|
Thread Number: 22215
My Basket is Bouncing once again |
[Down to Last] |  |
Post# 347919 5/10/2009 at 23:20 (5,462 days old) by unimatic1140  (Minneapolis) |
||
After doing about 10 loads in the Apex the water seal went and destroyed both spin bearings as well as the main basket bearing assembly. I spent three weeks taking the machine completely apart and giving it a good restore. The Timkin bearings were not only all still available, but they were still the same part numbers nearly 60 years later. I'll post pictures of the restore later on in the week. 
| ||
|
|
Post# 347922 , Reply# 1 5/10/2009 at 23:22 (5,462 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
Here is a new video of the Hydraulic Clutch shifting from Wash to Spin... CLICK HERE TO GO TO unimatic1140's LINK | ||
|
Post# 347923 , Reply# 2 5/10/2009 at 23:25 (5,462 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
Here is another video that we shot tonight, the Apex in its first rinse, going into spin and starting the 2nd rinse. We got drenched shooting it lol...
CLICK HERE TO GO TO unimatic1140's LINK | ||
| Post# 347926 , Reply# 3 5/10/2009 at 23:37 (5,462 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi) | ||
|
Congrats on finding the bearimgs and restoring The Apex Robert. How well do you think this fun washer washes? | ||
| Post# 347927 , Reply# 4 5/10/2009 at 23:40 (5,462 days old) by soberleaf () | ||
|
your basket looks like it is in fine shape to me! and i love those videos, that washer is amazing, looks like it is possessed! i have never seen anything so unique as far as washers go. it looks like it just vibrates the clothes into a roll over!! | ||
| Post# 347937 , Reply# 5 5/11/2009 at 00:35 (5,462 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA) | ||
Fantastic! | ||
| Post# 347949 , Reply# 6 5/11/2009 at 01:11 (5,462 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi) | ||
|
How clean do the clothes get? | ||
| Post# 347950 , Reply# 7 5/11/2009 at 01:17 (5,462 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
 | ||
|
Post# 347960 , Reply# 8 5/11/2009 at 02:35 (5,462 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
||
Wow | ||
| Post# 347971 , Reply# 9 5/11/2009 at 06:43 (5,462 days old) by toggleswitch2 () | ||
|
The talented Mr. Robert. Yay to fixing major issues quickly! | ||
|
Post# 347976 , Reply# 10 5/11/2009 at 07:18 (5,462 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
||
Wow! | ||
|
Post# 347977 , Reply# 11 5/11/2009 at 07:24 (5,462 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
||
I want to see | ||
|
Post# 347978 , Reply# 12 5/11/2009 at 07:26 (5,462 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA) |
||
|
Wow! A miracle that there are any parts left for those things. Were those bearings new ones or were they dusty? Makes one wonder how many parts stores might have some pieces gathering dust somewhere? Imagine finding a new basket! | ||
|
Post# 347999 , Reply# 14 5/11/2009 at 08:42 (5,462 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
How well do you think this fun washer washes? So far everything that I've put in it has come out clean. BTW is that spray rinse really flying across the penisdome to the other side of the tub?? Yes actually it spray rinses between wash and the first rinse, the video was the spin between rinse #1 and rinse #2 so what you are seeing is the fill/brake period. my god thats a complex mechanism I bet changing a belt is a nightmare! Well its not as easy to change this belt as in a Norge or Maytag, but its easier than a belt-drive Whirlpool. A miracle that there are any parts left for those things. Were those bearings new ones or were they dusty? These are not Apex parts, those are brand new bearings made by Timkin. Timkin made the same bearings 60 years ago, apparently they are/were commonly used in automobiles, my bearing reatiler had them all in stock. I'll touch more on this later but the the main basket bearing comes as two seperate pieces that you grease and press together. The cup is here and The Cone is here. I simply went to my bearing store and they were in stock. Did you cut back on the water pressure so that you could film it with the lid open! No I fixed the water valve. The valve is suppose to supply 2.5 gallons of water a minute, but in the original valve the water flow-restrictor was old and ineffective allowing too much water to enter. So I installed a new flow restictor. Seems like it would wait till more water was in the tub. No this machine acts like a front loader and can gently turn the clothes without any water in the tub. | ||
| Post# 348003 , Reply# 15 5/11/2009 at 08:56 (5,462 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
|
Hi Robert. Thank you for posting the videos. I enjoy watching them and remembering the bounce-o-matics in the commercial laundry room where I grew up. Ross | ||
|
Post# 348006 , Reply# 16 5/11/2009 at 09:22 (5,462 days old) by yogitunes (New Jersey) |
||
 | ||
| Post# 348125 , Reply# 17 5/11/2009 at 17:19 (5,462 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
 | ||
|
Post# 348164 , Reply# 19 5/11/2009 at 18:52 (5,462 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon) |
||
 | ||
|
Post# 348217 , Reply# 20 5/11/2009 at 21:16 (5,461 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
||
 | ||
|
Post# 348224 , Reply# 21 5/11/2009 at 21:43 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
Here are some pictures of the restoration...
