain because the portable is built "upside down" compared to a full-size machine of it's type. The entire cabinet has to be lifted off and the mechanism all sits on a baseplate. That means unhooking everything inside, lifting off the cabinet, replacing the pump, THEN putting it back together to test. Repeat if necessary.

When it's all done though, will work like a champ!

Jon

 

[norfolksouthern]

You sure got that right, Jon!

I've had the cabinet off for a couple days now, the part's on its way. I have thought about changing the belt, but it looks like it's still in good shape and I really don't want to take any chances. And besides, it looks like it's a lot of extra work. The pump's easy in comparison! I'll take a gandar at what comes in the mail, hoping that the valve will seal good and tight.

Meanwhile, I found a way to fix the tub rings by drilling hole for a #2 screw, and screwing it in where the latch broke. I'm thinking I can probably harden the plastic with some thin CA glue, and then use a little piece of fuel tubing as a sort of lock washer to keep it from vibrating loose during spin. This is often how we mount cowlings on scale R/C model planes, and they seem to stay in place pretty good!

NorfolkSouthern

 

[norfolksouthern]

Rustoleum

The best I could afford for now, is some Rustoleum Prime and Protectant Paint to help maximize the life of the outer tub. First, I cleaned the insides as best I could, then applied the primer. I waited until it went flat, then sprayed a good coat of black protectant paint.

NorfolkSouthern

 

[norfolksouthern]

The black outer tub finish

The finish looks a little rough, but it's not something I expect to see on a daily basis. My main concern is that this will stop it from rusting any further than it already has.

Comments are welcome!