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Thread Number: 86999
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Westinghouse woes - tub stall issue with the 58 L110 Laundromat |
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Post# 1115702 4/27/2021 at 08:27 (1,088 days old) by turquoisedude  (.) |
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 It's been almost a year that I lept on the chance to save a matched 1958 Westinghouse washer/dryer (I had originally thought the washer was a 57 model, but it is a 58). The washer needed lots of TLC - tub had fallen and was damaged in careless transit by even more careless movie production people, the machine needed a new rear tub bearing badly, and the pump, pump drive wheel/pulley, and water inlet solenoids have all been replaced. When I run it now, it purrs like a kitten. Everything should be fine, right? Nope. The issue I'm now up against is that the tub will stall with even a medium-size load of laundry. I have successfully run several tests with just a tub of water and all has been fine - the machine filled, washed, drained, and ramped up to spin. But just add laundry and....ooops. I had noticed the issue last autumn, suspecting the tub height was at fault - not the case. I also tried changing belts but this has not helped at all (unless, of course, I messed up on the belt size...). I've got the L110 manual and belt tension is the number one cause for the 'wash basket does not rotate' bugaboo, however there is no procedure/suggestion/incantion for adjusting belt tension. I've done this with my older Westy, the style with the speed changer, and there is fairly obvious adjusting spring and screw assembly on the speed changer unit. Now, I mentioned that I changed the belt pulley/pump drive wheel - naturally I thought that perhaps I had not tightened the set screw for this properly (I have the strength of an 8-year-old) but it was good and tight. Any suggestions as to how I might be able to tension the belt?? Oddly, there is also no mention of how much the belts should deflect in the L110 service book.
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Post# 1115706 , Reply# 1 4/27/2021 at 08:53 (1,088 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Paul, what a bummer! There is light at the end of the tunnel for you, but man it's taking forever to get out of the tunnel!
To be fully transparent, I have yet to work on one of these, so my advice is not directly related to working on the 3 belt Westy platform but more so from a general troubleshooting lens. Reading briefly through the '57 L-104 manual, the '58 manual, the '59 manual, the '65 manual, and the most excellent 1985 WCI Frigidaire front loader manual (linked below), the notion of the belt drive itself comes up often as the culprit for a lack of spin, with no mention of adjusting the motor for tension. What condition is the belt in - is it new (looks like it crosses over to a 4L490), or is it used and possibly stretched out? How clean is the spin pulley? I see what looks like grease finger prints on the wash pulley, so hoping none of that got on the spin pulley. And finally, do you recall if you lubricated the sliding section when you reassembled the motor pulley? More than likely John will chime in. I'm hoping it's something simple that can be corrected (above), rather than having a truly weak motor. Ben www.automatice.org/cgi-bi...
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| Post# 1115712 , Reply# 2 4/27/2021 at 10:58 (1,088 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)) | ||
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Post# 1115713 , Reply# 3 4/27/2021 at 11:27 (1,088 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Post# 1115714 , Reply# 4 4/27/2021 at 11:33 (1,088 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Stalling WH L110 | ||
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Post# 1115715 , Reply# 5 4/27/2021 at 11:37 (1,088 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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John, the motor runs, but the tub stops turning. The belts don't seem to be slipping, either, just not 'catching' on the pulley. As mentioned, this only seems to happen when there is a certain weight inside the tub. Really small loads of clothes are OK, but anything heavy like towels and the tub stalls.