Here is the outer cabinet with the fiberglass wash basket pulled and the main basket bearing removed (the rubber boot is removed as well). The inset on the upper left shows the failed water seal that allowed water to seep down though the main bearing all the way down to the bottom of the drive mechanism taking out two other bearings as well. The inset on the upper right shows the main basket bearing which are pressed onto the basket support shaft. The line points to the cup where the bearing and shaft sits. The inner side of the cabinet serves as the outer tub to catch the water as its spun out. The water seal is another standard part that I was able to easily get. 
| ||
|
Post# 348225 , Reply# 22 5/11/2009 at 21:45 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
Examining the Main Basket Bearing | ||
|
Post# 348226 , Reply# 23 5/11/2009 at 21:48 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348227 , Reply# 24 5/11/2009 at 21:49 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348228 , Reply# 25 5/11/2009 at 21:52 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348230 , Reply# 26 5/11/2009 at 21:54 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348231 , Reply# 27 5/11/2009 at 21:57 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348232 , Reply# 28 5/11/2009 at 22:00 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
| Post# 348234 , Reply# 29 5/11/2009 at 22:01 (5,461 days old) by strongenough78 (California) | ||
Those bearings look exactly like front wheel bearings used in brake rotors on a car. I've seen enough of them over the years I've done brake work on my cars lol. I wonder if you ever need to replace them again, if you could find matching ones at an auto parts store if you have trouble finding them else where. Might be less expensive too.
| ||
|
Post# 348235 , Reply# 30 5/11/2009 at 22:02 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348236 , Reply# 31 5/11/2009 at 22:04 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348237 , Reply# 32 5/11/2009 at 22:06 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
| Post# 348238 , Reply# 33 5/11/2009 at 22:07 (5,461 days old) by strongenough78 (California) | ||
|
| ||
|
Post# 348239 , Reply# 34 5/11/2009 at 22:07 (5,461 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
| Post# 348241 , Reply# 35 5/11/2009 at 22:17 (5,461 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
 | ||
|
Post# 348263 , Reply# 36 5/11/2009 at 23:46 (5,461 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI) |
||
 | ||
|
Post# 348266 , Reply# 37 5/12/2009 at 00:02 (5,461 days old) by mayfan69 (Brisbane Queensland Australia) |
||
Long may she wash Robert! | ||
|
Post# 348299 , Reply# 38 5/12/2009 at 08:12 (5,461 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
||
Robert - what fun! The only way to top this would have been to celebrate at Hooters.... ;-) Love that the two piece bearing was still available. Yes, it does look very similar to a wheel bearing. Thank God the engineers at Apex had the foresight to use standard sized bearings instead of special sizes (like Bendix!). I am curious though - you mentioned that the seal was something that you were able to sub a replacement for easily. May I ask what source you used and how you determined which would work? Thanks! Ben | ||
| Post# 348303 , Reply# 39 5/12/2009 at 09:03 (5,461 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
|
Hi Robert. I remember the little suds dots on the glass lid during washing. Ross | ||
|
Post# 348367 , Reply# 40 5/12/2009 at 14:01 (5,461 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
||
Woo Hoo! | ||
|
Post# 348404 , Reply# 42 5/12/2009 at 16:50 (5,461 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
||
|
| ||
| Post# 348429 , Reply# 43 5/12/2009 at 18:15 (5,461 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
|
Such an unusual machine, I love it! Another great job Robert! Thanks for taking the detailed photos for us. Those bearings do look like front automotive front wheel bearings of the GM rear wheel drive cars of the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1950's GM used large ball bearings instead of the roller bearings. | ||
|
Post# 348449 , Reply# 44 5/12/2009 at 20:00 (5,461 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) |
||
|
Timken bearings That bearing is a tapered roller bearing. Here is some info about the inventor. Love that washing machine!!! Great work, Robert. So is "penisdome" the official name of that part? (LOL) Chris. CLICK HERE TO GO TO gizmo's LINK | ||
| Post# 348460 , Reply# 45 5/12/2009 at 20:51 (5,461 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
 | ||
|
Post# 348507 , Reply# 47 5/12/2009 at 22:14 (5,460 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
How do you like your Dremel Multi-Pro by the way? I've several Dremels, but not the Multi-Pro. It's the only one I've used, but it usually gets the job done. In your first picture the "shaft" sticking up appears off set, but I can't tell. Or is the large gray cylinder above the wash and spin clutch plates a tranny that makes it work? Jed the wobbling is produced in that bearing housing shown in the first picture. The outer housing is attached to wash shaft, the inside of that housing is offset to produce the washing action. The shaft in the center is the spin shaft. I am curious though - you mentioned that the seal was something that you were able to sub a replacement for easily. May I ask what source you used and how you determined which would work? Thanks! Its a simple lip seal Ben, these are easy to find. I brought it into Gopher Bearing and they measured it and ordered it. Lip seals aren't as effective as carbon face seals but that is what was in the original machine design so I knew a new one would work just fine. Have you made a suds cake or suds-locked it, yet? Nope, no suds cake in the machine, it bounces those suds right over the top of the basket and down the drain during the wash cycle. | ||
