Filthy Riccar Vibrance

[dandagreer]

Scored a 2-year old (according to the previous owner) Riccar Vibrance off FB Marketplace last weekend. Got it home and opened the bag chamber and was horrified! Must have had a burst bag at one point because the bag chamber was filled with filth! Cleaned all that out and knew I had to do a complete disassembly and wash job.

The clip that holds the crevice tool is broken, and the brush roll on/off mechanism will no longer hold itself in the belt-engaged mode. So, I ordered those parts along with new HEPA bags (the previous owner used paper bags), new belts, and new HEPA filter.

Reassembled today just to test it out. Still waiting for parts, but I stuck a piece of wood in the brush roll on/off to temporarily hold it in the engaged position. The bags and belts came, but still waiting on the filter.

All in all, I'm impressed with how well this vacuum cleans. In tool-mode, the suction is unbelievable! I had to use the suction relief valve to vacuum my furniture!

I made a little video (below) vacuuming my living room shag.

 

[ralph123]

How is the bag held in place? Is it just a friction fit? One possibility is that the bag came off the bag "holder". Happened to me once on my 7 series. It would be nice if there was something to lock the bag in place.

 

[dandagreer]

Agreed

Yeah, the bag is only held on by friction. A bag dock would be nice, but I think this was an entry level machine. Still can’t go over how much suction it has through the hose!

 

[mark40511]

I remember back when I had my Kenmore Progressive canister. Must have been 8 or 9 years ago. I opened the bag chamber to check the bag and the bag had slipped halfway off the collar! God knows how long I vacuumed with it like that. I remember using my rainbow to clean it as best I could. From that point on I started taping the bag onto the collar.

It doesn't surprise me this happened. Friction fit uprights can be difficult to get the bag pushed on all the way. That's the one thing I hate about my cirrus. I push it on and ALL the way back.......and just hope it never slides off.

Btw - those bag chambers are HARD to clean but looks like you got it spotless

 

[dandagreer]

Bag chamber

Yes! They’re so hard to clean! I disassembled the entire thing and put it all in my slop sink with Tide. The key is using a detail brush. Soft, long hairs made for detailing cars—let’s you get down in every crevice.

 

[blackheart]

Hm

I could be wrong but it appears you have the newer style motor for it. Which was a downgrade power wise from the older ones. The biggest difference between the two was the diameter of the fan case. I recall ordering a new motor for a SYMC, I think it was. and when it showed up it had this enormous gasket on it. comparing it to the dead motor in the machine I found that the new motor had a smaller fan case, and the gasket was to fill the space between the smaller motor and the housing.

Oh and another bad bit of news. These designs have been discontinued in favor of the new R25 line. It's such a shame they were simple but decent machines.

All that aside. Enjoy your machine they're pretty nice.

 

[lesinutah]

Tandem air

Im not sure if yours is. I got a gold vibrance 11 amp tandem air. It's good on the vacuum base is scratched bad.
I tried it out and holy cow it sucks. I need new belt, brush inserts, good and lens. It had so much power and solid vacuum.
If you keep the bag on it keeps the chamber pretty clean. Well in theory it's suppose to be. Does yours have on board attachments. Congrats on yours they are beasts.
Les

 

[blackheart]

Vibrance

The vibrance series are not tandem air they are a single motor clean air machine.

 

[lesinutah]

I figured

I know it was a dud and tandem air was discontinued.
Brilliance is the model I have.
I've had a few riccars' and I mix them up often. I have a green 8850 a simplicity symmetry. I had a RSL4, 1500p, 8955 and a riccar vibrance older model but newer than 8955.
Les