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Post by dustin on Jul 10, 2022 17:25:19 GMT
Yes, I agree. Those are good readings for the compressor windings. "The box" is the compressor relay and I bet the contacts inside are worn out. Can you remove the cover and show us the inside of it? There's two sets of contact points. One for the start winding of the compressor and one for the overload. Usually what happens is the start contacts get worn out and stick together. This keeps the start winding in the circuit, when it shouldn't be and trips the overload to prevent damage to the compressor. I’m also wondering if anyone could find me a diagram on how to take the shell of the fridge apart so I can replace the thermostat wire and the door light switch wires.
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Post by dustin on Jul 10, 2022 17:44:45 GMT
After testing the resistance of the compressor I did hook a power wire Stright to the compressor and I used a jumper wire from the black wire to the middle terminal where the red start wire was and the compressor started running continuously. The freezer even started to get a little bit frosty so I’m pretty confident the black relay box is faulty. Please let me know what you all think. I Would however like to take the fridge apart to replace the thermostat wire and the door light wires. I’m just not sure on how to go about that so any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 17:57:52 GMT
Yup, those contacts look pretty crispy! You can buy a Supco 3 in 1 universal relay/overload assembly to replace the original relay. You need to know the horsepower of the compressor. The horsepower rating is on the data plate with the electrical rating, refrigerant charge, and the type of refrigerant in the system. Or the horsepower might be stamped on the compressor itself. Also, look at the relay for a part number. You might get lucky and someone will have one for sale, at a reasonable price on Ebay. Unfortunately I don't have any service information on Montgomery Ward refrigerators. Perhaps someone else on the forum does and will chime in. Also, since you posted the model number someone may be able to help with a more recent Gemline or MARS part number for an original style relay. Those will sometimes pop up on Ebay as well.
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 18:03:04 GMT
Ahah, you must have read my mind! Good job at testing the compressor like that!! Way to go!! This proves that the compressor is good and the refrigeration system is in good shape too! Leave it run like that, as long as you don't hear any strange noises or the compressor doesn't get excessively hot, for a while. I think you have a winner!!
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 18:05:48 GMT
You don't keep the jumper wire connected to the middle terminal though. That only gets connected for a second or two when the compressor first starts.
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Post by dustin on Jul 10, 2022 18:09:13 GMT
Yup, those contacts look pretty crispy! You can buy a Supco 3 in 1 universal relay/overload assembly to replace the original relay. You need to know the horsepower of the compressor. The horsepower rating is on the data plate with the electrical rating, refrigerant charge, and the type of refrigerant in the system. Or the horsepower might be stamped on the compressor itself. Also, look at the relay for a part number. You might get lucky and someone will have one for sale, at a reasonable price on Ebay. Unfortunately I don't have any service information on Montgomery Ward refrigerators. Perhaps someone else on the forum does and will chime in. Also, since you posted the model number someone may be able to help with a more recent Gemline or MARS part number for an original style relay. Those will sometimes pop up on Ebay as well. This is what is stamped on the back of the relay box. I’m assuming I just need to go on Amazon or eBay and look for the same hp ratings etc.it would be great if someone could help out with the service diagram for those wires I would like to replace. Thank you for helping me out and everyone else that has helped so far. I glad there is a place like this with knowledgeable people. Attachments:
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Post by dustin on Jul 10, 2022 18:17:55 GMT
You don't keep the jumper wire connected to the middle terminal though. That only gets connected for a second or two when the compressor first starts. That’s correct. I only touched the jumper wire to the middle terminal for a second. Only long enough for the compressor to kick on. Then I put a wire nut on the end of my jumper wire. I used the black wire on the orange 3 wire cord in the picture. This orange cord is only being used for testing purposes. I plan to buy some nice wire when I figure out everything and start putting it back together. Attachments:
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 18:18:13 GMT
Yes, looks like you have a 1/7 horsepower compressor. You can find the Supco 3 in 1 on either Amazon or Ebay. They come with wiring instructions. As far as the rest of the wiring is concerned I'd inspect it and if it's in good condition, not cracking, still pliable, and not falling apart I'd leave it alone. You're welcome, Dustin, I'm glad I could help you get your vintage refrigerator diagnosed! It's really a nice one and you don't see too many Montgomery Wards out there!
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 18:19:26 GMT
Perfect, good job!!
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Post by dustin on Jul 10, 2022 18:24:50 GMT
Yes, looks like you have a 1/7 horsepower compressor. You can find the Supco 3 in 1 on either Amazon or Ebay. They come with wiring instructions. As far as the rest of the wiring is concerned I'd inspect it and if it's in good condition, not cracking, still pliable, and not falling apart I'd leave it alone. You're welcome, Dustin, I'm glad I could help you get your vintage refrigerator diagnosed! It's really a nice one and you don't see too many Montgomery Wards out there! unfortunately all the wires are very brittle and needs to be replaced so I can enjoy this fridge safely for years to come. Thank you for your help.
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Post by jake on Jul 10, 2022 18:26:09 GMT
You're welcome, anytime.
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Post by dustin on Jul 22, 2022 21:46:48 GMT
Today I was able to install the Supco 3 n 1 start and replace all the old wiring. I figured out that if I pushed down and pulled out on the Crome trim pieces on the outside panels of the fridge (panels on the inside of fridge when door is open) I was then able to remove the panels and access the wires behind them for thermostat and door switch for the light. This was a bit tricky at first because I started on the bottom panel and there was very little room for any movement. After a week of trying something in my brain said try the top. The top panel popped out no problem then I removed the left panel and move back to the bottom panel. The bottom panel must of had some good old maple syrup from the 50’s spilled on it because it was almost glued in. Once removed I was able to pull all the wires very easily. I soldered new wire to the light switch and hook up wires to the thermostat using ring style thermals. Wiring the 3 wire thermostat to the Supco 3n1 was a bit challenging for me considering the wiring diagram they provide doesn’t show how to wire the thermostat in line with the compressor. After much trial and error I was finally able to figure out how to wire the thermostat so it would cycle the compressor off and on correctly. The original 3 wires on my thermostat were white red and black. I connected the white wire to one of the main power wires before the Supco 3n1 and the black wire to the common black wire that was supposed to go to the common terminal on the compressor then I wired the red wire from the thermostat to the common post on the compressor. Attachments:
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Post by jake on Jul 22, 2022 22:54:38 GMT
WOW, dustin, that's awesome!! Looks great!! You did a fine job! Yes, getting those breaker strips off can be tricky! They're usually plastic and very delicate! Sometimes there's a sequence, like it sounds like with yours, and other times not. I usually have more trouble getting them back on! I'm very glad you have the fridge rewired and it'll be safe and dependable for many years to come! Thank you for sharing your project with us!
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Post by ckfan on Jul 23, 2022 1:47:11 GMT
It looks like you did a good job on it. Glad you were able to get the breaker strip off. One thing that I noticed though is that the relay you used does not have the right overload protector for your compressor. In other words, it is meant for a much larger compressor and won’t protect yours. I would check to see what HP rating your compressor has. Most likely a Supco RO81 will be correct for your size of compressor. Otherwise it could stall and burn out.
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Post by jake on Jul 23, 2022 16:06:28 GMT
Hi ckfan, the original relay was rated at 1/7 horsepower if that helps.
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