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Thread Number: 24993
OK folks, now I can "officially" open a coin-op laundromat... |
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Post# 386001 10/17/2009 at 21:53 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin  (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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.... because I brought home a coin-op "Laundromat"! YAY! I drove up to North Hollywood yesterday after work to take a look at this machine and ended up bringing it home. The guy I bought it from has a commercial laundry equipment business, but is retiring and is closing his doors. This little beauty had been sitting on display in his showroom for the last 20 years. Prior to that it was in service in an apartment building, not a regular laundromat! His company actually removed it from the apartment building when they sold the owner a coin-op, top load WP machine to replace it. So as you will see in the photos, it does not appear to have suffered the usual abuses you see everyday in most coin-op Suds-O-Mats. 
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Post# 386002 , Reply# 1 10/17/2009 at 21:55 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Model # RC-4 | ||
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Post# 386003 , Reply# 2 10/17/2009 at 21:56 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386004 , Reply# 3 10/17/2009 at 21:57 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386005 , Reply# 4 10/17/2009 at 22:00 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386006 , Reply# 5 10/17/2009 at 22:03 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386007 , Reply# 6 10/17/2009 at 22:04 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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| Post# 386008 , Reply# 7 10/17/2009 at 22:06 (5,302 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
Kevin,  | ||
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Post# 386010 , Reply# 8 10/17/2009 at 22:09 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Now for the "guts" of the machine..... the front panel removed. You can see the water pump on the right. All of the rust you see on the frame supports is light surface rust, it looks worse in the photo then it is. Obviously "some" water has run down the front over the years.... the rust on the tub-band-clamp is worse, but still not terminal. 
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| Post# 386012 , Reply# 9 10/17/2009 at 22:14 (5,302 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
Kein, that's amazing
it looks exactly like the ones in the laundromat at Chrystal Beah Ontario where we spent a few weeks each summer. I, of course, "volunteered" to do the wash with another young washer man doing the same for his family. The TIME was the EARLY SIXTIES, 1, 2, and 3. The laundromat was new. So there ya go, Buddy! | ||
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Post# 386013 , Reply# 10 10/17/2009 at 22:22 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Thanks Eddie! Yes I was like "WOW!" when I first saw the e-mail from John (Harvestgold) in San Diego... so it's ALL HIS FAULT that I have this now... oh, wait, that's not a BAD thing! But I am STILL blaming him, darn it! LOL My Grandmother had a mid-fifties Westinghouse Laundromat washer in her house and except for this being a "bolt down", it really reminds me of it! (I just hope I can bring it back to life!) OK, back to the photo tour.... Inside the back panel. Again it looks pretty clean. There is some "spooge" that's been flung on to the right and left side of the cabinet, so that means to me a seal of some sort has leaked. Ack! 
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| Post# 386015 , Reply# 11 10/17/2009 at 22:25 (5,302 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi) | ||
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That machine is da bomb man! Congrats again! | ||
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Post# 386016 , Reply# 12 10/17/2009 at 22:26 (5,302 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 386017 , Reply# 13 10/17/2009 at 22:26 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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| Post# 386018 , Reply# 14 10/17/2009 at 22:28 (5,302 days old) by supremewhirlpol () | ||
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ok, remember the wires, the ground and that fire extinguisher!! We wouldn't want you to leave this earth early because of an old machine. Nice find Kevin. | ||
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Post# 386019 , Reply# 15 10/17/2009 at 22:29 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386020 , Reply# 16 10/17/2009 at 22:30 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386021 , Reply# 17 10/17/2009 at 22:32 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 386022 , Reply# 18 10/17/2009 at 22:38 (5,302 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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And finally the timer assembly. A simple as the inner workings look on this machine, I know very little about them. So I am asking for your help and suggestions so I can bring this little beauty back to life! Are any of you out there familiar with the speed changer or does anyone have a service manual for it? I have a feeling I'll need to go through it before I even plug this thing in! Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions! Kevin 
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| Post# 386028 , Reply# 19 10/17/2009 at 23:24 (5,302 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
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| Post# 386038 , Reply# 20 10/18/2009 at 00:11 (5,302 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
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Hi Kevin. Your machine looks slightly different from mine. Maybe a year or so difference. Good luck and enjoy the wash action. A front loader that actually gets water in the tub. Ross | ||
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Post# 386046 , Reply# 21 10/18/2009 at 00:41 (5,302 days old) by peteski50 (New York) |
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Westinghouse! | ||
| Post# 386049 , Reply# 22 10/18/2009 at 01:09 (5,302 days old) by redcarpetdrew (Fairfield, CA) | ||
Just too neat... | ||
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Post# 386094 , Reply# 23 10/18/2009 at 09:56 (5,302 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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It looks just fine Kevin. The spray pattern on the side of the cabinet looks to me to be only drive belt matter, which is normal. For a door seal just try some closed cell foam around the door, but be sure to put the seam at the top of the door. Turn the basket to make sure the motor/pump isn't frozen, fill the pump with really hot water and let it rip. | ||
| Post# 386096 , Reply# 24 10/18/2009 at 10:09 (5,302 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
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| Post# 386139 , Reply# 26 10/18/2009 at 14:07 (5,301 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Hi Darrell and friends | ||
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Post# 386342 , Reply# 27 10/19/2009 at 14:55 (5,300 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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YAY!
