WP Transmission Compatibility

[4bagger]

Is the transmission from this washer compatible with a '65 LK washer?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3817513634985179/?ref=facebook_story_share

 

[swestoyz]

No. That is a direct drive Kenmore.

Ben

 

[maytag85]

Your best bet will be to look on eBay and there is a few but they are a bit pricey though they are the transmission you need for your 1965 Lady Kenmore washer.

 

[4bagger]

Thanks Ben and Sean for the info. I've looked on eBay, but not sure which transmission is correct. The part number I have doesn't match anything I've seen. Any help would be appreciated. Ron

 

[swestoyz]

Rather than looking for a specific part number, just look for a "Whirlpool transmission" and sift out the direct drive and new belt drive transmissions.

I did spy one classic belt drive transmission, that would be ideal for your '65. Swap the basket drives (if your tube is still good) and the wig wag from your old trans and you're set. Make sure the plungers from the replacement trans are used with the hardened pins.

You could also look locally for a donor belt drive. A mid-80s large capacity is perfect.

Ben

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-Whirlpool-Washer-Transmission-353395/223556646865

 

[maytag85]

Reply #4

Bought a transmission from the same seller and it is in decent condition but the oil that came out of it was quite contaminated and looks like it came out of a belt drive washer where it’s center post seals went bad and there wasn’t any water that came out of the transmission but the oil was quite nasty. Had to drain all of the bad oil out of it and topped it off with fresh oil.

 

[4bagger]

Thanks for the eBay link and the technical advice. I'll go this route and come back here for further advice. Fortunately I have a very nice '59 Maytag model 142 that I put into service when the LK washer stopped agitating. The Maytag is almost too nice to use as a daily driver, but for now it'll have to suffice.

 

[maytag85]

Did jour ‘65 Lady Kenmore just fill up with water and drain, or did it try to agitate, or is the transmission completely frozen?

 

[4bagger]

After making some basic repairs and replacing a few parts, I was able to use the machine for several months. There was always a slight leak during agitation. Then it started making a short but loud noise occasionally while agitating, before one day it basically quit agitating. The spin cycle still worked fine.

 

[maytag85]

The spring that helps push the agitator gear down broke and the gear was just floating. A relatively easy fix but you’ll need a new transmission gasket and a new spring for the transmission along with some fresh oil for it. Will need a new tub seal, and new tub bolts/seals (comes in a kit) and I’d take the tub out and look for pin holes and I’d patch them up with JB Weld Steel Stik and if you don’t fix the leak(s) there is a probability the new transmission will have the same fate as the original transmission in it.

 

[4bagger]

Thanks Sean

Oh okay. I haven't picked up another transmission yet, so I'll inspect that spring for damage first. I did have the tub out and repaired a pinhole leak among other things before initial use. I appreciate the information and guidance. Here's a pic of the washer with its slightly mis-matched dryer. LOL

 

[maytag85]

Your welcome! Recently did a partial rebuild to my 1963 RCA Whirlpool Imperial Mark XII and so far it’s been working well. One thing I had to do recently was get another transmission pulley since the original pulley from 1963 got damaged in the process of trying to transfer it onto the used transmission I bought off of eBay and the pulley got damaged in terms of getting warped and causing the belt to slip quite a bit when it engaged into the spin so I ended up putting a new pulley onto the transmission and it’s not the correct FSP pulley but it works and the agitation seems to be a bit gentler with the larger pulley on it.

 

[4bagger]

Those are sweet. Hoping to one day stumble upon the matching '63 turqoise LK washer and '65 avacado LK gas dryer. One can only hope. LOL

 

[maytag85]

There is a turquoise match to your 1963 Lady Kenmore gas dryer out there somewhere but one has to surface. I thought I’d never would own a Whirlpool belt drive set since there were a few that popped up for sale in my area but when I contacted the sellers they were already sold. My ‘63 Whirlpool Imperial Mark XII set happed to surface in the San Diego area which is only 65 miles away from where I live and the Mark XII was essentially a dream machine of mine but I knew they wouldn’t be easy to find compared to a Maytag A806 of the era. Patience and persistence is definitely the key to finding these machines.

 

[4bagger]

We must be neighbors Sean. I'm in East Long Beach. If I find a match locally to either unit, I'd be tickled. Color wouldn't really matter.

 

[maytag85]

One machine I would love to find is a 1956 Whirlpool Imperial washer and I believe you still have that one 1956 Whirlpool Imperial gas dryer.

 

[4bagger]

Wow. Good memory. It's my back up dryer. Still need to lubricate the wick, but it's all there and in pretty decent shape.

 

[maytag85]

I’d oil everything while you can so everything will be ready to go when you put it in to service. When you hook up that dryer to gas, you wouldn’t mind if you got a video of the burner ignition sequence? Never seen the burner operate on of of these dryers and my friend Tyler has a 1956 Whirlpool Imperial dryer identical to yours but it wasn’t hooked up to gas at the time and all I used it for was to fluff up towels while I was visiting Tyler back in August of 2019. Will definitely be cool seeing the burner start up and hearing the load roar of that 37,000 btu flame start up.

 

[4bagger]

Burner Ignition Sequence

I believe my '63 LK dryer has a similar burner, according to info from John L. It glows orange then ignites a minute or two into the cycle. I'll shoot a video of that one if interested. Heck, you'd be welcome to come by and check it out if you'd like. Ron

 

[maytag85]

I definitely would be interested in seeing the burner ignition sequence on both of your vintage Whirlpool built dryers. I am the first to upload the burner ignition in a Maytag gas HOH dryer and as soon as you turn on the dryer the burner ignites since it’s standing pilot ignition. I could convert it to electronic ignition but I’ll leave it alone since everything works as it should and I only light the pilot when I dry a load of laundry in it and turn off the pilot as soon as I am finished with drying laundry in it.