I'm going to try what Ben suggested - there may be something in the pulley groove that's keeping the belt from getting a grip. I really, really hope it's not the motor itself... | ||
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Post# 1115726 , Reply# 6 4/27/2021 at 12:26 (1,088 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Post# 1115799 , Reply# 7 4/28/2021 at 08:24 (1,087 days old) by Syndets2000 (Nanjemoy, MD) |
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Check to make sure the sheaves ( pulley ) are not splitting apart- | ||
| Post# 1115850 , Reply# 8 4/28/2021 at 18:44 (1,087 days old) by bendixmark (Winchester Mass) | ||
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Slipping I have that washer.Havent tried to fix it yet but the E-Z Sudsit Laundromat is almost finished,I used to repair those 3 belt machines all the time years ago but never saw that probooblem.I would change the pulley slider and belts with new ones and I bet that cures it. Caint not work. | ||
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Post# 1115852 , Reply# 9 4/28/2021 at 19:31 (1,087 days old) by Moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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You might be missing one of the tension springs in the picture with the pencil pointing to it, or yours are worn out. My tub used to stall until I got and installed the missing spring...there should be 2 of them on your machine, each one is slightly different in shape
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Post# 1115913 , Reply# 10 4/29/2021 at 13:39 (1,086 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Jerry, I think the illustration is for a newer model than mine, however you raise an interesting point. There is a spring underneath the tub, which I did not notice as being damaged (t should be showing at the bottom left of the picture). Is is possible that it could somehow be adjusted? I wish I had paid more attention to this when the tub was out of the cabinet!
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| Post# 1115922 , Reply# 11 4/29/2021 at 16:23 (1,086 days old) by bendixmark (Winchester Mass) | ||
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Slipping The other thought I had is the low speed pulley could be split and the belt is bogging down in the groove.I will have to take a look at mine. | ||
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Post# 1115926 , Reply# 12 4/29/2021 at 16:37 (1,086 days old) by Moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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Post# 1116737 , Reply# 13 5/9/2021 at 10:57 (1,076 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Videos of the L110 in operation and stalling Just managed to get these uploaded to Youtube. First video is of the machine as it starts up - the test load was a medium-size load of shirts (cotton blends). As the machine starts, the tub is turning normally.
The tub got just over half-filled with water when the stall occurs. The motor itself is turning fine but the belt to the idler assembly is not even moving. If I attempted to give the idler pulley a push, I got the machine to tumble for a few seconds.
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Post# 1116739 , Reply# 14 5/9/2021 at 11:04 (1,076 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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So... my thoughts are that the sliding mechanism that the idler pulley is mounted on is what is causing the trouble. The spring that the sliding plate is connected to seems loose to me - given the banging around the tub got in transit makes me think it's been damaged. Trouble is there is very little information about this mechanism in the Westinghouse manual. Not quite ready to give up on this....there has to be a way to adjust the damn thing. (My apologies...my picture is posting upside down)
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Post# 1116760 , Reply# 15 5/9/2021 at 15:28 (1,076 days old) by Moparwash (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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That is very similar to W dryers of that era. Make sure the slider is lubed with lithium grease and is attached to the slide rails and the spring is lined up. If it rattles, its off the rails, which means the spring cant supply the rebound to help spin the tub.Check the manuals and literature section on the site for the service manual
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Post# 1116792 , Reply# 16 5/9/2021 at 19:22 (1,076 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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| Post# 1116794 , Reply# 17 5/9/2021 at 19:31 (1,076 days old) by bendixmark (Winchester Mass) | ||
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Belt I checked the belt on my 58 and its loose.I think its supposed to be. My machine took a beating in transit also.The tub was on its side in the cabinet.A friend from work and I had to put it back together like HumptyDumpty. | ||
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Post# 1116796 , Reply# 18 5/9/2021 at 20:03 (1,076 days old) by steved (Guilderland, New York) |
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I dunno.... Paul, I did some digging in my manuals and found some info and pics. I don't really know much about these Westinghouse machines, but it looks like that spring is how you adjust the belt tension. | ||
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Post# 1116827 , Reply# 19 5/10/2021 at 07:19 (1,075 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Slipping Primary Belt On A 58 3 Belt WH | ||
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Post# 1116836 , Reply# 20 5/10/2021 at 10:12 (1,075 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Picture #2 in reply 18 Steve, thank you for this. I was looking for an illustration of the plate and spring before I did any messing around with it. I have a gut feeling (which is more than likely wrong) that the assembly and/or the spring is damaged. More exploratory surgery to follow.... not today though. I need a break LOL | ||
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