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Thread Number: 38880
Big brother / Little brother 200 series 1981/1982 Kenmores...almost twins! |
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Post# 576788 2/18/2012 at 13:01 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64  (Charlotte, NC) |
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The 1981 Kenmore 200 series large capacity washer has been in my collection for about 18 months or so now, and it is featured in my photo album. This is a beautiful example of a real 1981 survivor. Having a painted top and lid, these models often badly rusted before their useful lives were over, at least on the east coast and other areas where a moist installation is common. This machine was located through an AW member in Salt Lake City who thought I would like it (he was CORRECT!).
The '81 model is a huge improvement over the 1980 200 series as the '80 did not have a selectable water level, so you got a 24-gallon fill regardless of load size. I think the '81 is also more attractive with the chromed knobs and the ebony insert on the left of the control panel. While this machine was waiting to come home to stay, Andy / RedCarpetDrew, a great friend and the nicest guy you'll ever want to meet, called me one evening last fall with a cool find he knew I would like. He played his usual "Stump the Master" with the model number to see if I knew what it was (I did). I was jazzed that I'd have the big 1981 200, and its 1982 little cousin, the 24-inch clone version. We met in Auburn, California in early December, a gathering of myself, Andy, his wonderful wife Jacqui, and Kevin, which was documented here shortly after, with pics of me obtaining the "Little Buddy" Kenmore. Well, the name Little Buddy has quickly given way to Gilligan, and the 29-inch may become Skipper, LOL. Dumb I know... I've also referred to the machines as Frick and Frack. Here are some pics. The first: Arriving home: Transportation via Ford! 
This post was last edited 02/18/2012 at 13:33 | ||
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Post# 576789 , Reply# 1 2/18/2012 at 13:04 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Big bro posing | ||
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Post# 576790 , Reply# 2 2/18/2012 at 13:06 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Getting ready to be checked out | ||
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Post# 576791 , Reply# 3 2/18/2012 at 13:07 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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The Skipper close up | ||
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Post# 576792 , Reply# 4 2/18/2012 at 13:08 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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And Gilligan all unpacked | ||
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Post# 576794 , Reply# 5 2/18/2012 at 13:13 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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The crew together for a pre-voyage pose
I love how these are so 'same' yet not.
The big machine has the short-lived plastic lid hinges, while the little has the much better metal hinges that Kenmore returned to in their 1983 line sometime in the second half of 1984. The plastic hinges were used from 1980 to 1984 on low-end to the middle 70-series models. Two of the 1983 70s had them, two didn't. By fall 1984, they had all reverted to metal hinges. A blow for good taste, but I like how this machine has them and they aren't broken. 
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Post# 576795 , Reply# 6 2/18/2012 at 13:14 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576796 , Reply# 7 2/18/2012 at 13:14 (4,443 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL) |
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'A Three-Hour Cruise" | ||
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Post# 576797 , Reply# 8 2/18/2012 at 13:15 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576798 , Reply# 9 2/18/2012 at 13:17 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576803 , Reply# 10 2/18/2012 at 13:24 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Well, I ran the '81 through a dry run set of tests. I had done so at the warehouse but all still appears to be good.
I did the same on the '82 and found a rattling service panel (nothing unusual at all), and I freed-up some bound leveling legs. The machine is loaded with these little white styrofoam beads. I have no idea what those are, but they are everywhere, and annoying! I found evidence of baseplate rust from the leak that Andy mentioned. Rust means it isn't a new leak. I opened up the machine, and effortlessly removed the tub ring, agitator, basket, etc. I love it when machines cooperate! This is what greated me. The centerpost looks like it has lived on Detroit street for a winter, and that rust spot? "The poor dear" as Robert would say. Joy... 
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Post# 576804 , Reply# 11 2/18/2012 at 13:25 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576805 , Reply# 12 2/18/2012 at 13:26 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576806 , Reply# 13 2/18/2012 at 13:29 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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So, out comes the epoxy putty. I took a break to eat lunch, something I had to make myself do as I was about to revist the focused days in the 1990s when I would be in the garage buried in a washer or washers from morning to dark without noticing the passing of time.
