Thread Number: 6215
Frigidaire Question
[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 126765   5/5/2006 at 12:34 (6,537 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

bajaespuma's profile picture
I was wondering about this while stuck in traffic this morning:

What is/was the fastest spin speed available from the Frigidaire vintage TL's?

How about for the 1-18 models?





Post# 126768 , Reply# 1   5/5/2006 at 12:58 (6,537 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
All "unimatic" machines spun at 1140 RPM. I don't know for sure about 1-18s. I think they are in the range of 525 to 625.

Post# 126793 , Reply# 2   5/5/2006 at 15:31 (6,537 days old) by westytoploader ()        
High Spin Speeds

660 for the 1-18, 850 for the early Multimatics, 710 for the later Multimatics and middle/lower-end Rollermatics, and 1010 for the "Rapidry 1000" high-end Rollermatics.

Post# 126834 , Reply# 3   5/5/2006 at 19:16 (6,537 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        
I beg yer indulgence...

bajaespuma's profile picture
Is there a place on this site that has examples of the Unimatic, Pulsmatic,Multimatic, Rollermatic etc? And the years that they were produced?

Post# 126925 , Reply# 4   5/6/2006 at 03:55 (6,537 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
assuming the rollermatic made it all the way to the spin

panthera's profile picture
I don't want to be catty, here - but the odds of a rollermatic actually making it all the way to 1000 r.p.m. without breaking...again...hmmm
The nylon rollers were a good idea, but the production tolerances just weren't high enough for the load they needed to bear.
I am not an engineer, but the forces at play when you have over 100lbs spinning at such speeds...and they worry about us cutting ourselves on DVDs if they don't spin down. It is incredible what these designers and engineers were doing in the middle of the last century - and the current US firms should be ashamed to even use the same trade marks much less brand names.


Post# 126980 , Reply# 5   5/6/2006 at 10:39 (6,536 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
In defense of the Rollermatic, a design that was made in modified forms for 15 years and in R&D for 5+ years before release, I've seen many of these machines and almost never have I seen a roller that needed replacing. Usually a good cleaning has been all that was required to bring them back to performance level. There were weak spots in the design for sure - as with any machine - the clutch and agitate arm spring quickly to mind but some of that is to be expected after 20-30 years of use as we're finding them now.

Post# 127063 , Reply# 6   5/6/2006 at 19:04 (6,536 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Actually Keven, the Rollermatic's rollers are built very well and are more than capable of withstanding those speeds. You have to see and feel the mechanism in person to understand fully how it works, whether it be a solid-tub Rapidry or a 1-18 (which is basically a slightly modified, belt-driven Rollermatic). They look much more complicated in pictures/diagrams, trust me.

The weak spots were like Greg said, the agitate arm, shaft, and wheel, and the spin clutch linings. Personally I think the Rollermatic/1-18 spin clutch is way too small (think coke-can) to spin-drain as well as get the tub up to speed, especially if it is a heavy solid tub! In the short time I've been on here, I've heard of quite a few 1-18s and Rollermatics that spin very slowly or don't even spin at all. Definitely the Achilles' heel of the machine. Never say never, but my 1978 1-18, which has had 27 years of use, still has a very strong spin clutch. I guess it all depends on the machine...

Now the agitate arm/shaft/wheel on the other hand; those are just plain FLIMSY! If a 1-18 is excessively loud on agitation (like mine is), then that's the culprit. They seem to get louder over time, and usually the quiet ones have had extremely low use. To give you an idea of how flimsy the parts are, my agitate arm is pretty nicked up from when I had to drop it to get my impact wrench on the tub nut, and I stripped the threads out on the agitate wheel when I tightened the bolt up so I had to use some blue Loctite on it. They could definitely use a replacement in the future...

--Austin


Post# 127080 , Reply# 7   5/6/2006 at 20:11 (6,536 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
speaking from liking

panthera's profile picture
Gansky and Austin,
It is not that I have never seen one - but rather I spent too much time dealing with them.
I love the basic concept, used to climb up on our St. Bernard then have him sit up so I could look into my mom's - that up and down pulsation and the sound of the load spinning up to speed just fascinated me.
But that was a unimatic.
Every rollermatic I ever had anything to do with had problems. I bow to your superior knowledge that it was the clutch not the rollers...though I sure do remember cleaning them on one poor baby every few months just to get a spin at all...
Tell you what, when I am back in the 'States and you want to show me, I'll be happy to take another look. But don't then blame me if I wander over to a nearby Unimatic and get "that" look on my face -


