Work Continues Tonight on the Turquoise 1958 GE

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

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Fingers crossed hoping #2 will work, always nice to have an extra in stock!! Enjoyed seeing your bathroom redo tonight again on HGTV. Terry
 
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the great restoration pictures; I really enjoy seeing the workings of these great vintage machines. I hope you are able to have two running machines, the right man is on the job.
I am interested in the Water Level Diaphragm, I have never seen that particular design before, and I presume it is used instead of a pressure switch?

All the best.
Hugh
 
Hugh the way the water level diaphragm works is when the spin tub is full of water, it starts to overflow, after four or five gallons of water has overflowed into the outer tub, the weight of the water presses the rubber diaphragm down which starts agitation.

Jimmy, on my white 1958 machine I did completely rebuild that 1960 transmission, including changing the oil. A GE tranny takes some 65 or 70 oz of oil, about three times the amount of a Whirlpool or Unimatic tranny. So before I even consider doing that again I want to make sure one of those spare transmissions will work. Since the GE transmission only swirls the oil around and doesn't pump the oil through channels it should be fine as it is.

Allen there is a thread started about the TV show in the Super Forum.
 
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the explanation; I was forgetting that the GE Filter Flo is a solid basket design whereas its UK cousin is a perforated basket design.
Just a thought; a solid basked design must use much less water and energy than a perforated basket design, I wonder why manufacturers did not look at this design again I am sure it would be easier to engineer a solid basket top load washer to meet Energy Star guidelines.

All the best.
Hugh
 
Are # 2 and 3 the pre-1960 design with no spin brake? I hope so. It would be nice to have one of the machines with that great GE "coast-to-a-stop" action. If neither 2 or 3 work is it possible to rebuild one like you did the 1960 tranny? Perhaps take the best parts of all 3? Good luck!
 
Hugh

"Just a thought; a solid basked design must use much less water and energy than a perforated basket design, I wonder why manufacturers did not look at this design again I am sure it would be easier to engineer a solid basket top load washer to meet Energy Star guidelines."

How many people though would want to revert back to small wastubs and therefore more time doing that oooh sooo dreary chore of doing laundry ;)

Pat
 
Hi Les, yes both transmission #2 and #3 are pre-1960 no brake transmissions. To answer your question about whether I can take and combine two or three of the trannys into one good one, that's a possibility, but it depends on what is wrong with #2 and #3. If all three have a broken Anti-Indexing Pawl, then no, since I don't have that part, we're out of luck. If one of those spare trannys has a good Pawl but is inoperative for some other reason then there is a chance that I could repair the bad tranny. I just hope that #2 or #3 works without the need of having to open one of those up; it’s a really big job.
 
Robert, what does the anti-index pawl look like? Is it inside the tranny housing? Also, what causes it to disengage when the washer goes into the spin cycle?
 
Les the Anti-Indexing Pawl is a plastic bar that’s adapted to fit into a notch on the metal Anti-Index Snubber Band. The pawl is attached to a rotating shaft and normally the pawl faces downward and points to the 6:00 position. Because of a spring on the shaft, the pawl is only allowed to move counterclockwise from 6:00 all the way up to 12:00. The pawl is restricted from moving clockwise from the 6:00 position up to 12:00. When the washer is in Activation mode, the motor turns the transmission pulley and internal components clockwise so the pawl catches on notch on the Snubber Band and prevents the tub from rotating clockwise.

I'm doing this from memory, so it’s hard to explain and even harder for someone to picture in their head how this works without a visual aid. Tonight I will find and post a picture of the tranny parts including the pawl and snubber band that will make it much more clear.

Les do you remember your mom's solid-basket GE washer before it had tranny problems and started to spin during Activation? How much indexing (if any) did the wash tub?

Eddy does your Pink '58 GE washer tub index at all?

Inquiring minds need to know! :)
 
Thanks for the pawl info. I can't wait to see pics of the tranny interior. The best I can remember, my mom's 59 had very little tub movement during agitation. The tub wasn't as tight as the ones in the post 60 trannys that clicked & locked into place. There was a slight swaying back and forth as the activator made a stroke with slightly more movement clockwise than counterclockwise as this is the direction the motor rotates during agitation. Those plastic GE pawls much have been notorious for breaking because mom's broke when the machine was about 12 years old. For awhile she (or I) would hold the tub ring still during agitation but this got tiresome and eventually the tranny started having trouble getting up to full speed on spin so my parents finally bought a new washer because the GE repairman said he didn't have parts for the pre-60 trannys anymore.
 

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