Quick Question about Ideal 55 slider inside liner....

[mtj57]

Hi guys, I'm brand new to the site but sure have been watching a long time from the sideline. Love the site! I have a question for you. I have a 55 ideal Slider I would like to fix up, but....don't think I want to go so far as to completely restore it and put that much into it. Both lines were twisted off the compressor, compressor itself is rough, along with the refrigeration lines that surround the cooler look to be in rough shape, as well as having a couple kinks in the lines. I was curious, has anyone ever fixed one up without getting their compressor rebuilt, and eliminate the compressor? I was thinking of just giving this a beautiful paint job, and possibly building a new 4 sided liner for the inside that would hold up to holding ice but still have a drain, and basically using it as an ice chest on special occasions. I thought this might be worth asking, has anyone ever tryed that? Or, If I went the route of a complete accurate restoration, has anyone rebuilt or reproduced liners for these? Anyone reproduced the coolant lines that surround the cooler or would I have to find a donor?

Some will probably ask why I'd consider doing this. I would normally give an antique a proper restoration, but...The bottom of my current liner VERY rough....the refrigeration line has a bad kink in it where it started up into the cooler, the nuts have been twisted off in the past, and quite honestly, I doubt I would keep it plugged in full time, and I'd also need to purchase the slider rack for it. I also need to rebuild mine or purchase a new top. Just don't want to stick that much into it when I won't use it that much. Any help, advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[oscar]

Why don't you just use it as is with ice? Restore it when you get the time and money.

[mtj57]

Oscar, Thanks for replying. Money isn't the issue. I already have a real nice 7-Up machine as well as a Vendo 81 that works. I've just decided that for my purposes, I don't want to stick so much into something I'll most likely keep forever, but not use other than the occasional weekend party. Now, if the refrigeration lines were in good condition, and the compressor didn't need to be completely gone through, and If I had the original slider rack, I'd consider restoring to original. Just wondering if anyone else has ever built a custom liner for theirs before. Thanks again....

[johnieG]

For Pete's sake NEVER put Ice into a slider, it will rot the liner out, ruin the insulation & leak all over, these machines are DRY chests, not designed to hold liquid other than the normal condensation...

If you want to use ice, just put a standard/large plastic Scotsman cooler inside.

[mtj57]

I'm guessing someone did exactly that with this one Johnny, that's why the liner is so rough. Bottom pitted something terrible showing pinholes. Insulation shot completely, clearly it had been wet at some point, most likely many times bad as it was. So...since I'm looking at starting from scratch with the liner, wondering if anyone has built their own liner, what they built it out of, how they built it, coatings used or materials used? All that good stuff. But I am looking to build a new 4 sided liner that will hold up to using ice....looking into it is all, have not decided for absolute sure just yet.

[johnieG]

I have a local HVAC contractor that bends up all of my sheet-metal & he's made me a more that a few replacement liners over the years, They ( your sheet metal tin-smith) could probably make on easy enough, the last one I had made cost me about $100.00 & slide right into the slider, remember that it will have only three sides an a bottom, accounting for the loading door opening, & you'll have to punch your own drain hole & epoxy in a copper drain-stub that will go to the lower deck area to drip the condensate out of the machine.

A quick (semi-temporary) fix is to get some rubberized pan-sealer from a local HVAC supplier & spray the tanks bottom, it will fill in the pin-holes & prevent further leakage of condensation, it's used to patch pin-holes in refrigerated food-prep units & such in the field so the leaky "sweat-pan" doesn't drip condensate water all over the food. It's normally a white color, it spays on a bit lumpy, but it self-levels & drys in 24 hours to a rubber liner. it isn't pretty, but it works. just remember not to seal over your drain-tube!  It should hold up until you locate a "donor" machine with a better tank, or until you decide how you wish to proceed.

[oscar]

He said for special occasions not for permanant use.

[mtj57]

JohnnieG...I think perhaps I didn't look hard enough. I stopped and asked at a couple local shops but neither was interested in building a liner, I'll keep looking for the right shop to do this. I do realize the original liner was 3 sided with the drain, what I was considering doing was eliminate the compressor altogether, and scratchbuilding a new 4 sided liner so it holds ice instead of being refrigerated. Would have all the appearance of being a "slider", at least until you opened it up. Honestly I figured someone might have tried that before but perhaps not.

Using this as is really isn't an option for me. Bent lines, lines twisted off at the connection points, compressor needing work, wiring needs work, rough looking refrigerant lines etc. Thanks so much for the pointers though, I'll keep looking for the right HVAC contractor to build a new liner and go from there. Honestly I thought perhaps someone reproduced the tank & refrigeration lines for these but doesn't sound that way. Thanks again...

[oscar]

Draw what you want up and take it to a metel working shop. Have them make it out of stainless.

[zadd]

Sliders are cheap and so is the wiring harness and t stat . Just fine a useable
Working machine without the rack and coin mech and plug it in when you want to have a party . I just scrapped 2
Working seven up sliders for 50.00 bucks . Building a liner for ice seems like the long way around to just use for the occasional party .

[mtj57]

Thanks guys...Oscar, I will look into that. I hadn't even thought of having a stainless liner built, that would certainly hold up.

Zadd...I'll keep looking out for a nice decent liner nearby me. Building a new liner probably does seem like alot, although no matter what I do I expect to have to build a liner, not my luck to find one close by and in great usable shape. I'll keep looking though, I'll let you guys know what I end up doing. Thanks guys....

[SIGNGUY]

I agree with an earlier post.. if your just looking to use it for occassional parties and don't want to sink a bunch into it.. clean up the outside and find yourself a styrofoam tub or regular cooler that would fit nicely into the inside.. so from the outside it looks like a neat old cooler, but inside, keeping your beverages cold.

Just a thought and cheap solution.