Thread Number: 18634
Bringing my 1955 UNIMATIC back to life... |
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Post# 302075 , Reply# 1   9/7/2008 at 23:25 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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We need to disconnect the drain hose, and the two hoses servicing the pump. All simple clamps. |
Post# 302076 , Reply# 2   9/7/2008 at 23:28 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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The "acces panel" of the console needs to be taken off so we can disconnect the timer and temp. adjustment, the motor protector, and also the fill flume. |
Post# 302077 , Reply# 3   9/7/2008 at 23:30 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Once the top is removed, the next thing to do is remove the pulsator. |
Post# 302078 , Reply# 4   9/7/2008 at 23:33 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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With the pulsator out, we have access to the water bellows, which needs to come out next. A simple retaining ring along the bottom holds it in. "The tool" sure makes this job a lot easier (just ask Ben!) :) |
Post# 302079 , Reply# 5   9/7/2008 at 23:35 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Prying off the water bellows |
Post# 302080 , Reply# 6   9/7/2008 at 23:38 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Next comes the oil bellows |
Post# 302081 , Reply# 7   9/7/2008 at 23:39 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Removing the tub nut |
Post# 302083 , Reply# 8   9/7/2008 at 23:41 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Now we can remove the wash tub! YaY, some progress! |
Post# 302086 , Reply# 10   9/7/2008 at 23:46 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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And after all that work... this is what you get! The wonderful Unimatic mechanism! |
Post# 302087 , Reply# 11   9/7/2008 at 23:48 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Removing the 8 nuts and bolts holding on the mechanism housing |
Post# 302088 , Reply# 12   9/7/2008 at 23:50 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Stubborn spacers call for a little "torching" from Robert |
Post# 302090 , Reply# 13   9/7/2008 at 23:52 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Removing the pump cover / "mechanism base". You can see where the snubber spring sits beneath the pump. |
Post# 302091 , Reply# 14   9/7/2008 at 23:53 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Inside the pump! Ewww, rust |
Post# 302092 , Reply# 15   9/7/2008 at 23:56 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Soaking all the mechanism parts overnight in mineral spirits. This will remove the 50 years of crud build-up/corrosion. If only we could grab that damn bearing! |
Post# 302094 , Reply# 16   9/7/2008 at 23:59 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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And we have all our cleaned up mechanism parts ready for assembly. New clutch torque spring! YaY! Thanks a million Robert! |
Post# 302096 , Reply# 17   9/8/2008 at 00:03 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Adding fresh oil to the newly assembled mechanism! Here's a video showing the testing of the motor assembly! CLICK HERE TO GO TO tuthill's LINK |
Post# 302097 , Reply# 18   9/8/2008 at 00:06 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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This next video shows the testing of the agitation mechanism and the oil pump (which work beautifully of course). Simply FABULOUS ! CLICK HERE TO GO TO tuthill's LINK |
Post# 302103 , Reply# 20   9/8/2008 at 00:12 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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The UNIMATIC at Robert's testing station! We must be getting somewhere! |
Post# 302104 , Reply# 21   9/8/2008 at 00:13 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Maiden fill |
Post# 302105 , Reply# 22   9/8/2008 at 00:14 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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The water valve needs some work... it's the new "Energy Star" overflow rinse! |
Post# 302106 , Reply# 23   9/8/2008 at 00:17 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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Nice big load of colorful towels... the turnover was fantastic! The mechanism sounded ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. So buttery smooth and quiet! CLICK HERE TO GO TO tuthill's LINK |
Post# 302107 , Reply# 24   9/8/2008 at 00:19 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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The rinse fill, with the towels blocking the water exits... WHAT FUN! |
Post# 302108 , Reply# 25   9/8/2008 at 00:22 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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I know we sure did :) -Jed |
Post# 302111 , Reply# 26   9/8/2008 at 00:49 (5,708 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 302115 , Reply# 27   9/8/2008 at 01:03 (5,708 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 302124 , Reply# 28   9/8/2008 at 03:43 (5,708 days old) by trainguy (Key West, FL)   |   | |
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Post# 302126 , Reply# 29   9/8/2008 at 04:05 (5,708 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Post# 302133 , Reply# 31   9/8/2008 at 07:06 (5,708 days old) by tlee618 ()   |   | |
