February 24, 2012 - 1:28pm
1960s KA
So I just purchased this circa 1960s KA for 35$. I am picking it up on Sunday. It is in working order, though I may need to replace the power cord and it runs on the 1st speed setting but it doesn't change speed again until 4, 5 and 6. I am no DYI guy but I am pretty confident that I could replace or fix the switch if I want to. Just wondering if anyone has expierience with this old a KA and has ever had to fix this kind of problem. Also I am realy excited and just had to tell someone.
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I recently sold mine after refurbing two things:
1) power cord - two prong on the original, you can simply buy a heavy duty three prong power cord (14 gauge) and attach the ground to a screw inside the housing on the plate on top of the motor housing - there are several there that can be used. Or you can go online to Goodman's appliance in FL, they sell cords.
2) I found that all of the grease inside was very stiff from so many years- it was not quite tar like rather than typical soft. I do not think it would be wise to run the machine until this is replaced. I replaced it and suggest you do the same. $5 a can for honey colored thick axel grease at an auto parts store, you will need about 12 oz. There are sights on the web that show you how to do it and the type of grease, but it may be intimidating if you are not a DIY person and don't have access to one. take photos of each step, it really is not hard, but very messy. You will burn out your motor eventually if you do not do this sooner rather than later. http://www.990square.com/2010/05/kitchenaid-troubleshooting/
3) I was able to find rubber feet to replace the dry hard ones on the machine, but it took a bit of a search. The KA feet are not compatable, so search for a white bumper with a screw hole and use the existing screws on the machine as they are very fine thread
4) You cannot buy a new switch or motor for this vintage, but a cleaning may fix the switch issue. The speed lever is attached to a rod that feeds thru the maching to a back plate that controls motor speed. Cleaning that rear area carefully may fix the problem - there are contacts in the rear speed controller that can be cleaned up with a quick spray of carb cleaner. That may do it.
Not needed, but given no parts and you may want to check this out: Last month there was a guy on ebay that took one apart, stripped the paint, and looked like he was going to repaint it to look like new. And apparently he gave up, thus is selling three different groups of parts rather cheaply - like $15-20 each (one being the housing which you do not need). It would be worth checking out to see if he is still there and grab the motor and switch and the speed controller at the rear of the machine. use Hobart KA5 in the search box and also try Kitchenaid KA5...
5) You can see when it was made by tipping over the machine and looking at the 4 digit date code. If I recall correctly, 6412 would be Dec 1964, I may have that backwards...
PS, after I rebuilt mine, I sold it for $220 on ebay. The only reason I sold it is I already have a K5SS - newer vintage (1982 vs. 1964) with the solid state motor, an entirely different motor and control mechanics. Thus the reason those parts are not interchangeable with yours. After cleaning, cord and grease, it looked like new and worked very well. This vintage is built like a tank compared to the new ones, hope you can keep it going.
Enjoy
You are aware that there are FDA-listed food-safe greases specifically for kitchen machines, right? My KA drips a bit of grease into the bowl from time to time and I would prefer that that be edible if I miss a drop.
sPh
Thanks for the heads up. I used to work as a pasta maker and I am sure that the grease we used in our pasta machines and hobart mixer where not food safe. Do you know where to look for food safe grease?
Here's an article on the basics of food safe grease:
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/445/food-grade-lubricants
Most that I have found are listed under the H1 standard or say "meets H1 requirements".
Try googling
and similar terms to get suppliers. The problem of course is that many links will be to 55 gal drums rather than the few ounces that you need!
sPh
Thanks for all the info. , I am sure it will all come in handy.
Thought you might like to know. I ended up buying the circa 1960 KA. All I really needed to do was change the power cord ( the grease in it was fine) Before I bought it I watched a youtube video of how to replace a power cord and how to regrease the gear box. It all looked simple and straight forward. So I bought the mixer, bought a new cord and grease. I started to take the mixer apart as the videos had shown. That's when things went sideways. The machine I was working on, although externally similar, was nothing at all like the KAs in the videos. The power cord was not simply attached to the board at the back of the machine. It was routed under the motor and then back. It required disassembling the entire machine to replace it. Fortunately I have a freind who is a mechanical engineer and he was able to get the thing apart and together. So 35$ and about two hours labor and I have a working kitchenaid that will probably outlive me.
I am sooooo jealous, that machine is way cool.
fresh grease doesn't separate. the ring on the bottom is designed to catch grease, which won't happen until it starts to break down. And the chrome ring on the bottom is designed to keep grease from leaking out. It actually holds quite a bit. So if you have leaking around that into your bowl, then you need to regrease as it is breaking down. The grease used is vaseline like in consistency, no liquid whatsovever. So when you say yours drips grease into the bowl, then you have an issue with it breaking down.
Yes food grade is available for $25 with shipping, but when working properly, there is never any grease near the food, thus not possible to contaminate anything. Being self contained, it is not an issue. I've done this twice with two different mixers, 10 years apart. No leaks or smells on the oldest one. Thanks, good luck.
You have saved another of my very favorite KA mixers -- the K4B! It is indeed a workhorse and well worth the effort.