What a great machine, Kevin! From the photos, it looks like the machine is in really good shape, too. I have some service literature on the home versions of the Laundromat and the insides look just about identical to me. Call me paranoid, but the first thing I now do when I get my paws on a washer or dryer is to test the timer - I have such wonderful luck with them... LOL Keep us posted on what happens when you do try her out!! | ||
| Post# 386346 , Reply# 28 10/19/2009 at 15:20 (5,300 days old) by toggleswitch2 () | ||
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Fun machine! Congrats. Played with one like this during an an Arizona wash-in. Most fun with the hatch door OPEN! | ||
| Post# 386372 , Reply# 29 10/19/2009 at 16:44 (5,300 days old) by christfr (st louis mo) | ||
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| Post# 386428 , Reply# 30 10/19/2009 at 21:33 (5,300 days old) by tlee618 () | ||
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Kevin, Congratulations on such a fun machine. I have used Ross' in Tucson and it really has some splash action!!! The coin box is an added fun bonus!! | ||
| Post# 386432 , Reply# 31 10/19/2009 at 21:47 (5,300 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia) | ||
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Luv the Color Except for the door,its just like the one I got off of the SS United States.Mine has an ivory knob on top.Its also a bolt down.No coin mechanism,I guess so passengers could do their own laundry,nice catch. Bobby | ||
| Post# 386439 , Reply# 32 10/19/2009 at 22:18 (5,300 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
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Post# 386462 , Reply# 33 10/20/2009 at 00:34 (5,300 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Than you to all for your wonderful comments!!! Small update. I removed the speed changer and the belts, the motor and wash basket both turn freely and sound good, the pump turns too. I also tried plugging it in and advancing the timer to see of the motor would spin... or maybe the inlet valves would buzz, but I got nothing. The speed changed won't turn, so I'm going to take a page from Paul (turquoisedude) and try putting solvent in it and let it soak for a while. Hopefully that will do the trick! Michael (mickeyd) Thank you for giving me an idea of the year range. Now is there a way to nail it down more exactly? Bob (appnut) you mentioned seeing machines like this with a rectangle window. Anything like the to in the photo below? (DaveK's photo from Tennessee) Jed (lebron) I believe the main differences that make this one a "commercial" washer is it's a "bolt down", meaning there is no suspension system. That's why there is no tub boot/seal. Thank you again for your comments! I will keeping you all posted on the progress! 
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| Post# 386481 , Reply# 34 10/20/2009 at 07:28 (5,300 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia) | ||
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Just like the pic The one I have is just like the pic,the far ones,there is a tub boot.I would say its the same one from 50 on up or whenever this machine came out,I have the same rectangular window,Thanks Bobby | ||
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Post# 387380 , Reply# 36 10/23/2009 at 00:16 (5,297 days old) by super32 (Blackstone Massachusetts) |
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party at Kevins | ||
| Post# 387564 , Reply# 37 10/23/2009 at 16:24 (5,296 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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HI Kev, to answer your question about dating the machine
the longer I looked at the pic, the more it seemed older than those in the Crystal Beach Laundromat. Then on seeing your later pic of the ones in the basement, the two in the back next to the boxes, those are identical to the ones I saw in 60-63. So now I'm sure your new find is older, 55, maybe even earlier. And Happy Birthday, Big Buddy! | ||
| Post# 389043 , Reply# 38 10/29/2009 at 10:58 (5,291 days old) by everythingold (Grand Rapids, Michigan) | ||
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