Thread Number: 11751
The Keymatic Arrives !!!
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Post# 209429   5/10/2007 at 16:47 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        

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The Hoover Keymatic i won on eBAY arrived today. It is in very good condition, with original handbook and hoses. The body will clean up very well and it is all complete. It will need a new door seal/boot possibly a tubulator belt,but i managed to get it going after several attempts ( you have to push the key plate once inserted to get it to fire up). I have not tried water in yet as not sure how the drain sump hoses are. I have lots of questions see later pics Richard




Post# 209430 , Reply# 1   5/10/2007 at 16:48 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
inside shot

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it has a light green door boot which is hard and cracking. Does any one know if new ones can be bought?

Post# 209431 , Reply# 2   5/10/2007 at 16:49 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
The hoses and book

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It will need new hoses as these are hard and cracked

Post# 209432 , Reply# 3   5/10/2007 at 16:50 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
full frontal

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this is before any cleaning

Post# 209433 , Reply# 4   5/10/2007 at 16:52 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
Rear shot

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ooh its a bit complicated!! Notice the original transport straps were still in place and have been since 1971! so it has not been shook around

Post# 209434 , Reply# 5   5/10/2007 at 16:53 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
top shot

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Lots of wires

Post# 209435 , Reply# 6   5/10/2007 at 16:55 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
side view

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This shows the complicated inlet combined pump pipes

Post# 209437 , Reply# 7   5/10/2007 at 17:02 (6,166 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
other side

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Is this a gearbox on the end of the motor ? if so does it need oil.Now some questions!

i tried to run a spin only programme and the machine clicked away till just before rinse 3 and stayed there a while with the drum turning, it did not advance or seem to ever shift from tumble to spin, any ideas?

The motor casing was very hot to the touch after 1 -2 min running is that correct? all seems free and the brake was not binding, does it hide a gearbox? any oil needed

how hot should the motor run?

also there was some squeaks and squeals from the belts pulleys?

Now then can you buy a turbulator belt or door seal anywhere.

Prizes will be give upon best answers, the judges decision is final no purchase necessary!!!


More to come over the weekend as i clean it!!


Post# 209445 , Reply# 8   5/10/2007 at 17:45 (6,166 days old) by 74simon ()        
Exciting!

I'm so glad for you that it came with the transit straps - at least it should be intact mechanically. Looks like it's built like a battleship!

I hope you can get her going properly, but rather you than me, I have to say! Hopefully a member with the service manuals can help out.

Good luck!


Post# 209458 , Reply# 9   5/10/2007 at 20:09 (6,166 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

Hi Ricky

Pushing the keyplate in briefly to start is normal.

"Turbulator belt" - I assume you mean the spin belt - the round section one that turns the corner - I have several spares of those, if you want one. You might be able to find one closer to home, though. The original ones are lke a "rubberized rope" belt, looks like yours is original. You can also get modern ones made up to length, they are made of round section stretchy plastic. I have one clear plastic one, which was a non-genuine spare part, or a belt supplier can make one up to match your sample, they are generally red plastic and here over are called "redthane belts". I think Mike (Chestermike) has a redthane belt on his. Anyway if you can wait for postage, you are welcome to one of mine. What is wrong with yours - is it cracked? if it is just loose, you can re-tension it by adjusting the motor mounts.

If you hunt around you will probably find a "new old stock" door boot in an old spare parts shop. If you have no luck,post here as I think there is a shop in suburban Melbourne that has parts for Keymatics. They did ten years ago when I had mine. The replacement boots are black and last longer than the blue originals.
When I last dealt with them, the shop still used a Keymatic for washing their cleaning rags, the owner was a fan of the machines and had several dead machines for spares out the back, plus a small stock of new old stock parts. I got their last new sump hose.
Look at the sump hose - although it has bits going everywhere, it is all one part, an amazing bit of work. I reckon you could make one up out of separate hoses if you had to but it would be quite a job. Hopefully yours is ok, but they are prone to rotting out. Also the fill hoses from the inlet valves to the sump hose extension tube are very thin and crumble with age, as does the vent hose at the top of the drum - a curved rubber hose which is very thin, soft and flexible so it doesn't transmit vibration.

