Thread Number: 93248  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
1971 lady Kenmore washer
[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# 1178928   4/24/2023 at 05:57 (367 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        

combo52's profile picture
I finally reinstalled my 1971 lady Kenmore washer.

This was a machine. I modified heavily and completely rebuilt in 1978 used it for about 30 years until the center post got so rusty that it actually cracked.

Started rebuilding it about five years ago it got set aside like so many projects, I put a stainless steel sleeve on the center post of a replacement face plate from a machine that was in good condition.

When I rebuilt this machine in 1978 I put the extra large capacity tub assembly into a 1964 all porcelain cabinet combined it with a 1971 lady Kenmore and modified the spin speed to achieve about 700 RPMs.

The one problem I had with the extra large tub because I never had a sink large enough for the sudssaver to work without paying a lot of attention to prevent overflow.

That’s why I bought the large stainless steel laundry sink so now I can save the full 25+ gallons of this machine uses ,

How many AW people are using a sudssaver on a regular basis on a vintage washing machine?

John


  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 4         View Full Size



Post# 1178929 , Reply# 1   4/24/2023 at 06:24 (367 days old) by Marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)        

marky_mark's profile picture

Looks great, John.  I've never used a suds saver.  Hopefully I'll be able to stop off in Beltsville again soon and see your latest set-up.  Does this dryer have the original 24,000 BTU/h cycling burner or did you change it to a modulating one?

 

Mark


Post# 1178930 , Reply# 2   4/24/2023 at 06:41 (367 days old) by chetlaham (United States)        
You Have Nice Tastes :)

chetlaham's profile picture

The blue beams, the pink back brick, the yellow side brick, the painted has pipe, the perfectly straight shiny water copper lines, the gripped flooring, the quality sink, fan ect... there is so much wholesome about everything. And oh, of course, a perfect fitting washer to compliment it all!

 

 

You've got serious esthetic design talent with a predilection for quality. cool 


Post# 1178935 , Reply# 3   4/24/2023 at 08:46 (367 days old) by qsd-dan (West)        

qsd-dan's profile picture

They still look factory new. So I assume the increase in spin speed also increases OPM's during the wash cycle? Probably helps a bit with the larger tub configuration.


Post# 1178936 , Reply# 4   4/24/2023 at 08:59 (367 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
John, isn't this the last rendetion of the pushbutton LKs, 1974?


Post# 1178939 , Reply# 5   4/24/2023 at 09:34 (367 days old) by Washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)        

washerlover's profile picture
I had a ‘74 LK and it didn’t have the colored buttons…I believe the ‘73-‘74 models did away with the color-coding…

Post# 1178942 , Reply# 6   4/24/2023 at 10:37 (367 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Kenmore!

peteski50's profile picture
John I am Happy You were able to restore the lady Kenmore
Best Of Luck with it
Peter


Post# 1178943 , Reply# 7   4/24/2023 at 10:40 (367 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        
Beautiful set

bajaespuma's profile picture

I wish I had your talent.


Post# 1178950 , Reply# 8   4/24/2023 at 11:31 (367 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)        
Preaching to the choir~

mickeyd's profile picture
Hello John,

Forget the economy and the green-ness, Sudsavers are just plain fun, so unique, such a brilliant engineering breakthrough, so interesting, and so damn dramatic, always surprised at the members who eschew them. As you well know, Whirlpool held up release of their first automatic until they perfected the SudsMiser, making it an integral part of the machine. Once was, when people knew how to wash, the first load was clean whites, and virtually no one in history--kidding!--ever dumped the scalding immaculate liquors down the drain and started over.

For me, the agitated high speed Sudsreturn has no equal in washer love. So much so that when using the wringers and the Easy Spins, I always start the agitation with the fill cycle, often filling through the drain hose on the wringers, thus having the water enter from the bottom, add the soap, and Voila! SUDSRETURN--YAY`!!!

I have a 65 Lady K Suds, an 806S, and 64 Frigidaire Spring-loaded ball model, still hoping for the proper rectangular hose; will pay you a small fortune for one.

