Thread Number: 1376
It's Pre-War!
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Post# 58116   2/23/2005 at 23:19 (6,972 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
I found my first pre-war automatic at an beautiful victorian mansion in St. Paul tonight.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Unimatic1140's LINK





Post# 58117 , Reply# 1   2/23/2005 at 23:38 (6,972 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Beautiful!! I love the earlier logo on the tag and the "molded-in" vanes in the drum, great find!

Post# 58118 , Reply# 2   2/23/2005 at 23:54 (6,972 days old) by fixerman ()        

Didn't the war start in 1939 and the US joined after Pearl Harbor.12/7/41? Anyway congrats on a beautiful old set. Looking forward to restoration pics. They look to be in pretty good shape though. Maybe they won't need too much if you are lucky.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO fixerman's LINK


Post# 58119 , Reply# 3   2/24/2005 at 00:01 (6,972 days old) by westytoploader ()        

WOOHOO!!!!

Love the logo! Can't wait to see the front-spray fill in action!

How is she on the mechanical side?


Post# 58122 , Reply# 4   2/24/2005 at 00:21 (6,972 days old) by scott55405 ()        

What a wonderful machine, congrats on your find. So I'm guessing the ones I've seen ads for, with the drop down door, are even before this one?

Fixerman, we did enter the war on 12/7/41, and I don't know, but I'm thinking that there were probably still various things available at least earlier in 1942 that had been manufactured prior to everything being switched over to war production.


Post# 58139 , Reply# 5   2/24/2005 at 08:40 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Well technically WWII started in 1939, but as for the US anything produced here before 12/7/41 is considered pre-war for us. This model is a 1941 model, the last of the machines that Bendix produced before its factory was converted into wartime production.

Post# 58140 , Reply# 6   2/24/2005 at 08:50 (6,971 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Absolutely Lovely!

jetcone's profile picture
A very nice find Robert I can't wait to see it in person. You just know that with that Streamline Label it has to get the wash cleaner than the regular label!!!

I 'm with you Scott pre war here was before we entered the war. My Uncle was a fighter pilot for the RAC and he was shipped over to Britain in 1939 and started runs then. So for Canada pre war would have been 1938.
We were politically "neutral" like Switzerland up to Dec 7 1941. So this counts as prewar in my book.

jet


Post# 58151 , Reply# 7   2/24/2005 at 10:42 (6,971 days old) by geoffdelp (SAUK RAPIDS)        

Robert ... how fun! Was it still in use? Bet you will go through it very carefully first.

CONGRATS!!

Geoff


Post# 58156 , Reply# 8   2/24/2005 at 13:20 (6,971 days old) by tlee618 ()        

Wonderful find Robert!! Just beautiful. One would wonder when it was last in use. So neat that she saved all the instructions and material too. Another great find!! Terry

Post# 58157 , Reply# 9   2/24/2005 at 13:39 (6,971 days old) by Compwhiz ()        
w00t bendixes

Nice bendixes robert although they kinda look the same :-(

Post# 58167 , Reply# 10   2/24/2005 at 14:10 (6,971 days old) by retromom ()        
New Bendixes

Robert:

You never cease to amaze me with your finds! Hopefully your new treasures will prevent Austin from even thinking about getting rid of his '47.


Post# 58172 , Reply# 11   2/24/2005 at 15:54 (6,971 days old) by westytoploader ()        

"Nice bendixes robert although they kinda look the same :-("

Huh? That's because cosmetically, they ARE the same, but differ in little design aspects and features. Is that supposed to be a disappointment? Grow up...


Post# 58180 , Reply# 12   2/24/2005 at 17:18 (6,971 days old) by cybrvanr ()        

...aaah, Okay, that clears it up for me....not the war issue, but the "Looks the same" issue. I figured what you had was a washer and dryer pair. It is in fact two different washers...Groovey!

Post# 58182 , Reply# 13   2/24/2005 at 17:45 (6,971 days old) by rickr (.)        
Bendix front loaders

rickr's profile picture
Robert the new treasure looks great!Really nice find there. Your on a roll here... Keep it up!!(that bouncing basket Apex could be next) Are you going to have "twins" or eBay one of them?

Rick


Post# 58188 , Reply# 14   2/24/2005 at 18:46 (6,971 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
Yee haw!!! mopre Bendi. Interesting the pre-war is a bit shorter. How's the 42 bendix dial different than the 47?

Post# 58189 , Reply# 15   2/24/2005 at 19:11 (6,971 days old) by rocky2 (Northwest Indiana)        

Robert,

Wow! Congratulations again. Can't wait to see what turns up next.