As long as the belts are correctly tensioned, I wouldn't worry about a bit of noise - these machines have very quiet motors but make a symphony of mechanical sounds - scrapes, whirrs, rattles are all normal.

How long did you leave it to spin - it should pump out for 1.5 minutes, then advance to spin.

Chris


Post# 209459 , Reply# 10   5/10/2007 at 20:17 (6,166 days old) by appnut (TX)        

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Ricky, ocngratulations. I'm glad another one has been saved!!!

Post# 209465 , Reply# 11   5/10/2007 at 20:23 (6,166 days old) by trainguy (Key West, FL)        
Congrats!

trainguy's profile picture
Hi Richard,

What an interesting machine. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Rich


Post# 209468 , Reply# 12   5/10/2007 at 20:42 (6,166 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Nice find there Rich

jetcone's profile picture
I'm sure the UK and Oz Contigent will help you get her back up and running again.
A rare machine indeed.

jon


Post# 209476 , Reply# 13   5/10/2007 at 21:14 (6,166 days old) by westyslantfront ()        

Hi Ricky. It is a beautiful looking machine. Congratulations and hope you get machine going properly.


Ross


Post# 209530 , Reply# 14   5/11/2007 at 09:22 (6,166 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Very nice machine, this is one of the top machines on my list to see running one day...

I hope you have an easy time of getting going again - have fun!


Post# 209543 , Reply# 15   5/11/2007 at 10:01 (6,166 days old) by mattywashboy (Perth, Western Australia)        

mattywashboy's profile picture
yay, congratulations,
it certainly looks in good condition, glad to see not everyone lets their old trusty machine go to rust.
Hopefully you will be able to find new parts for it, ebay usually have a few spares kicking around if you delve deep enough.
I've always been curious as to how these would be to watch and listen to, i hope you may be able to get some videos of it when its all nice and done up :), if you get chance that is :)

take care mate
matt


Post# 209544 , Reply# 16   5/11/2007 at 10:02 (6,166 days old) by fa_f3_20 ()        

Does this actually use a card reader of some sort? That's what that thing at the bottom of the first shot of the electrics looks like. I assume the cards are printed circuit boards with edge contacts? I've never seen or heard of a machine like this.


Post# 209559 , Reply# 17   5/11/2007 at 12:39 (6,166 days old) by seamusuk (Dover Kent UK)        
PCB???

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Nope- somewhat more low-tech, see the link for a pic from Chestermikes Album ;)

Seamus


CLICK HERE TO GO TO seamusuk's LINK


Post# 209567 , Reply# 18   5/11/2007 at 13:57 (6,166 days old) by timon90 (Norway)        
Nice!

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Congrats with a really nice Keymatic! Hope you can get it in working order very soon;) Best wishes from Norway!

Timon


Post# 209588 , Reply# 19   5/11/2007 at 17:04 (6,165 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
latest latest

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Thanks guys for all your support!

I Have discovered what was wrong with the motor , it has an internal starter switch that was stuck on and so overheating, after removing and cleaning it it now starts and runs silently, however in assuming some pulleys were seized i oiled them. This machine is very complicated, the motor rotates in a certain direction and causes the drum to rotate at tumble speed , but when going into spin the motor reverses direction instantly which causes the drum to speed up into spin but in the same direction it was going as tumble but has some sort of clutch , but i think i oiled it so now it tumbles normally but then when going into spin it squeals and shrieks so i will have to clean off the oil (any ideas), but apart from a new door boot and poss rope type belt it seems ok. I will try a local shop it has ancient things even reconned 119s juniors in the window!

speak soon

Richard


Post# 209648 , Reply# 20   5/12/2007 at 03:26 (6,165 days old) by spinspeed (Far North New South Wales Australia (originally London UK))        
keymatic

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Great wahser Richard, would love to see that little beauty doing a hot sudzy wash. Looking forward to the next instalments and progress reports. If that was mine my partner wouldn't see me for days on end...