Post# 127088 , Reply# 8   5/6/2006 at 20:55 (6,536 days old) by westytoploader ()        

I didn't realize you had worked on Rollermatics in the past; my mistake! I agree 100%...while those machines were built well by today's standards in my opinion, the Unimatics were definitely the best as quality and reliability are concerned, and the best part is that there's no clutch to deal with (LOL)!!! Steve (gyrafoam) has said to me on numerous occasions that the Unimatic is essentially an automobile transmission! My 1952 Frigidaire WO-65-2 runs circles around my other machines; there have been stains that it has no problem removing (although I do pre-treat them first), in cold water! Not to mention that great extraction ability and the "fun factor"; one minute you're watching the overflow rinse pulsation and then all of a sudden, "SNAP" and the water is spun out lightning-fast!

It's always fun though to take off the front panel and watch the inner workings of the 1-18; the Unimatic is shielded from view.

Will definitely let you know when I do another Texas wash-in so you can play with both machines!

--Austin


Post# 127153 , Reply# 9   5/7/2006 at 07:39 (6,535 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
thanks - I am looking forward to it

panthera's profile picture
Hey Austin,
That sounds great - I would love to take a closer look at all these mechanisms - I only know the innards of a Unimatic from pictures. For some strange reason my mom was opposed to letting my two/three year old self take her's apart.
I think it was the fact that she figured I could get it apart, the putting back together part worried her.
I don't know about the car transmission, but they sure were built to clean and clean and clean. Sort of like the engineers called the shots on them and not the marketing department.


Post# 127189 , Reply# 10   5/7/2006 at 10:23 (6,535 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        

bajaespuma's profile picture
Westytoploader,

That's one of the things I remember about our '58 Frigidaire machine. Our '62 GE had what felt like a 5 minute pause between wash and first spin; the Frigidaire just went right into spin without so much a beat. God I wish I had saved that machine!

The GE's pause would have made sense if it had had a static drain period like the Whirlpools but it just sat there. You could hear the timer mechanism proceed through about three different clicks and then spin would engage, NOISILY.


Post# 127210 , Reply# 11   5/7/2006 at 13:49 (6,535 days old) by westytoploader ()        

My '77 GE is the same way. Seems like it pauses forever for that first spin...it's at least a minute on this one but I haven't tried to time it. It also does a long pause before agitation on each of the rinses. During all of the pauses you hear numerous clicks, whirrs, and boings from the timer.

Those GE's certainly weren't quiet when it came to spin either, with that loud, grinding, "WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" sound it makes while spin-draining.

After my machine has settled into full speed the noise is completely different and more like a low whine; it sounds similar to a WCI-made dryer if you can believe that...


Post# 128140 , Reply# 12   5/11/2006 at 20:37 (6,531 days old) by automaticwasher ()        
Frigidaire Imperial Automatic Washer

My grandparents' Frigidaire Imperial Automatic Washer, Model: WIN, is still in use by my parents. It was manufactured in March 1967. It spins like nothing I have ever seen! A disturbingly loud noise (in the transmission?) has developed in the agitate cycle, however. My mother called a repair guy today. He didn't even want to look at it. He told her that no parts would be available and that she should just buy a new one. She loves this machine. Is there any hope?

Post# 128145 , Reply# 13   5/11/2006 at 20:48 (6,531 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Maybe

launderess's profile picture
There was an auction of "vintage" Frigidare appliances and parts recently that IIRC a member won. Search through previous posts to find information. I believe the member who won was going to assist other club members with parts for their machines. I'm not sure and only the actual member can speak to this.

L.


Post# 128149 , Reply# 14   5/11/2006 at 21:10 (6,531 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Sounds like the agitate arm/wheel assembly to me.

Post# 128292 , Reply# 15   5/12/2006 at 13:25 (6,530 days old) by bobbyderegis (Boston)        

Hi Folks,
Being from a family of Maytag owners, and the oddball GE and Speed Queen, I know zippo about Frididaire. I know that the "Jet Cone" washer had the up and down motion, and the old solid tub cone washers spun over 1100 rpm's. Does anyone have pics with model names and numbers? The GM Frigidaires are becomeing so rare. By the way, if your 70's GE Filter -Flo was noisy at the beginning of the spin/drain, something wasn't right. Every one that I've heard were very quiet to start, a couple clicks from the high speed clutch shoes, and a quiet, fast spin, provided the load was fairly balanced. The spin brake made a good bang, though. And yes, mine took at least a minute during the pauses.
Bobby in Boston



Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy