Thread Number: 80269  /  Tag: Refrigerators
Montgomery Wards refrigerator need help 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 1042187   8/19/2019 at 08:06 (1,711 days old) by miker (Elkhart IN)        

Hello I have a 1950 montgomery wards fridge that I have restored. now that it is almost done it is not cooling. A friend of mine gave me this old fridge. He told me it worked. so I took it home let it set a few days and plugged it in. sure enough, it worked! It got down to freezing in about 30 mins in my garage that was roughly 95 degrees. I was impressed to say the least. so from there I took it all apart. set the compressor, condenser, and freezer unit all of to the side very carefully as one unit. Painted the door, the cabinet and replaced all of the insulation. while the compressor unit was out of the cabinet I decided it was a good idea to replace some brittle wiring and put on a new plug. I took plenty of pictures so I could remember how it all went back together. Well it wasn't to long after that I destroyed my phone, thus losing the pictures on my phone. I enlisted the help of a electrician friend. who admittedly wasn't familiar with appliances. but he gave it his best shot. So with that I'm not entirely sure it is wired correctly. Here is what it is doing. Plug it in, and turn the knob, the compressor takes off right away. I can feel refrigerant running through the lines(at least I think so) and after a hour it has not cooled down at all, the compressor is hot. and the bulb and thin line at the end of the line run is frosting up or even icing up.( I circled where it is icing up in the photo) but that is it. I'm pretty confident that it does don't have a leak. ( no signs of it anyway) that fact it worked really well and now it don't and the wiring is what I'm unsure about. could I have wired it "backwards" any ideas would be most appreciated. Thank you

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Post# 1042208 , Reply# 1   8/19/2019 at 10:42 (1,711 days old) by eronie (Flushing Michigan)        

If you bent any of the 70 year old plumbing taking it apart I'll say the gas leaked out. Frost at the beginning of the capillary tube is an indicator of low charge.

Post# 1042210 , Reply# 2   8/19/2019 at 11:22 (1,711 days old) by miker (Elkhart IN)        

so the small line is the liquid line and the bulb is equivalent the a "expansion" valve?
Is this a service port?

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Post# 1042240 , Reply# 3   8/19/2019 at 16:01 (1,711 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture

That's a "line tap". Access port for the sealed system. Need to put some gauges on it, and see what it is doing.

 Just curious, why the compressor was removed from the unit? If it's running, wiring is probably OK.
Post# 1042248 , Reply# 4   8/19/2019 at 18:03 (1,710 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        
Who made it?

 Nice refrigerator, too bad it's not functioning now. Hope you can get it going soon.

I'm curious as to what manufacturer made this for MW. I know Norge and Westinghouse made appliances for them in the later 50's and 60's, but this doesn't look like either of those. Perhaps Gibson or Admiral?

Post# 1042304 , Reply# 5   8/20/2019 at 09:23 (1,710 days old) by miker (Elkhart IN)        

I removed the compressor and freezer unit in order to disassemble it, replace insulation, check out the wiring that was behind box. In hindsight it probably wasn't necessary. But I'm a hot rod guy, I built, restored and customized cars, trucks, bikes and other things of the years. I knew I was building this for me to put in my motorcycle themed home bar, it was 70 years old and wanted to know everything about it.
I would like to know who the manufacture is. I have been unsuccessful in determining that. sometimes i thing its a Frigidaire, others a Philco and Westinghouse. But I don't know. I was actually stumped on the year until I found a date on the inside. GoatFarmer I see your in South bend, Any chance you know how to work on these things and want to drive over to beautiful Elkhart


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Post# 1042310 , Reply# 6   8/20/2019 at 10:27 (1,710 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        
Service Port...

Hey, in seeing a full size picture of the port, it's very near the compressor and the line looks like it has paint and crud on it where it goes inside the valve. Knowing that the compressor and lines assembly was removed from the cabinet, this is likely a high stress point where the line would have been likely to bend. The dirty line going through the saddle valve, subjected to bending, is highly likely to spring a leak.

 

This type of evaporator design holds a tiny amount of refrigerant compared to older models with a more traditional flooded evaporator. It would not take much of a leak to cause it to stop working.

 

As stated earlier, if it were mine, I'd take that port out and replace it with a soldered-in one with a metal cap. That should stop future leakage.
Post# 1042317 , Reply# 7   8/20/2019 at 12:51 (1,710 days old) by miker (Elkhart IN)        
service port

 I took the cap off yesterday, Iv never see one like this but then again I have not seen any lol. Could you recommend a place to purchase a new service port. and maybe a brand that is good quality. I would like to buy one so when I get someone over to repair it I have it on hand.

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Post# 1042326 , Reply# 8   8/20/2019 at 16:05 (1,710 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture

I work in Elkhart, off CR20 and SR19.  I know just enough to get me in trouble!

 

Many of those older M/W 'fridges were Admiral built. That one probably is.
Post# 1042338 , Reply# 9   8/20/2019 at 16:52 (1,709 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        
Service Ports...

Mike; the local supply place here in Tuscaloosa (Wittichen Supply) carries "Just Better" brand ports. They have several types. I would get the ones with the 1/4" tube stem. Then purchase a tee to install it if you don't buy one with a built in tee.

 

www.jbind.com/products/Access_Val...

 

 
Post# 1042350 , Reply# 10   8/20/2019 at 18:46 (1,709 days old) by sfh074 ( )        
Something like this ....

 if the line that has the piercing tap/port is 1/4" in diameter

https://m.ebay.com/itm/C-D-Valve-CD8414-...


Post# 1042379 , Reply# 11   8/21/2019 at 09:12 (1,709 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        
Yes!

...that port tee was exactly what I had in mind!
Post# 1042459 , Reply# 12   8/22/2019 at 06:24 (1,708 days old) by miker (Elkhart IN)        

Thanks for the help guys, Your insight and advice helped when talking to a couple of repair guys on the phone. Having the correct vocabulary was very helpful, One guy told me it wasn't worth the time and effort, but after talking to him and explaining how everything was laid out and how it should be a easy repair for a guy that has been doing refrigerator repair for "45 years" he then reconsidered. Im most likely not going to use him but it was nice, I was able to change his opinion of this old girl. It actually felt like I knew what I was talking about. so thank you. I have a guy coming out soon, he was much more receptive and eager to check it out

btw Goatfarmer CR.20 and SR19 are about 3-4 miles from me.

Post# 1042470 , Reply# 13   8/22/2019 at 08:00 (1,708 days old) by turbokinetic (Northport, Alabama USA)        

Glad you have someone willing to come look at it for you! Hope to hear a positive outcome today!

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