Your Hybrid is beautiful, and I am green with healthy envy for the magnificent SS sudstub, and love the white Surgilator with the big chrome cap. Many thanks for sharing your legendary expertise and all the help you give even to the least nincompoop, LOL.



  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 2         View Full Size
Post# 1178957 , Reply# 9   4/24/2023 at 12:17 (367 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

If I had a suds saver machine, I would certainly use that feature to save water (because we'll for sure end up having to conserve again here on the left coast sooner rather than later), but I've never seen a suds saver in action and have a couple of questions.

 

In the picture above, the sink is full of saved suds.  What about when the machine completes its entire cycle and needs to drain instead of save?  Do you have to hang around to pull the sink's drain plug?  Would an old school double basin sink be the ideal situation?


Post# 1178964 , Reply# 10   4/24/2023 at 13:19 (367 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
Two drain hoses, one to storage, other to drain standpipe.


Post# 1178980 , Reply# 11   4/24/2023 at 15:44 (367 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas)        

repairguy's profile picture
It looks good John. Glad you got the set together and connected again.

Post# 1179027 , Reply# 12   4/24/2023 at 20:30 (366 days old) by seedub (South Texas Hill Country)        

seedub's profile picture
John, I'm curious to learn the story of the control panel with 1971 pushbuttons and as Bob noted a 1974 timer setup. Did something catastrophic happen to the original?

--Chris


Post# 1179044 , Reply# 13   4/24/2023 at 21:47 (366 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
The 71 lady Kenmore washer and 1974 gas dryer

combo52's profile picture
When I built this machine originally in 1978, I used a 1971 control panel, but as many of you noticed the timer dial and knob and cycles around the knob are from a 74 lady Kenmore. I did this because I needed the timer from the large capacity machine to have enough pump out time For the super capacity tubs that I added back when I did this in 1978 you could still order those parts.

I used the 1971 control panel because I wanted to three speed motor by 74. They only had a two speed motor.

The spin speed was increased by using a clutch pulley from a very rare 1961 Kenmore washer for a short period of time instead of a cast-iron clutch pulley they used to stamped steel pulley , the stamped steel pulley had a deeper groove and you could use the narrow belt, and it would effectively reduce the pulley diameter about 1 inch giving it a much faster, spin speed without speeding up the agitation or pump out performance. The agitation can easily handle the large loads that I wash in this machine at the normal speed.

I did two large loads with one tub of water on Saturday. When I finished installing the washer it worked beautifully, I still think at least for me. The easiest machine to rebuild is a belt Drive whirlpool or Kenmore or of course a whirlpool built direct drive top load washer expired, the machine worked perfectly. I have not lost my touch lol

When you said save you, just put the stopper in the sink if you want to save the water if you know you’re washing the last load, you simply remove the stopper and it goes down the drain very easy to use no settings to make, etc.

Thanks for all the nice comments. It’ll be fun to use this machine again. It was my primary machine for almost 30 years however going forward I’m mostly going to use the frontload machines and the other vintage machines, both older and newer than this pair.

John


Post# 1179054 , Reply# 14   4/25/2023 at 00:54 (366 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

daveamkrayoguy's profile picture

It's always nice and even unpredictable to see what machine here will be restored and photographed in all its beauty and even demonstrated in video, and seeing the rest of the laundry room that it's in, too...

 

Thank you very much Combo 52 for sharing...

 

 

 

-- Dave


Post# 1179090 , Reply# 15   4/25/2023 at 20:27 (365 days old) by mistereric (New Jersey (Taylor Ham))        

mistereric's profile picture
Nice job on the machines, wish I had a sud saver!

Post# 1179104 , Reply# 16   4/25/2023 at 23:12 (365 days old) by bigalsf (Salt Lake City)        

Congrats John and great job. I love it! I like the colored control panel. It's fun to modify machines to do something different &/or better. I love to experiment!

