A question about the sound and maintenance of Kirby's Tech Drive

[Sanifan]

Hello,

As a Kirby newb, I have a question about the Tech Drive on a used G5. First off, the Tech Drive works. That's great news. I think the vacuum is very cool and will be a pleasure to use.

Since it is a used vac and because this is my first and only experience with a Kirby G series, I am really not sure if it's working optimally, however. Or if it's worn and will need some maintenance.

When I use the Tech Drive, it makes a highish pitched mechanical whirring when I push or pull it. Every time I changed direction, from push to pull or vice versa, there's a faint click as I change directions, and then the highish pitched mechanical whir as the vacuum moves. The whir disappears when the vacuum is not moving. The whir is not super loud, but definitely noticeable. It doesn't sound like anything is broken or like anything is grinding. Just a whir, like you'd imagine a robot's arm to sound as it moves.

There is no grinding at all, either on drive or neutral. The power assist is felt and appears to be working.

So my question is: is this the normal sound of a healthy Tech Drive? Also, does the transmission need regular maintenance and if so how would you go about maintaining it?

Thanks for your help!

 

[twocvbloke]

There's supposed to be a slight buzzy-whine when using it, just look up videos of Kirby G series vacuums on youtube and compare them to your own, if yours sounds louder or has some other "unusual" noises, then it may just need a service...

And as for servicing, it's a messy job, and you need to know what you're doing with the different bearings contained within the transmission, and where to put all the different parts when reassembling, if you're not confident in such things, I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself...

A fun picture to look at:

 

[broomvac]

I second that.

Through my years of experience working on Kirbys I have disassembled tech drives for parts, but I really do not recommend doing it. Those tech drive assemblies are supposed to make sounds (kind of like hydraulic pump sounds, like you said), and yours seems to be working absolutely fine from your description.

Rather than take tech drives apart, this is my policy for tech drive maintenance:

As long as every time I use my Kirby it pushes forward with reasonable strength, I don't do anything to it. The day I use it and my Kirby doesn't propel at all, I either replace the belt (if that is the issue), or I replace the tech drive, both of which are a piece of cake.

Don't worry about it. Just don't abuse the transmission (that means Kirby burnouts are a no-no) and it will last you at least another 20 years I can pretty much guarantee!

 

[broomvac]

Here

is an example of what a tech drive normally sounds like. And no, this is not my vacuum nor my video, just an example I found on youtube.

 

[vacfanatic]

Here is what a "new" Kirby transmission sounds like. They do get louder with age as the wear in, but I think it's normal. I had a brand new Diamond which was a little louder than my Sentria new but got louder as I used it for about a year.

 

[broomvac]

Keep in mind

They geared the Sentria differently from the earlier ones, so that also helps make it quieter.

 

[Sanifan]

Thanks, guys...

Yes, it does sound like the G6 in the video. I think it's working fine, no problem. I don't know if it's my laptop computer speakers or the microphone they used, but the G6 in the video sounds a lot screechier than my G5.

I guess I should ask this in a separate thread, but does anyone know how to remove corroded screws? Two of the screws holding the tech drive module are fully green and corroded - just about ready to crumble away. I think the vac sat in some water for a while. Also, where to get the replacement screws? Should I call a Kirby dealer or contact the company?

Thanks. I'm really looking forward to using the G5. It's pretty cool!

It's interesting that the bag in the Sentria video doesn't inflate very much. Is that normal?

 

[vacfanatic]

Bag inflation

The bag in my video was not as inflated because the white poly hepa bags allow more airflow through them. The video was when I first got the vacuum so it had a brand new bag in it. Here is a picture of about a months worth of vacuuming around my house and what the bag looks like after it's filled up a bit.