Now it's time to head back out and pull the tub, and see what I get. I plan to patch that booger hole one way or the other! Enjoy the pics - more to come later today I hope! Gordon 
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Post# 576807 , Reply# 14 2/18/2012 at 13:31 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 576809 , Reply# 15 2/18/2012 at 13:38 (4,443 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Lawrence -
The inserts in the 1979 and later machines are Ebony black. This was to match/mimick the black panels in higher models. In the 70s these inserts were indeed woodgrained for models that so qualified. The lowest models just had a textured area of the same color plastic (these do too, its just covered by the insert). Gordon | ||
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Post# 576812 , Reply# 16 2/18/2012 at 15:00 (4,443 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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Post# 576815 , Reply# 17 2/18/2012 at 15:13 (4,443 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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This post has been removed by the member who posted it. | ||
| Post# 576828 , Reply# 19 2/18/2012 at 17:14 (4,443 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA) | ||
Oh, Gordon!
Sorry about the little surprise waiting for you. I was hoping that she'd been easier for you to go thru. Out of the three I sent you, I hope this one's the only one to fight. The other two (a 29" & another 24") should be nicer to you. I can hardly wait to see the other 24" (an older but really minty one) and the 29"er (a Lady K) in operation! A suggestion for names for the 86 Lady and the older 24: Lady Marion and her handmaiden Agatha...
I'm glad I was able to find, rescue and adopt them out to you. I can't think of anyone else who could give the 82 24"er a better fighting chance to recover from a rusty hell! BTW, one of these days, I WILL 'stump the master' with a model number you won't instantly be able to recall every feature and option about. Actually, didn't the model number on one of the three throw you a little??? RCD | ||
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Post# 576845 , Reply# 20 2/18/2012 at 18:27 (4,443 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon) |
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Very Cool Gordon | ||
| Post# 576869 , Reply# 21 2/18/2012 at 20:07 (4,443 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa) | ||
 Wow Gordon nice machines the tubs looks brand new ! The 24 inch model with that tub cap with the edgeing was that the last of that particular tub cap ? Like I told you before we had them in the three cycle panel same look. That was one of the stongest pumps and agitation motors I ever had in a Kenmore washer !!! Wish I had it back. Best to you on the restore it is in good hands.
Darren k | ||
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Post# 576914 , Reply# 23 2/19/2012 at 00:18 (4,443 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Congrats Gordon! | ||
| Post# 576916 , Reply# 24 2/19/2012 at 00:26 (4,443 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
Wow | ||
| Post# 576958 , Reply# 25 2/19/2012 at 08:21 (4,443 days old) by stainfighter (Columbia, SC) | ||
...A suggestion for names...
...wonder if you have a machine you'd dub 'The Professor'...another perhaps 'Thurston Howell The Third'...let's not forget the Dryers, "Ginger", "Mary Ann" and the loveable, though often flighty, "Mrs. Howell" lol :=)...
O.T. your yard/grass looks so lush and green for February...no winter here this year! | ||
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Post# 577007 , Reply# 26 2/19/2012 at 13:04 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Some updates:
Hey there everyone - thanks for the replies and name suggestions. We'll see what happens. I don't usually name my stuff, but some machines have simply acquired names over the years one way or another. The first is my 1979 Kenmore 500, which my first buddy from AW, who lives very nearby affectionately named "Annie" back in 2008 and it has stuck like glue since...
