Thread Number: 43149
Rust on Kenmore centerpost |
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Post# 634789 , Reply# 1   10/27/2012 at 22:59 (4,170 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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You haven't mentioned the reason for taking the machine apart, but rotten centerposts are problematic for WP-built belt-drives.
You unfortunately cannot change the centerpost without replacing the entire baseplate. The centerpost was pressed into the baseplate as part of the assembly during manufacture and is not removeable. The centerpost gets wet when the machine is filled with water. As seals in the machine's spin tube and upper centerpost age and wear, water will slowly wet more and more of the centerpost. You can see the original detergent line on your basket's centerpost (in your other thread) where for many years the water would stop under the agitator due to a trapped air pocket. Once gunk starts to form on the centerpost from detergent residue, etc. this will keep the centerpost wet, and hasten rust. Unless you have a donor machine with a better centerpost, there isn't much choice but to try to spruce up this one. I just did that very thing on a 1982 vintage machine, and I think the results came out pretty well. I wire-brushed the centerpost thoroughly. From there I removed the outer tub (it needed to be re-sealed anyway) and coated the centerpost with several coats of POR-15, which is a type of rusty metal sealant. Many membes here use it. As long as your centerpost is not rusted through and/or not cracked, you should be able to halt the rust progress for quite some time with the POR-15. I'll try to locate some pictures of this which I took this summer. What is the problem with this washer that has you going through all this? Gordon |
Post# 634791 , Reply# 2   10/27/2012 at 23:11 (4,170 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Here are a few pics:
Is this similar to your 1984 machine? It should look nearly exactly the same. I was surprised to see how bad this centerpost was. The white granules are bean-bag pillow or animal stuffing - someone's favorite teddy bear must have departed the earth in this machine's last load. There was stuffing EVERYWHERE even on top of the mixing valve. And its still in the lid hinge pads! |
Post# 634793 , Reply# 3   10/27/2012 at 23:14 (4,170 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 634795 , Reply# 4   10/27/2012 at 23:23 (4,170 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Here is a shot of the POR-15 coating after the first application. I did three. I didn't take any other shots however but you'll get the idea. The whole centerpost has a silky smooth coating on it that is said to be impervious to air and water when done right.
This was my first use of POR and I found it to be quite runny. We'll see what the post looks like after a year or so of use. Good luck with your machine! Gordon |
Post# 634828 , Reply# 5   10/28/2012 at 04:23 (4,170 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 635055 , Reply# 7   10/29/2012 at 10:01 (4,168 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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I don't think the POR will come off anytime soon. There have been many users of it on this site, if you search some of the old threads, you'll be able to get some testimonials. When I decided to use it this summer, I did a lot of research on their website. I would encourage you to do the same thing.
Gordon |