Acquired two Electrolux ZB55's, unsure if worth restoring

[themaritimegirl]

Hi everyone. This is my first post, and I'm glad to have the opportunity to be here.

I recently acquired two Electrolux ZB55's, which are a late 40s/early 50s Canada-only model, about equivalent to the Model XXX sold in the USA as far as I can tell. I bought them cheap, and they are in very rough shape, and I need opinions on if they are worth restoring, or will only be destined as parts machines.

Mice got inside both of them, and completely destroyed both bags. I'm talking fabric in tatters, gaskets in pieces, and metal rings so corroded that they welded themselves to the canister and broke into pieces when I removed them. In addition, their urine severely rusted the bottom of the inside of the canister on both machines.

Against all odds, they both have good running motors. And aside from rusty runners, they are cosmetically not that bad. They also have the hoses and attachments, although no idea what condition they are in on the inside.

So I am torn, and looking for opinions. Seeing the pictures of the state of these, would you consider them restorable, or a lost cause? Can new bags even be found? Would ones made for the Model XXX work?

 

[huskyvacs]

They are actually in very good shape. I have an XXX that looks a lot worse than that!

The outside is very clean and really pretty good. Cleaning it up with some gentle cleaner and a SOS pad on the runners will get it in good shape. The interior bits and everything galvanized is only but surface rust. You can likely get a lot of it off with a dremel and a wire brush, and then hit the remaining stuff with that rust removal jelly and see if that will take it out. I would give them a thorough tear down and clean up due to the mice odor.

If they took fabric bags I am certain they took paper bags too. I am sure you can find both with some looking, or you might be able to cut up a HEPA vacuum bag from a Shop-Vac or similar and make a custom bag if you have the originals to use as reference.

 

[human]

The only thing I see that concerns me is one or both of the bag compartments appear as if they may possibly be rusted through. If so, they would need replacing. There's not much you can do about that.

 

[themaritimegirl]

I see how it looks like in the photos that there is rust-through - that's actually just some hard black stuff (god knows what) stuck to the bottom. I just took a wire brush to it, and didn't find any rust-through so far!

So I'm feeling a little more positive about getting these running. The biggest question is just going to be a bag. I can certainly use a disposable bag and some RTV or something to keep the hole of the bag in place, if it's unknown that a XXX bag will fit. Probably make it nicer to use than having to empty out and clean a gross reusable bag anyhow.

 

[collector2]

Hi Florence:

Email me and remind me - I should have a bag for one of those kicking around.

Doug

 

[kirbyklekter]

Hi Florence, Welcome! I would definitely keep and restore these two. Like Huskyvacs, I've got a XXX in worse shape and someday... There's a wealth of info on this sight and leads and plenty of members who enjoy and collect Electrolux cleaners willing to help. I think that these will clean up nicely and show well.

Even though the motors sound good I would still inspect their wiring,(mice) and blow out the carbon dust and the fans and check the bearings.

May I recommend that when your through sanding or wire brushing the rust, that you use something like Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer. Comes in spray or brush on cans. It's actually made to be used over existing rust,to seal and prevent further rust. Best to remove as much as possible, like the loose stuff. You can then top coat that with anything you wish,preferably something that dries with a shine, better protection from moisture.

Good luck, hope to see when finished! Billy

 

[cousineddy]

I’d definitely say those worth fixing! Great old machines, I may have a bag as well as I got quite a few of these Electrolux’s and I think my parts ones still got intact bags! This is one of my zb55’s

 

[themaritimegirl]

Update

Got an update for everyone! I started working on one of them a couple of weeks ago, and let me tell you, I have not done so much wire brushing and sanding my entire life. Here are some pictures of the one I've been working on, and next to the other one.

I'm also currently talking to someone who has two bags they might be able to send me.

I had the motor out, with the intention of cleaning and oiling it, but it's sealed in this metal cylinder that I could not for the life of me figure out how to remove. It spins very freely, so I said to heck with it and put it back in. Screenshot of that from a live stream I did while working on the machine.

The effect of the mouse urine baffles me - it's almost like it *added* metal to the housing. The effected parts are raised up, and as hard as the metal itself - no amount of brushing and sanding could get it off entirely.

 

[elecroluxmodel1]

You Are...

Doing a wonderful job! Your work is almost as good as some of the professionals! The motor on the American version of this is not in a sealed cylinder and is easily accessible. I think you made the right call on just putting the motor back in because the Canadian and European Electroluxes seem to more over engineered than the American ones. I can't wait to see the end result of both vacuums!

 

[themaritimegirl]

Update #2

Thank you!

Well, as of today, I'm officially calling one of them finished. Or at least, as finished as I care to make it. Looks good, runs good. I'm really proud of the effort I put in and pleased with how well it turned out. Just need a bag and it'll be ready to use.

Now to do it all over again with the other one, which is in slightly worse shape. Nothing I can think of to do with that missing rubber handle, unless I take something like a pool noodle and cut it to size.

 

[human]

That is a stunning transformation. It doesn't even look like the same machine. You should be proud. The other one will present some new challenges but you can apply everything you learned restoring the first one to bringing that one back also.

 

[themaritimegirl]

Update #3

I've decided not to move forward with restoring the second unit. The rust inside the canister is so bad that the seam along the bottom has separated, and it's buckling inward. The vacuum is basically being held in shape by the leatherette skin.

I plan on listing it here for the cost of shipping, with the hopes that someone can use the motor or the bakelite(?) parts.

 

[human]

Yeah, the best use for some machines is as a parts donor. It's good you had the 'wisdom to know the difference' before running head-on into the law of diminishing returns. I've not always been successful in that area.

 

[themaritimegirl]

After receiving a bag for it (HUGE thanks to Doug!), I used the restored unit for the first time today, and it works amazing. It has WAY more suction than a 3.8A machine has any business to, and it's very quiet; slightly more so than the Super J.

Granted, the hose split completely in two in the middle of my cleaning, which gave me a good laugh, but I still have the hose from the cleaner I junked, so I continued on with that.

Now here's a question - does the hose sold on eVacuumStore fit these Canadian units? I took comfort in the fact that I can get a new hose if this one falls apart, but looking at it now, the end that plugs into the cleaner is different than the hose I have. The hose I have also doesn't fit the Super J - it's loose and wobbly. Do the Canadian units have their own style of hose?

https://evacuumstore.com/p-269-electrolux-standard-canister-vacuum-hose.aspx

 

[human]

Based on the photos, I'd say they are somewhat different designs. The one offered by eVacuumstore appears to be compatible with American canisters 1205, Super J, Silverado, etc.

 

[themaritimegirl]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. It says it everything made from 1924-1994, and when I look at photos of the XXX and other American models, their hoses look the same at that one. But when I look at pictures of various Canadian models, they all have the end like mine, until the 1970s when the Canadian machines starting taking after the American ones.

That stinks; so I'm basically out of luck if this hose I have fails. Can't win them all, I guess. Oh, Canada.

 

[collector2]

Keep the ends from the hose that broke and just put them on a new hose. You can buy lengths of hose with rubber sleeves on the end that the old hose ends can be glued onto.

 

[themaritimegirl]

That's an excellent idea which I never thought of!