(OT) 52 international harvester (OT)

[p24-1953]

check out my newest find a 1952 international harvester fridge.

it was working untill the original owner cut one of the lines last week in order to free a traped kitten. it ran for 50 years and was killed by a kitten....

so how can i repair this thing. can i soilder or patch the exg. pipe where it was cut out? it is leading to the condensor on the back of the fridge. how do you fill these units i can not find any place to pull a vacumme and install more refrigerant? what will i need to do to update it to new refrigerant?

[Don Coatney]

Go here.

http://www.ytmag.com/farmall/messages/309086.html

[Plymouthy Adams]

may be best left to a professional...the freon of this generation is highly unobtainable to the man on the street, guages, and the pump to vacuum the system is also a necessity...

as most are hermatically sealed, the cut could easily be repaired by splicing in a charging valve for the purpose of vacuum and charging the unit...if cut on the high side, a second service tap on the low side would be in order so that on could read the values and verify the internal condition of the pump, valves etc...

[greg g]

Wonder if the coolant was still amonia?? If it was R 12, I don't think the new stuff is compatable with the old compressors. You might need to do a bit of research on what gas was in there. I knew Crosley made cars bud didn't know IH made friges. Come to think of it I guess all our major industries were mulifaceted in the old days.

Although best known for farm equipment, IH produced home appliances for farmers and non-farmers alike. This included refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers. Like many automobile and truck makers did during this period, (Ford had Philco, Chrysler had Airtemp, General Motors had Frigidaire, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation (and then American Motors) had Kelvinator, Studebaker had the Franklin Appliance Company, White, IHC had a refrigeration division of its own.

Originally, the appliance division had been developed to manufacture commercial-grade items to farmers, most of whom had just received electricity by way of the many electrification projects in the United States before and after World War II. Among the offerings were milk coolers and walk-in freezers for produce and meat. Later on, IH courted the farmer's wife with kitchen refrigerators available in the latest designer styles. The IH spokeswoman for these products was Irma Harding, a factory trademark. These products were introduced in 1947 and sold for less than ten years. The refrigeration division was sold to Whirlpool Corporation in 1955. Since the time of production was short, these appliances are quite rare today.

[Plymouthy Adams]

most refrig unit that had amonia were the "natural gas" fired units...them things seems to last forever...there is still one on the old farm in working order...it has to be everybit as old if not older than myself..with the well some 100 feet from the house...the farm had free gas for the homestead, the house was even lit with gas lights till sometime into the 40's...gas stoves in the chicken house, barn, cellar house, even we kids had a outbuilding we called ours with a huge gas stove in it for keeping warm and dry as we would dry off after sledding most of the day..

[Young Ed]

The fridge in the apartment on the show friends was an IH.

[Don Coatney]

When I was a kid growing up one of our neighbors work at the IH truck plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I recall he bought a new IH refrigerator. Most likely got an employee discount. This refrigerator had a foot pedal to open the door. It is strange that I was just thinking about that refrigerator this past weekend when I had my hands full and had to open the door of my 1938 Kelvinator to stuff the left overs into it. My parents bought this Kelvinator used and it was our primary ice box for many years. It was then sent to the back porch and used as a back up. I have hauled this ice box from coast to coast and back and it has never required a refrigent charge. I do not know what gas it uses but it is quite possibly R-717 (AKA NH3).

[Young Ed]

Don my parents have a turret top 29 GE fridge with the foot pedal for the door. Its very useful when your hands are full! I forget what refrigerant is in it but a family friend that does hvac said its highly toxic and to vacate if its leaking.

[Ian Morrison]

My parents had the same fridge when they got married, but had the matching freezer. I bought their old house 35 years ago and got the the fridge with it. The last tenant that rented the house had their own fridge so this one was put in the basement.

I know that makes this another Ran when Parked story.....

<(*o^)>

[moparbenny]

i would have just let the kitten go....you can get another kitten, were else are

you gonna find a fridge like that?...don't worry the kids would stop crying ...eventually....

[Guest P15-D24]

You should seal up the door so a kid can't accidently lock himself inside while your waiting to get it repaired. One inside they can't get out and suffocate.