Happy tinkering Richard

Simon


Post# 209660 , Reply# 21   5/12/2007 at 07:31 (6,165 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

Hi Richard

Squealing noise - don't spin the machine without water in it - there is a ceramic faced seal inside which MUST be wet or it will wear out.
Other ideas for the squeal - disconnect the belts. Set the machine to spin again. If it is quiet, the squeal is in either the drum, the idler pulleys (where the spin belt turns the corner), or the clutches. (The clutches are on the back of the drum, not in the motor.)Possibly the drum brake - there is a silver brake drum between the pulleys and the wash drum. There is a cable from the door switch to a lever on the back,the lever has a small brake pad which rubs on the drum to slow it if the door is opened during spin. If it is out of adjustment, the brake pad could still be rubbing on the little silver brake drum during spin.
If it still squeals with the belts disconnected, it is in the motor, or possibly the pump.

For interest, here's how the clutches for wash and spin work:

It's quite simple, really. The motor lies crossways under the drum. It has one pulley on its shaft at one end, and a reduction gear at the other, with a pulley on the reduction gear. This means the motor assembly has a fast pulley and a slow pulley. (about 15:1 ratio??? )
The drum has two pulleys on its shaft, each has a very simple clutch between the shaft and the pulley. The pulley drives the drum clockwise, freewheels (spins free) when turned anti-clockwise. So whichever pulley turns clockwise drives the drum.
The pulleys on the motor turn in opposite directions, so if the slow pulley on the motor turns clockwise, the fast pulley turns anti-clockwise. In that case, the slow pulley drives its belt, which drives its drum pulley clockwise, which turns the drum slowly clockwise - the WASH action. The other pulley spins fast anticlockwise, which doesn't drive the drum, it just spins. If the pulsator clutch is engaged, that fast pulley drives the pulsator (impeller) inside the drum, too.

If the motor sudenly reverses, then the slow pulley is now turning anti-clockwise, which doesn't drive the drum, it just idles around. The fast pulley is now turning clockwise, which drives the drum FAST - the SPIN action.
So reversing the motor changes the drum action from slow clockwise to fast clockwise. The drum can never turn anti-clockwise, as any pulley turning anticlockwise just slips.

Chris.


Post# 209667 , Reply# 22   5/12/2007 at 09:19 (6,165 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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Richard,

Congratulations and welcome to the Keymatic club. Great to see another one being found, including a manual! Hope you are getting it working again.

Happy washing!

Louis


Post# 209828 , Reply# 23   5/13/2007 at 09:05 (6,164 days old) by fredriksam (Sweden)        

Heh. Congratulations on your Keymatic, ricky5050. I remember mine very well.

I have to say, yours are in much greater condition than the one i had, was in. For instance, in the shot of the wires, some of the wires, especially those that went from the keyplate unit, had broke on mine. Therefore it just got stuck on several places in the program and sometimes the fuses blowed.

The machine i had had been stored at my familys house. Almost never used because my mom hated the machine. Then in 2001 they decided to throw it away and i took it home. It worked really great until 2005 or 2006 when the motor broke.

I was lucky and found a motor for it and it worked for a while more. Then late 2006 i noticed it began to stuck on several places during the program. Sometimes it went ok after a while. Other times i had to put in the "spin only" card, remove that. Put in pre wash or rinse to do the rinses.

I felt this didnt worked very well. I sold the machine to a collector here in sweden that had worked with repairing machines. He later sold the machine to someone in Norway because it was so much to do with it.

I hope yours will work better and that you will have a good time with it. This machine IS considered rare in most countries and its quite an amazing machine. If it was made today it would cost millions to buy it (i think)

On another note, Gizmo is right, dont spin the machine without water. Its not very good to do that.

I,m looking forward to more pics and (hopefully) some video clips as well.


Post# 210672 , Reply# 24   5/18/2007 at 09:15 (6,159 days old) by fredriksam (Sweden)        

Yo Ricky5050. Any updates?

Have you washed a load in the machine yet?


Post# 210682 , Reply# 25   5/18/2007 at 10:30 (6,159 days old) by timon90 (Norway)        
Hey fredriksam

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How much did you get when you sold you Keymatic?