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Jed and Robert that was fascinating!!! Thank you for taking the time to take all the pictures and videos to share. That was quite a process but the end results were more than worth the work!! |
Post# 302144 , Reply# 32   9/8/2008 at 08:02 (5,708 days old) by hooverwheelaway ()   |   | |
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It's really neat seeing that all come apart, and all of the progress! What a weekend! You both must be exhausted! ~Fred |
Post# 302148 , Reply# 33   9/8/2008 at 08:24 (5,708 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 302157 , Reply# 34   9/8/2008 at 09:28 (5,708 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 302160 , Reply# 35   9/8/2008 at 09:37 (5,708 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Great thread Jed! Yes his Unimatic transmission was actually in pretty bad shape, when we removed the oil plug a thin mixture of water and oil came pouring out of the oil pan, ugh that's not pretty. The mechanism housing bell was extremely difficult to remove because the spin shaft was completely frozen to the spin shaft bearing and spacer. We had to heat it then pound on the spin shaft really hard to get the housing off. The pulsator shaft was frozen inside the spin shaft so bad that I couldn't get the two to separate until we soaked the parts overnight in mineral spirits and then poured fresh oil over the two parts and used LOTS of force before they would come apart. The oil pump was in relatively good shape and was able to be reused after a thorough disassembly and cleaning/soaking. We installed the new spin bearing and for what ever reason the new bearing was bad (it was also rough and noisy), so we had to try a second new bearing which worked perfectly. It took a minimum of ten hours to do what we did with two people, this was much faster with two people. There are some minor bugs to iron out yet but the machine is well on its way to being totally restored to like new condition. YAY Jed, you'll have a wonderful dramatic and efficient vintage machine that will wash for years to come. |
Post# 302191 , Reply# 37   9/8/2008 at 11:29 (5,708 days old) by tuthill ()   |   | |
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O god yes :) |
Post# 302202 , Reply# 38   9/8/2008 at 11:53 (5,708 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)   |   | |
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Woo Hoo Jed - this is a great presentation! You and Robert certainly looked like you had been put through the wringer (hehe) on Saturday night, but the first wash was SO worth it. One of the nicest sounding Unimatics that I've heard. Congrats to you - and Robert, you are a great guy for taking the time to help Jed out. Look forward to more years of Unimatic fun Jed, Ben |
Post# 302206 , Reply# 39   9/8/2008 at 12:13 (5,708 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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Great job guys!! That would piss me off to install a NOS bearing that was defective!! I guess that is part of "the game" though. That will be such a nice set, for so many years to come when they are finished. I just finished restoring a Wards by Norge, and had to retrofit a Speed Queen pump into it. (The Norge pump was NLA) Wouldn't you know, of all the brand new Speed Queen pumps out there, I had to get the one that leaked!lol!! Just took it back and changed the pump again Friday night, and the second pump does not leak a drop. It does make success so much sweeter the second time around... <: Great pixs and videos guys! |
Post# 302212 , Reply# 40   9/8/2008 at 13:08 (5,708 days old) by mielabor ()   |   | |
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A wonderful repair job. I love these restoration stories, particularly when they are so well illustrated as this one. |
Post# 302213 , Reply# 41   9/8/2008 at 13:09 (5,708 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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That would piss me off to install a NOS bearing that was defective!! Ugh, I know Rick, it took us another 1.5 hours of work to get the mechansim pulled out again and reinstall a second new bearing. These weren't even NOS (new old stock) parts, these were brand new bearings, only manufactured a few years ago! |
Post# 302215 , Reply# 42   9/8/2008 at 13:26 (5,708 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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You know what Robert? I'll bet if it had been a NOS bearing you guys installed, it would not have been defective! Just like if I had been lucky enough to find a NOS Norge pump, it would not have leaked. The quality of parts are NOT what they used to be, just as the quality of most of what new items being manufactured are not what they used to be. Sad.... Can we say, "Made in China" anyone??? |
Post# 302313 , Reply# 45   9/8/2008 at 20:47 (5,708 days old) by joelippard (Hickory)   |   | |
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Post# 302338 , Reply# 46   9/8/2008 at 22:17 (5,708 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia)   |   | |
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You are certainly an inspiration to the youth of today.Good Luck on your future mechanical projects.Bobby |
Post# 302340 , Reply# 47   9/8/2008 at 22:32 (5,707 days old) by golittlesport (California)   |   | |