I just finished a rebuild of my 62 Imperial. My center post was toast; I had a local machine shop we partner with fashion a new one out of stainless. I'll post pics soon. I wish I could find one of those older clutch pulleys. You described this to me once before & i've been on the hunt ever since. Love the Super Surgilator; lots of action!

Enjoy using them!


Post# 1179128 , Reply# 17   4/26/2023 at 13:29 (365 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

Looks like my question was answered, and if space allowed, a vintage concrete double laundry sink would be the alternative to a standpipe.


Post# 1179157 , Reply# 18   4/26/2023 at 18:24 (364 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
Looks really spiffy there

I'm kinda of a dunce on this

I did not know that piano key washers like this had suds savers

Until it was explained

you press selective dialing cancel

that retracted the wires and pins in the timer assembly

then the perforated timer stop plate could spin freely as you turned the dial to suds

Did I get it right?


Post# 1179161 , Reply# 19   4/26/2023 at 19:32 (364 days old) by waterdrama (Royal Oak, Michigan)        
Whirlpool Got it Right!!!

We always had Kenmore washers with the suds-saver option. Doing laundry with the suds-saver was a process I learned from an early age (imagine that). Plug the storage side of the double concrete laundry tub and you were on your way to two or even three loads of laundry using the same wash water. Rugs were the last load and probably the fourth load using that wash water.
Nothing quite like watching the suds return process in the Kenmore. The water came up through the bottom holes until the first "splish splash" from the agitator fins. Then, Mom started carefully loading clothes back into the machine. Sometimes, if there wasn't enough water pumped back from the storage tub, the machine would stop to add more water and proceed merrily through the cycle. I am not sure how other suds-saver washer returned their wash water, but I think Whirlpool probably had the best, most reliable system.
After the last load, unplug the stopper and be prepared to rinse out all that sediment from the storage tub when you are done washing.
Oh, and did I mention that wonderful "CLUNK" of the solenoid to divert the water a few minutes before draining the wash water. These are the sounds that bring back wonderful memories of great engineering. Thanks to everyone for sharing your memories, experiences, and machines.


Post# 1179195 , Reply# 20   4/27/2023 at 08:01 (364 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        

swestoyz's profile picture
John, thanks for sharing! The souped up Kenmore not only looks great (that porcelain cabinet just shines!) but the upgrades are wonderful! Did the dryer require any maintenance?

I do have an A806S hooked up with a rebuilt diverter valve in the laundry studio. I don't save suds often but if needed, it's certainly an option.

Ben


  View Full Size
Post# 1179423 , Reply# 21   4/29/2023 at 21:31 (361 days old) by bpetersxx (laf in on the banks of the Wabash River)        

bpetersxx's profile picture
oh my

Ben has the holy grail of Maytag suds savers

Does it have the bleach injector systm on the right hand side


Post# 1179480 , Reply# 22   4/30/2023 at 15:48 (361 days old) by suds14 (Pittsburgh)        
Suds savers

Good job John, my aunt had that washer and I loved helping her wash when I was a kid. I always saved the wash water even without the suds saver and use a bucket to put the water back into the washer. Although the Kenmorere I am using now, I can bring the water back in automatically when I set the timer just past the light soil marking, the washer agitates and will suck the water back into the machine. They should bring back the suds saver because recently I have been doing my daughter in laws laundry, she is like a 2 month behind for a family of five. She has a front loader, which now I especially dislike because the water that came out my top loader washer was filthy. This was even from the load of my son's work polos and casual pants which were not dirty. The front load does not use enough water to rinse out the dirty wash water, or to clean the load properly. With that being said I could maybe use the water twice instead of for multiple loads. I just got my water bill, and it increased over $30 so saving the water does have an economical factor. Also, with the price of detergent these days you use much less with the suds saver.

David


Post# 1179493 , Reply# 23   4/30/2023 at 19:26 (360 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas)        

repairguy's profile picture
I look forward to getting some of the late sixties kenmore suds savers that I have rebuilt and hooked up for use.


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