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Had some downtime and decided to pop a couple parts onto my 515 that I had in storage for a while. At some point in its life it had the original bag and belt lifter replaced with newer versions that have the more angular Kirby logo. I’ve left these alone ever since I picked this up as my first...

Howdy, everyone I picked up a Hoover Constellation along with its hose, box and some accessories. I also nabbed a caster set from a Filter Queen to make it mobile for larger rooms. Before purchasing it, I looked on eBay and Google, and I’ve got a question about the logos and branding on my...

My mom was absolutely not a fan. I picked up a Kirby 515 (had to walk 70 minutes from school to get it and all the way back to catch the bus in order to get it home) as a gift for my sister. We loved The Brave Little Toaster and I wanted to give her a vintage Kirby to take with her to...

I couldn’t get the imperial measurements for the brushes. All the replacements I found were from the UK, which converted to metric back in the 60s. I guess I could have done the conversation, but it didn’t seem important. Sites specializing in carbon brushes have both imperial and metric sizes...

I just sniffed out a pair of 1334 carbon brushes on eBay (the seller had them listed out under a really generic title). Some sleuthing revealed that these brushes are a bit taller than the ones out of my 115. They're 7.9mm rather than 7.8mm. Is there a recommended practice to smoothly and...

I did some digging for generic brushes before posting here. Closest I could find are 6.13mmx7.78mmx16.19mm. The originals are 6.3mmx7.8mmx13mm. The replacements I found are a bit too narrow and not quite as tall, and I assume would be too loose in the brush holders. Parts for the 1348 don't...

Howdy, everyone I won a Hoover 115 off eBay, and I've been fixing it up so my nephew can use it when he visits (he loves vacuums, but he's still small and struggles with my big Kirbys). I've greased the motor and brush bearings, so it's pretty much all ready to go, but I've been having trouble...

I was just taking a moment to really look into the twin fan design. I’ve never worked on one before, and it’s really cool. And it’s nice to finally work on a vacuum that isn’t full of dirt, hair and who knows what else.

Really depends on how it was stored, and the bearing types. If it was stored in a damp environment, there’s a chance that the carbon brushes can fuse to the commutator. And if the motor has a sleeve style bearing, the oil-impregnated felt washers can run dry. I popped the hood off; and the...

Went browsing through the local Value Village and found this Singer vacuum for $19.99 The vacuum was brand new in the box, never even assembled.

The cooling fan is installed, and it moves plenty of air. The armature in the Guardsman motor has a slightly different design from the older Convertible armature, it fits a narrower bottom bearing; so mixing them up is unlikely. I'll check if there's a part number on the armature when I get...

The cap is riveted in place, there's no way for me to get any oil in there. All of these bearings are brand new, I just pulled them out of the bags, and they turn smooth as silk. Whatever the problem is, I think it's something other than the bearings. The whole armature and field magnet heat...

I hooked up a new brushroll and belt, still gets really hot. So I swapped out the bearing for another new one, still the same problem. These bearings are sealed and cannot be oiled, but when spinning them by hand, there's no resistance. I had a brand new armature lying around, so I tossed it in...

Howdy, everyone I'm looking for some information on how hot a Hoover U4029 Convertible should be running. I picked one up off the local classifieds ads, and it was in rough shape, so I dismantled and have been working on repairing it the best I can. Up until now, I've only ever worked with...

So why does Kirby list the 114967, an armature from a higher amp motor, as being a direct replacement for pre-Sanitronic Kirbys? You can't just slap the coil associated to that newer armature into the old 500 series, either. They don't have a 2 speed safety switch for starters; and the method...

Eureka! (Not the vacuum brand) In the time since I made this thread, I have been plagued by dashed hopes and false starts in the seemingly endless quest to get a replacement armature for my Kirby 515. In my searches, I came across a new, old stock armature for a Kirby 1CR (part #114969). It...

I pulled up some parts diagrams for various Kirby models, and I found that the 510 and 515 share the exact same armature, the original part number was 114959 and this seems to go all the way back to the 505, possibly further. So it looks like Kirby only dropped the resistance of the field magnet...

I pulled up a parts list and also consulted with a supplier I get my genuine Kirby parts from, and the armature from any Kirby made from the 505 up to the 515 will fit and function. Although, it's hard to say just how it will effect the performance without looking at the number of windings. I...

The motor seemed to be spinning freely. But I have new front and rear bearings coming for it, along with new brushes. That's actually what led to me taking it apart in the first place; I wanted to clean out any dust or gunk before popping in all new components. Do you know if using the 510's 3...

Howdy, everyone I pulled apart my Kirby 515, and discovered the commutator has a wicked groove worn into it. I have a spare out of a 510 that's in perfect shape, so I'll be installing it. My question is: is there anything that I can do to prevent this kind of wear in the future, or is this...