Post# 58216 , Reply# 16   2/24/2005 at 22:46 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi everyone, no the Bendix on the left is my 1947 Bendix, which I completely restored and painted about five years ago. It runs wonderfully as was seen at the wash-in. The Bendix on the right is the new pre-war Bendix. I took it apart tonight, replaced the drive belt, the fill hose and checked the tranny oil which was fine. After priming the pump with hot water I ran the motor and it smoked for a bit when first started, so I ran it for a few minutes without the belt on and it loosened up enough to run it with the drive belt on to turn the tub. After a few more minutes everything was just fine. Strange but the fill flume was completely blocked with hard water deposits, I mean so blocked that not one drop was coming through. After a few minutes of chiseling I got through and was able to clean out the flume. It appears now the only issue is a small drip at the door seal and that is quite common with Bendix machines of this vintage.

I definitely don't need two of them, so I consider this earlier Bendix a refinement of my collection and I do plan on finding a good home for my '47 Bendix. But first I want to make sure the '42 Bendix is in as good shape as it appears to be. Underneath its in amazingly good shape, the pump and motor look brand new!

Check out some of these latest picks...


CLICK HERE TO GO TO Unimatic1140's LINK


Post# 58218 , Reply# 17   2/24/2005 at 22:48 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Oh I forgot to mention that underneath the outer tub it is stamped Dec 1941. Can't get any more "pre-war" than that. Its my new Pearl Harbor machine!

Post# 58219 , Reply# 18   2/24/2005 at 22:58 (6,971 days old) by westytoploader ()        
Congratulations!

YAY! Wow, much better shape than mine was/is!! I wish mine had the drain hose extension and timer support for when I had the cabinet off; would make it MUCH easier to work on. Even though the fill flume was clean, the brass water valve didn't work and I had to replace all of the worn, cracked original hose. Thanks for the drive belt number; I'm probably due for a new belt for my '47 (as well as new wire and a trip to the body shop for a little pink, sunny yellow, or turquoise...something I'm going to tackle this summer). Also, what can I do about the leaky drain valve and foreign object trap seals?

Interesting how it fills from the front rather than the "hidden fill" on the '47! And is it just my imagination, or does it fill higher than the post-war machines? I tweaked the float switch on mine to the original water level; it's way below the door and not nearly as splashy (though still VERY fun).

And down the road, if you are in desperate need of a new home for your '47...I definitely wouldn't mind having a pair of Baby Bendixes...:)


Post# 58220 , Reply# 19   2/24/2005 at 23:06 (6,971 days old) by westytoploader ()        
I forgot to mention...75% done on mine

Here's my '47 5 months later...after a much-needed good cleaning, a new water valve, new hose, the inital "rust-proofing" on the cabinet and all of the logos re-installed. It does have some denting and pitting in the sides, but like I said this is preliminary.

What's left is a new belt, drain valve & trap seals, wire, and the REAL paint job is coming later...


Post# 58221 , Reply# 20   2/24/2005 at 23:06 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi Austin, I was thinking the exact same thing, the Pre-war is much easier to work on because of the timer support is connected to the outer tub as opposed to the top assembly.

As for the trap seal, there is an adjustment on the lever to make it tighter, otherwise you will need to make a new seal with closed cell foam, I did this for my Whirlpool combo and it works great.

As for the leaky drain value (water slowly goes down the drain during the wash cycle), the pre-war seems to seal just fine. But on my '47 I had lots of trouble with it so what I did was I opened the drain fully and I installed a Kitchen Aid dishwasher drain valve in line with the discharge hose. I took the leads from the pump solenoid and connected them to the KA drain valve and problem solved. The KA drain valve sounds exactly the same as the Bendix pump valve so no one would ever know the difference.


Post# 58222 , Reply# 21   2/24/2005 at 23:07 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Wow Austin you '47 looks Great! I remember what the poor thing looked like when you first got it, you've done a beautiful job!

Post# 58223 , Reply# 22   2/24/2005 at 23:11 (6,971 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
Yay for the front fill...

gansky1's profile picture
Incredible condition - amazing!! Where does the fill tube go, into the tub and around to the front? The soak cycle is longer too, only 6 minutes post-war and I love that cast iron tranny housing, built to last forever.

Post# 58224 , Reply# 23   2/24/2005 at 23:13 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi Greg, yes the fill flume goes into the outer tub and around to the front, there is no tolerance for any error, its a real tight fit, but somehow they made it work! I didn't notice that longer soak and cast-iron tranny until you said that. Super cool!

Post# 58225 , Reply# 24   2/24/2005 at 23:15 (6,971 days old) by tlee618 ()        

Yay! It even has the orginal Good Housekeeping Seal! It is hard to believe the wonderful condition this machine is in. Robert I would love to hear more about the manison you found it in and any information the owner had for you about the machine.. Was there a dryer in the house? Questions Questions..Thanks for sharing. Terry

Post# 58226 , Reply# 25   2/24/2005 at 23:16 (6,971 days old) by westytoploader ()        
And in case anyone else was wondering

Here's a before shot...not for the faint of heart.