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Thanks for sharing the great photos of your Unimatic rebuild. It certainly is amazing what Robert can do. He and other members of this club are very generous with their patience and sharing their knowledge. I'll always remember the weekend in Omaha when he and Greg rebuilt the Unimatic that I now have. I actually got to get my hands dirty and hand them wrenches and screws. Don, Jimmy and Peter were also there. It was a great time and learning experience. It sure feels good when you hear that Unimatic purring. How does your Filtrator dryer run? Here is picture taken of the staff in Omaha during my Unimatic's "open heart surgery." |
Post# 302348 , Reply# 48   9/8/2008 at 22:52 (5,707 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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About a week and a half ago I was working on a friend's bicycle and I had to cut some new cables to length (just the cable, not the sheath). The only cutting pliers they had were "Made in China." I was able to cut one with some difficulty even though they were nearly new pliers. On the second, I SNAPPED THE HEAD OFF THE PLIERS! I did it with only my right hand and one side of the head just snapped clean off! I am not a strong person. I can barely move my Maytag A208, but I broke the Chinese pliers without even breaking a sweat. We had to go and buy a new pair of cutting pliers and we made sure they were "Made in USA." They cut perfectly on the remaining cables and they are still intact, sharp, and usable. Tools "Made in USA" for machinery "Made in USA." If Chinese tools are this bad, it might explain why all the new Chinese washers appear to be of snap-together construction. Could you imagine what a Chinese car would be like? I would be afraid of the seats breaking off and falling out on the highway. You Minnesotans have all the fun, maybe I should expand my job search to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Dave |
Post# 302837 , Reply# 49   9/10/2008 at 20:26 (5,706 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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So Jed's 1955 Unimatic is working well except for three problems that we didn't get to finish before the end of the weekend. Restoring a vintage automatic to showroom new condition can sometimes take many days (if not weeks) and only having two days wasn't enough. So I told Jed to leave the machine with me and I will take care of the rest of the following issues for him: #1 It was leaking during drain #2 The cold side of the water valve wasn't working #3 The motor start switch is acting up and needs some work. So tonight I worked on #1 and #2. #1 The leak was caused by two problems, first one of the two clamps connecting the pump to outlet drain port was completely loose ***clears throat*** :-). There was also a small hole at the bottom of the drain hose which I corrected. #2 The cold side of the water valve was 90% blocked, so I took it apart and cleaned it, here is what the valve looks like. It has two ports, the nylon side is for the hot connection and the brass side is for the cold connection. Here is what the valve looks like... |
Post# 302838 , Reply# 50   9/10/2008 at 20:28 (5,706 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 302841 , Reply# 51   9/10/2008 at 20:30 (5,706 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 302847 , Reply# 52   9/10/2008 at 20:43 (5,706 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)   |   | |
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WOW Robert - you are a great guy for taking care of those three issues for Jed! For the valve rebuild, did you have a kit on hand, or were you able to reuse the rubber pieces? I have a few of these valves but dread taking them apart. I wasn't sure if a kit would still be available and were to find one. Ben |
Post# 302886 , Reply# 55   9/10/2008 at 21:37 (5,706 days old) by rickr (.)   |   | |
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Too bad a 57 didn't use this same water valve as the 55 and 56. I would have the correct valve on mine, in place of the 3 way Maytag thermal valve that it now has as a replacement. I never could find the parts for that 57 valve. The Maytag valve works well though, and has all the right temps. Thanks for the detailed repair pixs Robert. That is how we learn. |
Post# 302999 , Reply# 57   9/11/2008 at 09:14 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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For the valve rebuild, did you have a kit on hand, or were you able to reuse the rubber pieces?. Ben as you probably already know there are two sizes of rubber diaphragm seats. In the 30's thru the 50's they used large diameter seats (as shown in the pictures above), in the 60's water valve manufacturers went to the smaller size seats. The larger seats are very hard to find NOS now, but they seem to hold up better than the smaller seats. You can still buy water valve repair kits with brand new smaller seats, so those are easy to replace. In Jed's water valve the seats are in beautiful shape so this isn't a problem and I reused those seats. Don't you just love when people post pics of themselves working on your washer... I could get used to this. Ummm, don't get too used to it mister |
Post# 303119 , Reply# 58   9/11/2008 at 20:14 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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The engineers at Frigidaire decided that they were going to attach the drain hose in a way that no clamps were needed. So they used a standard garden hose connection and permanently crimped a hose to it. After 53 years the crimp connection has a tendency to leak as shown below. You just cannot unscrew the hose and connect a standard new washer drain hose to the threads, as it may fall off and flood.