I have a couple updates on the 81 & 82: First, the 1982 24-inch is not well. That rust hole turned into about four holes, enough that the tub would never hold water for a wet test of the rest of the machine. The machine overall is pristine, so I figured it had very low miles. That could still be the case, but the centerpost and tub are pretty ugly. The tub fought me coming out, and I had to cut out the centerpost gasket, which was stuck to the centerpost. This didn't happen in the early 90s on these models, they were too new. Now they all seem to protest. About half the lip at the centerpost grommet is rusted away. The centerpost I thought was a disaster, but in reality it had a lot of mineral build-up and minor surface rust. I think the only way to deal with that is a coating of POR-15. I don't know where to buy that - looks like online on their website? Or, are there better more local alternatives? I did get the mis-aligned timer corrected. Presently I have the tub cleaned, and a new center gasket installed with sealer, waiting for the epoxy. I am not going to do that until I POR the centerpost. I may have to install new centerpost and agitator shaft seals to better keep the centerpost dry. I feel good about the prognosis on this one, but the tub holes are going to be a challenge. They are in the wrong spot for a tub repair kit, in fact this is the only mounting hole that could pose a problem for the repair kit. On to the large capacity machine. I LOVE THIS MACHINE, lol. I was tempted to take it apart like the '82 and see if I had any problems in brew, but I decided to just 'wing it' today and hook 'er up, see what happens. Throw caution to the wind, right? Well, the machine runs beautifully. Soothing belt-drive sound, operates very 'authoritatively' and seemingly with confidence. I did a test load to clean up the towels and rags that I used to clean both machines and do the work on the '82. Since we are all so visual and love pics, I'll post a few here... | ||
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Post# 577008 , Reply# 27 2/19/2012 at 13:05 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 577010 , Reply# 28 2/19/2012 at 13:07 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 577012 , Reply# 29 2/19/2012 at 13:09 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 577013 , Reply# 30 2/19/2012 at 13:11 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Post# 577015 , Reply# 31 2/19/2012 at 13:13 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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I did say the machine works great, didn't I? | ||
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Post# 577016 , Reply# 32 2/19/2012 at 13:16 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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I am somewhat sure the pump, having been dry for some time and unused, needed to be good and wet with warm water for a bit. Since this machine doesn't recirulate any water during wash, the pump didn't have a mass of water through it until wash drain. It seems to have leaked the residual water in the system during agitation. After that, I didn't notice much more water donated to the floor during rinse and spin. Going to try another full load and see what happens. Machine might need a new pump or further potty training. I hope not...
That's it for now! Gordon | ||
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Post# 577042 , Reply# 33 2/19/2012 at 15:01 (4,442 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH) |
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As these washers age... | ||
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Post# 577176 , Reply# 34 2/20/2012 at 07:33 (4,442 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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COOL 81 AND 82 KENMORE BROTHERS They both look to be very fixable Gordon, maybe I should get Smitty to get more of the SS tubing and we could go into the base-plate rebuilding business. You can either use Por-15 or two part epoxy enamel for the outer tub, if you are using epoxy to fix holes it is better to do this first, but if you like using 100% silicone sealant it is better to use this after painting being sure the paint is very dry. One of the problems with the WP tub kit is that they are never large enough for badly rusted tubs. It is fairly easy to get larger SS washers made and make rubber gaskets to fit them. Also try to find the after market tub bolt kits as they have REAL SS bolts and washers where as the FSP WP kits are cheap plated steel and they will rust.
Gordon did you notice how the base-plate in the 24" machine has that white foam seal on it, this was required by UL so when water would overflow over the tub rings overflow area it wouldn't run under the outer tub and onto the motor and control magnet area and cause shorts. | ||
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Post# 577196 , Reply# 35 2/20/2012 at 09:38 (4,442 days old) by kenmoreGuy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Hi John,
I have always liked the two-part epoxy. I had some learning experiences with it at first, but it seems to work really well when done properly. This centerpost will be my first exposure to POR-15, but I have at least one more that I know needs my attention, so I may as well start now. What's funny is these 24-inch tubs have some contours in them that prevent using the tub-repair kit. Naturally, the only tub mounting hole in the tub which won't accomodate a standard or aftermarket repair kit is the one that rusted. I am thinking about cutting one to the contours of that raised area and see what I get. The machine shop at work may be able to assist in that. The 1982 24-inch machine reminds me VERY much of the 518. Pristine and apparently very much under-used on the outside, and blammo, the inside is the pits. I think machines that are lightly used but stay wet for many years are canditates for these hidden ugly situations. Actually this 1982 machine was even more surprising than the 518 because normally these would be cosmetically deteriorated and rusty. The combination of the small basket, the straight vane agitator, and the painted top and lid should allow for early rust on edges of the lid, lid well, etc. but there is absolutely no sign of it. You'd think the machine was in a box unused until last year. Obviously not, but we gotta love the desert west's dry air for preserving machines, at least where air can get at them. I really enjoyed this washer work this weekend. The last washer I worked on in great detail was the 518 John, when we gutted it that Sunday morning in October. That's a long time in between major washer work. The 29-inch machine was fun to use, save for the peeing on the floor. I hadn't used a machine in many years where the 2-port pump is running dry during agitation. This means that when the machine goes into pump-out, a loud wooshing sound occurs, which is not present in other belt-drives which don't have this pump or are re-circulating water during agitate. The woosh scared me so much it made me jump the first time, as I wasn't expecting it. I'll keep everyone updated with machine progress! Gordon | ||
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Post# 579070 , Reply# 36 2/28/2012 at 16:00 (4,433 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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A few responses to the folks who replied above....
