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Post by cablehack on Oct 7, 2020 6:51:04 GMT
Nice CF! All that needs doing is to replace the wiring and door seal. I wouldn't do anything to the relay or control unless there's a good reason to. Unless the relay contacts are pitted badly, it would be unwise to clean them, since the calibration might be upset.
One thing I would do is to remove the bottom Textolite strip and check the paper insulation (Thermocraft) is dry. The door seal on it at present reminds me of what was fitted to my CA-1, which resulted in a rusted out cabinet.
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Post by ckfan on Oct 11, 2020 12:48:30 GMT
Very nice flat top. I have one very similar which is a 5 cubic foot model. Love the badge on the 36 models. I would go ahead and replace all of the wiring if it feels crunchy. It isn’t hard to do and you will find a guide to help you in the flat top section.
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Post by C. G. H. on Oct 11, 2020 18:21:12 GMT
I found your wiring guide ckfan! It seems like the picture links are broken, but it's still very helpful. I've ordered the door seal and new wiring from McMaster Carr, just waiting on that stuff to arrive now. When I do that I'll also be figuring out a good way to ground the fridge. I did follow the wiring throughout the fridge, including popping the top off, and 80% of it is still in great shape and pliable, but the other 20% where heat or cold could get to it is crunchy, so I'll be replacing all of the heavy three-conductor wire. cablehack I checked under the Textolite at the bottom of the cabinet and it was dry and didn't seem like it had ever been wet to me. No real rust to speak of, I assume the insulation is supposed to be brown. I'm not leaving it plugged in until I replace the wiring, but I've still plugged it in a few times and I'm just so impressed with how well built these old fridges are, and I'm so happy with the condition of this one in particular. The evaporator goes from room temperature to frosted within two minutes of being plugged in, and pretty quickly the fridge goes to a consistent cycle of about 12 minutes off and maybe 2 minutes on.
I've added pictures of the insulation under the bottom Textolite to the same imgur album: imgur.com/a/BADC28P |
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Post by elec573 on Oct 14, 2020 5:44:35 GMT
Looks very nice, I’d look for a GE glass chiller tray. You can find them on eBay prices very .
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Post by C. G. H. on Nov 7, 2020 21:47:20 GMT
I've got to thank all of you for your direct help, and for making information available in general. A few weeks ago I finally replaced the door seal with a recommended one from McMaster Carr, and I replaced all of the rubber wiring in the machine. While I was at it I grounded it, and also got to take a good look at how things like the temperature control work. It's been running great for us since then, and slowly got quieter over the course of a week too.
One thing I've noticed is that the compressor makes dramatically less noise if I tip the fridge back about 5 degrees. It isn't loud in a normal position, but there is a rattly buzz that goes away if it's leaned back slightly. The service manual mentions something similar, but I wanted to see if this is something else anyone else experiences?
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Post by ckfan on Nov 10, 2020 22:57:48 GMT
Glad it’s running well for you. I honestly don’t know what would be causing the noise since it is dependent on the angle of the compressor. I would think it has something to do with the oil level. If the oil level were low I would expect much more noise than a slight rattle though. That and the oil pressure operated unloader wouldn’t allow the compressor to pump.
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Post by elec573 on Nov 14, 2020 4:22:18 GMT
Glad the forum could be helpful , that’s what it’s here for .
I believe the manual on drs recommends leaning them back also to eliminate a similar sound . I believe it must give more clearance between some moving parts, or perhaps
more lubricant going where it’s needed .
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Post by C. G. H. on Nov 14, 2020 21:20:42 GMT
Okay good to hear! I wish there was an easy way to level the compressor in the machine, because the cabinet is sitting pretty level as it is right now. The front bracket of the compressor is bolted to the bottom of the cabinet frame though so moving it upwards with spacers isn't possible. Oh well, I'll just tip the whole thing back a slight bit, because even though I don't know what the noise is exactly, I do know that generally less noise means less wear and tear. I think the manual mentioned that the suspension springs in the compressor could rattle against their brackets and that could cause a noise fixed by leaning the machine back.
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