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Unless those brushes were worn on a commutator of exactly the same radius, they will still need to bed-in. Even if you swap brushes around 180 degrees when checking for wear, they have to re-seat again. That worn groove is going to cause arcing and/or noise too, isn't it?

I can't see a great level of detail from your photo, but it is usual for new brushes to arc a fair bit, until they're run-in. There is a processes called dressing(?) which speeds-up that settling-in period by grinding a hollow in the brushes to match the curvature of your particular commutator...

A tip that I'd like to share is for renovating the Blue Trim on the Tradition Brushroll Head. You don't need to remove the trim, but most people tend to when polishing the Head. Use a hot cloth or hairdryer to soften the trim before easing it over the rivets. Warm soapy water, as usual, to...

That's the sort of help I'm offering. That's why I was asking. I can send you that part. Message me, and I'll remove it from my 'parts' Kirby. Welding, gluing, fabrication, may work in the short-term, but it will take quite a strain in use. I'm in the UK, offering to post it to you for free. You...

Has anyone tried using their Kirby Handi-butler polishing attachment on their Kirby housing? Easier with a second machine, but it may do the job on the Brushroll Head & Handle. At least you'll learn which wheels/products give best results.

I have a spare Tradition (all working, tools, caddy, handi-butler, polisher, shampooer...) If you want any bits, just let me know.

Alcohol-based products, Acetone, Windex, Brasso... etc. affect plastics & rubber. You can sometimes get away with it, so people advocate those products, but there's a high risk of damage. I use 'Mirror-Glaze' plastic headlight polish or car door-seal cleaner/rejuvenater. They're safe on all...

Not ALL buyers are equal. Be prepared for them to either; Swap-out your nice parts for crud and return them... Claim they never arrived... Claim they arrived damaged... PayPal will refund them instantaneously. You'll be lucky to get SOME parts back. Their "Proof of posting" may be for a used...

If eBay is your marketplace of choice, and you only sell through eBay, why list them here? I'm sure people here have heard of eBay, and have Internet access. Go list them. Personally, I wouldn't deal with eBay ever again, nor anyone selling on it. Tax-dodging, thieving, over-priced, cowards...

Amazinly, our goodwill (charity) shops have pre-set sales targets to acheive, so slow-moving, low-profit, or electrical items which need testing, are just not worth selling. Our charity Directors are on £100,000 salaries, while staff are all unpaid volunteers. You can't expect unpaid...

You modify the Em-tor, or change it for a later Heritage-style Em-tor, which takes a Fill-Tube. Install a Fill-tube. Fit a new-style Bag-connector at the top of the fill-tube. One which accommodates later Hepa bags. The whole tube/paper (hepa) bag assembly fits inside the original shakeout...

Radiator-Brush? Is that the small plug-in brush at the tip of the Crevice-Tool? I never knew what that was intended for.

The Kirby Classic is not so common here in the UK. Quite scarce actually, at least while I've been looking. Were they USA-only?

Sandpaper will remove the paint OK. As would a Thermal-Lance! The sandpaper will scratch the chrome.

Paint won't stick to shiny, smooth chrome. Pick it off using a blunt, plastic scraper (used to defrost a freezer) or a blunt butter-knife. No sharp edges, no chemicals.

I used Tumble-Dryer Freshen Sheets to rid a Kirby cloth bag of that old stale stench. They're paper towels, like J-Cloths, with impregnated fragrances, activated by heat & air. Place one or two between paper bag and outer cloth-bag. I nearly resorted to expensive Aftershave dripped on the bag...

Stan: I can't see high-speed itself being a problem for the motor. It's not as though you're over-revving it in any way. The motor was designed to run at high speed - for hoses in the US, and constantly in the UK. Think of the speeds as Slow/Normal, rather than Normal/High. I guess the issue...

Stan: I can't see high-speed itself being a problem for the motor. It's not as though you're over-revving it in any way. The motor was designed to run at high speed - for hoses in the US, and constantly in the UK. Think of the speeds as Slow/Normal, rather than Normal/High. I guess the issue...

I guess the brushes it came to you with, may have been lesser-quality cheap ones, perhaps crumbling? That'd cause excess arcing and flying fragments, giving off sparks. In a different post, someone mentioned that their vacuum shop "dressed the brushes". Creating a curve that matches the...

Oh yes. Please. Definitely post photos as you go. We're all doing similar restorations, learning as we go, and learning from others here. It's always encouraging to see a machine go from wreck to treasure. My rescued Kirby Tradition was similarly abused. The roller had stuck, the belt was...