Thanks for the replies folks,
Scott - yes, surely the Ranger would make it to Michigan, but it holds only two machines easily. Kevin's Ranger, with the same bed, has held three but only by tying them down with the tailgate open. Since having a horrifying but also hysterical mishap last year involving a friend's two new leather chairs and a Charlotte highway, I won't be hauling anything with the tailgate open, not that far anyway. Heck, I was nervous with Kevin while riding as a passenger when we did that in Auburn last December. Andy - THANK YOU again for everything. And yes, I think I did stumble a little on some recent episode of "stump the master". Don't worry about sending me a problem child - this will make me do a more thorough makeover on this machine, which is a good thing in the long run. Kevin and Stainfighter - Still working on names. Frick and Frack may be better or more appropriate since they both don't hold water, and 'Frack' on Battlestar Galactica is their version of the F-bomb. John - Yes, I noticed the white foam strip, but that is present on many 29-inch models too. I did not know that UL required that, but one thing that I have always thought was absolutely STUPID was the big hole in the baseplate, that is directly above the wig-wag, almost as if WP wanted water to drip on it eventually. Patrick - Thanks. I got the gray POR-15 based on the look in your pictures. Thanks for the confidence builder in your recommendation of it. Darren - I'm not sure what you mean by 'edging' in the tub cap. If you mean the tub ring, this is definitely a different tub ring, and I have no idea why KM/WP did this as earlier 24-inch machines had plastic tub rings that looked similar to their 29-inch counterparts. Perhaps this was to address splashing? The SV agitators surely are good for splashes. Speaking of strong pumps, I was surprised how much stronger the pump-out flow was in the 29-inch machine vs. a similar machine with a self-cleaning filter. The filter must really slow things down. The wooshing sound when the machine went into drain startled me actually, as this is not something you hear in any of my currently or recently used Kenmores. I have turned my attention temporarily to a Lady K while I wait for the POR-15 to arrive. I hate leaving a project unfinished, but I will get back on these machines soon. I enjoyed using the large one too much not to. It was just different enough from what I am used to to be fun and a little bit new. Gordon | ||
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Post# 579118 , Reply# 37 2/28/2012 at 18:45 (4,433 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Belt Drive pump out Force | ||
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Post# 579285 , Reply# 38 2/29/2012 at 11:18 (4,432 days old) by mistereric (New Jersey (Taylor Ham)) |
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Post# 579338 , Reply# 39 2/29/2012 at 14:23 (4,432 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Eric -
These panels started out in 1974 with this ivory color. The two in my garage have both yellowed a little bit (you can tell under the timer knobs) but this is very common with plastic, especially if under flourescent lights. This is actually the same color as used in the white 1972-1975 plastic top machines which have the 'hump' in them for the controls which rise up out of the console vertically. Initially these panels had raised embossments in the "Kenmore" name box on the left which said "Kenmore" on one line and "Heavy Duty" underneath. This then usually got a coat of paint to make the lettering stand out. Later, the wording was hot-stamped as mine are. In 1981, a dark walnut color was introduced, and was used in great volume for several years on a few much more MOL models as compared to mine, while others remained ivory. This panel had a woodgrain insert where mine have the ebony insert. During the DD days, only 24-inch machines were manufactured with this panel, as no corresponding 27-inch machines had them. That is because Kenmore, with their 1983 line, changed their marketing philosophy with models in that true BOLs were standard or "regular" capacity only, and the real large capacity machines were at least 60-series and better, and thus they had the metal control panels. There were no more double lines with most models being available in two or three sizes. Later in the DD evolution, this panel color became a matching white to match the cabinets, and the walnut was re-invented as well. Toward the end, there was an ugly 'baby puke orange/brown' color for the very BOL model. I think those were ugly on purpose to deter some people from buying them in favor of the much prettier and more expensive two cycle models. Gordon | ||
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Post# 581780 , Reply# 40 3/11/2012 at 19:19 (4,421 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC) |
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Update: | ||
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Post# 581785 , Reply# 41 3/11/2012 at 20:24 (4,421 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH) |
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I POR-15ed a Kenmore BD today too. | ||
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