|
Post# 348508 , Reply# 48 5/12/2009 at 22:15 (5,460 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
| ||
| Post# 348510 , Reply# 49 5/12/2009 at 22:19 (5,460 days old) by jdinstl () | ||
|
The thought of... Robert and lip seals gets me all goose-bumpy. Seriously, beautiful work Robert, and congrats! John | ||
| Post# 348569 , Reply# 50 5/13/2009 at 04:41 (5,460 days old) by eddy1210 (Burnaby BC Canada) | ||
OMG | ||
|
Post# 348638 , Reply# 51 5/13/2009 at 13:17 (5,460 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
||
 | ||
| Post# 348661 , Reply# 52 5/13/2009 at 15:24 (5,460 days old) by bestcleaning () | ||
|
Hi Robert. Beautiful work, I loved the vid of the clutch. I wonder how does the machine pressures the water on the balloon, (and how the machine "turn off" the pressure on the end-of-cycle)? | ||
|
Post# 348788 , Reply# 53 5/14/2009 at 08:27 (5,459 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
||
|
Robert | ||
|
Post# 348797 , Reply# 54 5/14/2009 at 09:42 (5,459 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
||
|
is that cast iron shackle that holds the water seal cast at an angle so that it sits on the agitate shaft at some angle? You are correct Jon. The the floor of the cast iron bearing housing is at an angle and during wash only the cast iron bearing housing rotates. Since the inner spin shaft is held tight by the brake only the outsides of those two big bearings rotate which causes a nutating action to the shaft that the basket is attached to. When spin is called for everything reverses. The cast iron housing is now held stationary by the wash brake and the spin shaft rotates causing the basket to spin without any nutation happening. Why would they need two bearings plopped against each other? I suspect for extra support. I have a feeling that one of the reasons Apex Wash-a-Matics are so extremely rare is from what I've heard by the "old-timers" there were a lot of service problems with this machine. I suspect it was because of that lip seal causing early bearing failure which sent 99% of them to the crusher early on. On that same note its interesting that out on the Aberdeen Farm there were over 10,000 washing machines and not one Apex to be found anywhere out there. I bet market share for this machine was minimal. I really had started to think that I probably would never find another one. Of course now that we've found one 10 of them should show up over the next year lol. Another interesting thing I've noticed about this machine is it is able to keep the hot water much hotter over the course of a 12 minute wash cycle than any other machine I have. That fiberglass basket seems to hold heat really well and does not absorb as much heat as a porcelain or stainless steel basket would. That makes me think that modern plastic wash tubs might be better for efficiency than stainless ones. | ||
|
Post# 348856 , Reply# 57 5/14/2009 at 15:00 (5,459 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.) |
||
 Another interesting thing I've noticed about this machine is it is able to keep the hot water much hotter over the course of a 12 minute wash cycle than any other machine I have. That fiberglass basket seems to hold heat really well and does not absorb as much heat as a porcelain or stainless steel basket would. That makes me think that modern plastic wash tubs might be better for efficiency than stainless ones.I pointed out a while back, in regards to people believing that stainless steel dishwasher tanks retain heat, that plastic holds heat much better. Very easy to demonstrate. Heat some water to near-boiling. Hold an 8" round cake pan or other such pan in your hand over the sink and pour in the water. You'll have to drop the pan almost immediately due to the heat. Then do that with a sturdy plastic bowl. The reason the cake pan gets hot and the bowl doesn't nearly so much is because the heat of the water is escaping through the metal pan to your hand, but the plastic bowl insulates it. | ||
|
Post# 348944 , Reply# 58 5/14/2009 at 19:55 (5,459 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia) |
||
|
WOW! I just wanted to say how much your hard work is admired Robert! | ||
|
Post# 349151 , Reply# 59 5/15/2009 at 10:08 (5,458 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
||
|
You guessed it Robert
Peter has it, that plastic is a better insulator, but an even better one are the glass fibers in the plastic, they would really hold the heat in. I have to say now seeing this machine broken down it is an excellent example of Ohio Engineering yet again! It is very well engineered all except for that lip seal! I was expecting a nonsense design like the Launderall! What a big badly designed machine that was! Apex is no where near the over engineered complexity of a Launderall or even a GE filter flo! It's a very simple design who's only flaw I can see is the availabilty of materials at the time of creation was not up to the task asked of them. Your new lip seal will last a lot longer than the original becuase of the rubber formulation today. Especially being from the early 50's! Rubber formulation and its application went through a revolution by the late 50's. This was the achilles heal of the early ABC-O-MATICS as well and it gave them a bad name early on which stuck with and killed the line! ABC only survived as Kelvinator. | ||
|
Post# 349152 , Reply# 60 5/15/2009 at 10:09 (5,458 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
||
|
Excuse me | ||
| Forum Index: |
| Other Forums: |
|
|
|
|
|
Comes to the Rescue!