I'm REALLY glad I rescued it...didn't think it was in that bad of shape when I bought it, now I look at it and get a reality check!


Post# 58228 , Reply# 26   2/24/2005 at 23:17 (6,971 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi Terry, there was never a dryer in the house, there was a 1950 Maytag J2L wringer washer and an early 50's Maytag Dutch Oven. The new owners were completely gutting and restoring this 1923 house.

Post# 58229 , Reply# 27   2/24/2005 at 23:18 (6,971 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        
Speaking of Labels

Robert is that a 60 some odd year old "Good Housekeeping "label on the window your Bendix? It sure is a nice washer. alr2903.

Post# 58236 , Reply# 28   2/25/2005 at 06:03 (6,970 days old) by kenmore1978 ()        
Bendix similarities

So Austin, did you ever solve the water valve wiring dilemma you had?

Do all 3 of these machines have Delco motors?


Post# 58247 , Reply# 29   2/25/2005 at 10:43 (6,970 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
I'm pretty sure they all used Delco motors.

Arthur, yes that's is the original Good Housekeeping symbol sticker that was placed on the window of all early Bendix machines. Gyromatic John's late 1930's Bendix also has it on the window...



Post# 58249 , Reply# 30   2/25/2005 at 11:47 (6,970 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Hi Robert,

As far as internal water leakage, the drain valve holds fine, however, when it does "snap", it drips quite a bit (enough to be an annoying puddle). How can I solve that problem?

I can get closed-cell foam at Ace, so that's good...the majority of the leakage came from the drain trap. Before I start re-wiring I want to make sure the machine is 100% watertight. The only places where it does leak are the drain valve and trap; the float chamber, fill assembly, and water valve are OK.

--Austin


Post# 58261 , Reply# 31   2/25/2005 at 18:11 (6,970 days old) by rickr (.)        
Forty's Bendix

rickr's profile picture
I did not realize that these machine were very much like the earlier units. Bendix must have tried to make the machine look more modern by adding the sheet metal "shell" over it.

Robert that machine is VERY clean inside. Could this have been a "low mileage" machine? Like the owner kept this around when they got a later model?

Rick


Post# 58263 , Reply# 32   2/25/2005 at 19:14 (6,970 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Definitely looks low-mileage! I wonder if the owners bought it, didn't like "automatics", and bought the Maytag wringer as a replacement?

Post# 58264 , Reply# 33   2/25/2005 at 19:32 (6,970 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
Austin, you have done a terrific job on your 47 Bendix. I agree with you mom, hold on to it and not sell it.

Robert, thaks for the comparison between the 41 and 47. And on Gyromatic John's washer, I'd never seen those dual control knobs up close, had only seen in ads and wondered what they were. And it looks like the temperature knob has at least 3 if not more tempt settings. How awesome. But, where's the water level selector?


Post# 58269 , Reply# 34   2/25/2005 at 21:02 (6,970 days old) by Brent-Aucoin ()        
How cool!

Robert,
Thanks for the pictures of your pre-war Bendix! It is beautiful. It is amazing how clean it is!
I just love the front fill on it! Starts the drama right from the begining.
Thanks for all of the photo's!
Brent


Post# 58272 , Reply# 35   2/25/2005 at 21:14 (6,970 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
I vote Roberts Bendix front load washers as a DVD of the month selection

Post# 58273 , Reply# 36   2/25/2005 at 22:32 (6,970 days old) by Pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)        

pulsator's profile picture
Oh what I wouldn't do for one of those!!!!!!! Especially with the big surprise coming...

Post# 58277 , Reply# 37   2/25/2005 at 23:18 (6,970 days old) by david (CA)        

Is this the bolt-down kind?

Post# 58285 , Reply# 38   2/26/2005 at 04:14 (6,970 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
Robert,

Congratulations on this beautiful machine. It is really amazing that a washer of this age is in such a wonderful state. I guess the early Bendix machines were very well made, until now we have seen quite a few early Bendix models. I have a question about the soak cycle, does the machine tumble like in the main wash? and does it drain automatically at the end?

Bob,

I don't think any of the early Bendix models came with a water level selector. They just fill to a high level. I don't know if it takes in more water when the water level drops for instance with a load of towels, I have only seen Robert's 1947 run once.


Post# 58327 , Reply# 39   2/26/2005 at 14:23 (6,969 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Hi Louis, yes the soak cycle is simply a tumble wash and drain without a spin. Then the machine shuts off and waits for the user to set the dial to wash and add more Soap.(detergent was not invented yet.)


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