Post# 210696 , Reply# 26   5/18/2007 at 13:14 (6,159 days old) by fredriksam (Sweden)        

Because it was in bad condition i got about 1000 swedish kronor.

Post# 210699 , Reply# 27   5/18/2007 at 14:07 (6,159 days old) by timon90 (Norway)        
oh!!

timon90's profile picture
Thats pretty much money..

Post# 211037 , Reply# 28   5/20/2007 at 08:44 (6,157 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Nice One!!

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Hi Richard, Wow, really glad you won this after missing out on the other recent one!!!Now thats something I have never seen, a 46yr old machine with its TRANSIT brackets in, it looks in fine fettle as well, mine is due a service & spa treatment, it worked fine UNTIL the support wire snapped and the drum dropped smacking the wiring loom case cover, and ripping a few hoses out of their sockets!!!

This wire, (the one you can see attached to the sides under the main spring) runs across and underneath the front of the tub and positions it in the "Tilt" angle...is the weakest link of the whole machine me thinks, I cant believe its soooo thin, rather like a thin cyle gear wire, BUT as Chris says, this machine does bounce around a lot inside and doesnt generally dance on your kitchen floor....

Have you ever seen sooo much rubber hoses etc in a front loader...LOl please make sure you do a simple water test outside after inspecting all the hoses, this beasty pumps so fast you could be sittin in water if it fails...

The weird thing about the boots is I found one black one a few months before my machine turned up, these turquoise original boots are so fragile that I used glycerine on it to keep it as long as I could...(which was until last week when I moved it whilst filming it and the whole thing ripped apart at the top, Am sifting through a load of Qualtex old spares at the moment to see if any fit, will let you know..

Email me your address and I`ll send you a copy of the manual,(and something else I just found that you will need for your other classic) fascinating bedtime reading...Can you tell me the serial number to date it, it looks a later model due to the badge and the newer keyplate...

Enjoy the restore, Mike



Post# 211094 , Reply# 29   5/20/2007 at 13:33 (6,157 days old) by robm (Buxted)        

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Hello Richard. It's great that classics like this go to good homes. I hope you really enjoy playing with it.

I bet is sounds quite different from the later square door machines, especially on spin.

Rob


Post# 211370 , Reply# 30   5/21/2007 at 16:10 (6,155 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
latest news

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Hi everyone thank you for all your interest!
Latest news on the Keymatic!

Well since the clutch squealing, i was advised by a friend to remove the pulleys and very fiddly clutch springs and clean all off the gunk of them, i did this but it still squealed and could not get into spin, i maybe was not thorough enough and will re do the faffy job at the weekend! The squeal is the spin pulley on the shaft as the tiny locking barrels are not gripping enough, there is slight play on this pulley so it may be worn. I did try filling the machine manually in case it went in to spin and cause damage the ceramic disc , but the poor thing never got that far. The motor runs very smooth and quiet. No leaks for the sump pipes but a slight dribble over night from the pump led me to remove its cover clean and seal it, which led to a new drain hose being required as it was very brittle and simply snapped off. a new length was got at halfords though.

The door seal had dropped to bits , so a new one is desperately sort , Chris i think i may need a new spin belt as although it has not snapped it has a nasty cut in it, if i have no luck in the uk i will be in touch with you. Sorry no photos as i did not have memory card in camera, will get some to you asap.

Also my hoover twin tub has just come it looks tiny ! i also won a lovely blue hoover iron too! So i have made my home a Hoover home ! have you??


Cheers Richard


Post# 211535 , Reply# 31   5/22/2007 at 09:01 (6,155 days old) by rolls_rapide (.)        

That was when Hoovers were HOOVER, and not today's rubbish.

Best of luck with your appliances! :-)


Post# 211888 , Reply# 32   5/23/2007 at 16:00 (6,153 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
update

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here are some pictures of the rubber problems, here we can see the pump removed.

Post# 211891 , Reply# 33   5/23/2007 at 16:03 (6,153 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
and here rubber issues

ricky5050's profile picture
old and new pipes

Post# 211892 , Reply# 34   5/23/2007 at 16:08 (6,153 days old) by ricky5050 (Durham Britain)        
a very bad door seal!

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i need a new one!!!!


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