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Post# 303121 , Reply# 59   9/11/2008 at 20:15 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 303122 , Reply# 60   9/11/2008 at 20:17 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 303123 , Reply# 61   9/11/2008 at 20:19 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 303125 , Reply# 62   9/11/2008 at 20:21 (5,705 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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So I cut a bit of the end of the hose off where its cut into and clamp it tight back onto the barb end of the hose. This way I get to keep the original drain hose that came with the washer (for fun). Of course I would never use the original fill hoses, those are way too old to put that kind of pressure through them, but the original drain hose should be fine to use.
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Post# 303134 , Reply# 63   9/11/2008 at 21:12 (5,705 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Post# 303156 , Reply# 64   9/11/2008 at 21:54 (5,705 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)   |   | |
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Post# 303179 , Reply# 65   9/11/2008 at 22:34 (5,704 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 303200 , Reply# 66   9/12/2008 at 02:09 (5,704 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Great stuff you guys, fascinating to see the innards and quality of those mechanisms!!! you think youve seen it all but then you learn something new!!! Perfect tip Robert about those crimped hoses, just what I need to know for some stuff here...How many mechanisms do you reckon you`ve taken apart & serviced now?? Cheers, Mike p.s. Jed, dont forget the latest UPGRADE KIT is still available for a LIMITED TIME only!!! Now too your machine can look like this!!!...Puuurrfect CLICK HERE TO GO TO chestermikeuk's LINK |
Post# 303279 , Reply# 67   9/12/2008 at 14:21 (5,704 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 303351 , Reply# 68   9/12/2008 at 22:03 (5,704 days old) by tlee618 ()   |   | |
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Mike thanks for that last picture, hard to believe all that fun was happening just a year ago today!!! |
Post# 303368 , Reply# 69   9/12/2008 at 23:24 (5,703 days old) by a440 ()   |   | |
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Fun Pictures Mike! I never saw most of these! Thanks for the link! Brent |
Post# 303388 , Reply# 70   9/13/2008 at 04:04 (5,703 days old) by fredfred9633 ()   |   | |
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that is a beautiful machine....... :) |
Post# 303391 , Reply# 71   9/13/2008 at 05:01 (5,703 days old) by jeffg ()   |   | |
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It must be creaming and sugaring time... |
Post# 303394 , Reply# 72   9/13/2008 at 07:15 (5,703 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)   |   | |
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Those are some great photos! I'm still pining for one of those Hotpoint Spiralators. |
Post# 303529 , Reply# 73   9/14/2008 at 07:44 (5,702 days old) by fridgiman ()   |   | |
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Hey guys Great pics of the restoration process. Since I'm sure the official Frigidaire replacement oil is long gone, I was wondering what oil you used as replacement and how much it took. Jim |
Post# 303537 , Reply# 74   9/14/2008 at 10:13 (5,702 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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