Basic maintinance of a Westinghouse cooling system

[matthayman]

I have a 1941 Westinghouse Standard with a Vendo 159 spin top on it.  When I pulled the cooling assembly out it worked although I didn't want to run it long enough to find out if it cooled due to multiple wire frays/shorts.  What maintenance items (oil, etc) should I check before running it?

Also what oil should I put in the agitator motor (original motor).

And Finally, if needed, can any refrigeration maintenance shop recharge it?  Where is the recharge port?

Thank you in advance,
Matt

[johnieG]

If the water circulation (agitator) motor has an oil port, then any good sewing machine oil will do nicely, I use 3-in_1 brand electric motor oil myself. some of these motors were "permanently" lubricated by means of an Oil soaked hemp wick up under there covers, which are a bugger to get off without denting it, so proceed with caution.  especially if your motor has a solid Iron top that "spins" with the propeller shaft. these don't come apart without damage.

The majority of the compressors from this era did not have any accessible recharging ports except on the compressor case itself, which is located under what looks like a 3/4" brass nut, BUT don't even try to unscrew it as you need a special (and obsolete) port adapter to attach a gauge set to the darn thing & you'll just end up twisting it off & then you're ska-rude big-time.

sounds like you will be rewiring it too at this point.

[matthayman]

Thank you JohnieG, so how do I(or a maintenance tech) charge the system?

[johnieG]

Thank you JohnieG, so how do I(or a maintenance tech) charge the system?

Easy, all you do is add money....