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Bill - Perhaps someone else knows how to interpret those numbers but I don't. I stopped by the local vacuum shop today and the owner looked up the 31X motor part numbers for me in a Filter Queen parts catalog. I say part numbers because there are two choices. If the motor is a single speed...

If you paid twenty five dollars for it and it runs then you did well. When properly polished up vintage Kirby's are by far the prettiest vacuum cleaners money can buy. Search around in some of the past Kirby threads and you'll see what I mean. By the way, for longevity's sake it's best to post...

Bill If you're looking for parts and you have no local vacuum shop to rely on then the internet is your friend. A search for 608RS will turn up dozens of sources. The hard part is knowing which one to use. I just did a search myself and it looks like Amazon has the bearings and the brushes, but...

I'm not really sure I understand your post. Are you simply stating a fact or are you asking for advice on where to find brushes and bearings? If the latter, the bearing part number is 608RS for both the upper and lower bearings. They're very common, so most vacuum cleaner shops will likely have...

How ironic A thread entitled "reproducing" appears twice.

Considering the age of the vacuum it should be OK here, but without pictures this is going nowhere.

When is the next tune up due and how often it should be done My parents Filter Queen model 31 was purchased in 1975 and it's never had an official tune up. Perhaps someone here that either works in or owns a vacuum cleaner shop can explain what a Filter Queen tune up would involve, but beyond...

That's a very good looking machine. Isn't it nice when you find something like this that hasn't been messed with over the years. It doesn't show its true age at all.

That's a fantastic looking Kirby logo. What's the diameter of the circle that surrounds it?

That's a pretty machine, Tom. Though I have to admit I prefer them without the plastic heat shield on top. I've always thought the two tone machines were classy looking, and the model 31 my parents baught in 1975 has performed well ever since. Apart from the two speed motor switch, it's the...

Thanks for that information, Tom. So more than one model WAS in production at the same time. That more or less changes everything I thought I knew about Filter Queen production dates. So at this point when trying to figure out approximately when a machine from this period was made, serial...

I came across this eBay listing the other day and it really has me wondering what was going on at Filter Queen in the 1970's. It's a two tone model 33, and I have to confess I never even knew such a thing existed, and yet there it sits. It has the power nozzle outlet, the two speed motor switch...

The wiring in the photo above matches Tom's instructions nicely.

I had my sisters model 33 apart for a dual bearing change and took this photo of the wiring at the time. I hope it helps.

I agree with everything said by other members here. Brushes and bearings are easily replaced and armatures with worn out commutators can either be replaced or sent out for repair. But as kenkart mentioned, proper airflow is critical to keeping operating temps low. The motor windings are nothing...

I know this will sound cliche, but in cases like this where you'd like to determine the age of the machine you found, a picture truly is worth a thousand words. How about sharing a photo or two?

A very interesting machine. It has the attractive two tone paint scheme of the model 31's, but I always associated these ball type casters and this type of crevice tool holder with later models like the late 33 and after. As for the two speed motor switch, I've seen 31's and 33's with and...

You'd get far more interest if you'd tell everyone what you're looking for. People generally tend to know what they have, but why would anyone sit down and take the time to type out a parts list for you when there's a very good chance you have specific parts in mind and wouldn't want most of the...

I would have liked to check out the photos, but none of the links in the first post worked for me. When I clicked the link in the third post all I got was a screen asking me to sign in to yahoo. I don't have a yahoo account, or a google account, or a face book account, so no dice. But the...

There's nothing at all complicated about wrinkle finish on a paint job. There is a specific paint formulated to produce that effect. It seems to me that this episode was discussed recently, but it might have been over at Automatic Washer. Anyways, the general consensus was that it cost way too...