General Electric swivel top vacuum restoriation - help needed

[dusthater]

I decided to try restoring my grandparents old vacuum and since this is my first time tinkering with vacuums and trying to restore an old item in general I need some help.

Firstly, if anyone is able to identify it that would be appreciated. It says the model is VC7B on the bottom but I wasn't able to find anything by googling that.

I'd also like to take it apart as much as I can to clean it but I don't know how. In the second image you will see a black rubber ring that was held down by three metal pieces where the three screw holes are. The rubber ring is stuck in place and I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to try to force it out. But I can't see any other way to further deconstruct the vacuum.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bnsd60m9200]

both of your images are corrupted. re-upload them

 

[dusthater]

Here are the photos.

 

[paul]

Hi,

That's a commendable undertaking.

Doug Smith, a Canadian floor/surface appliance collector, has a website that shows the Canadian Swivel-Top Model VC10A, which appears to be the same color and general styling as yours but with wheels. In the US, we also had different stylings—the budget version without wheels were known as Low-Boys. The 'B' in your grandparents' Swivel-Top model number may indicate that.

Anyway, here is a link to Doug's website, and his contact information is there. I have also included his photo of the Model VC10A.

I hope you get the information you're seeking and that you'll have success in your restoration. Please post after photos of it when it's completed for comparison.


http://smithcollection.altervista.org/ge-premier-hotpoint.html

 

[lesinutah]

Pic

Pink screws from the bottom likely holding rubber around motor in.
Blue is the black power wires that need to be disconnected to remove motor.
Green is the rubber housing holding the motor in.
Undo the screws from underside highlighted in pink. Un hook disconnect wire nuts and connections in blue.
Push down looking at motor unit as pictured. It should come out where the green highlight is.
The blue cord and switch is probably where it's highlighted blue. I'd take a pic and or label the wires so you know how they go when reassembling.

 

[dusthater]

Thanks Paul. Yes that is definitely the same as mine. It's hard to tell from my crappy picture but there are wheels underneath. I'll contact him and see if he can help me.

Lesinutah, I'm not able to access any screws underneath. The whole vacuum seems to be one solid shell that is inaccessible from below. Peering in the little (exhaust?) hole in the bottom with a flashlight I could see the interior and there were no screws visible. As for the wiring I can't see a way to disconnect them. Thanks for the reply.

 

[paul]

You're welcome, Alec.

Not sure if you've connected with Doug yet, but I got to thinking that the screws are likely under the removable white bumper. I did happen to find another VL thread (#39466) on the Premier Swivel-Top (Premier was a division of US General Electric that took over production in 1972) that gives some general guidance on how to access the motor. Here's the link:


https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?39466_8


Also, I would think that your grandparents' Model VC7B is in some way(s) different than Doug's Model VC10A due to the 'A' and 'B' designation; such as having a single-stage motor instead of a two-stage. They may have been sold concurrently as a customer option. What is the amps rating? Please post a close-up of the stamping.


I wanted to mention, too, that Canadian General Electric used its own category identification system apart from the US. At least in the US the "Cat. No." is comprised of the category and model number such as V11C8 (no 'A' or 'B' designation just different model numbers); where V11 is the category and C8 is the model number. So if Canada used the same system I would guess that your grandparents' cleaner is a category V and the model number C7B. I did search both "VC7B" and "C7B"/"VC-7B" and "C-7B" yesterday but didn't find anything either.


One more item that may interest you is that the Canadian Swivel-Tops were made from 1952 to 1984; while in the US they were made with the G-E brand from 1952 to 1972 and with the Premier brand until 1981. Each affiliate used its own enamel colors, but the body designs were originally the same and then changed to a new design by both in 1958 according to ads.



Attached:

1) Photo of Doug's Swivel-Top collection posted some time ago by Sireluxomatic.

2. A 1958 newspaper ad for a lowboy that I referenced in my last response, which did have wheels but had the single-stage motor and no exhaust port.

3. Directions #1 for installing the liner (bag); in case you have neither your grandparents' user guide or liners.

4. Directions #2 for installing the liner.

5. A clock with a Swivel-Top face just for fun.

 

[dusthater]

7 amps. Thanks for linking that thread. I removed the bumper and there aren’t any screws. I think they must be under the rubber ring inside but I can’t get it out. I’m afraid to go at it with the vice grip because I don’t want to break it though.

 

[paul]

Alec,

No problem about the link—too bad it really didn't help you, though. Yours is likely from the mid-'60s, and the Premier would be about 10 years newer.

Thanks for posting your latest photo. So, the amps of the VC7B & VC10A are the same. I guess Doug will be your best bet in getting information.

I see, too, that Canadian G-E went by Models rather than "Cat. No."s like the US, that probably needed a more complex identification system in managing a higher volume of products.

Please consider posting photos on this thread showing the motor access/removal and your resto procedure. That way you can share the wealth of your knowledge and effort.

 

[dusthater]

Yes hopefully I can get in touch with him and I'll definitely share photos of the process.

 

[lesinutah]

Pics

Pic 1
Is a pic from the thread attached where he removed the motor. Look at it and notice 3 wires.
Pic is your vacuum with a wire nut. The wire nut has 2 black wires on YOUR VACUUM.
T
Take the wire nut off. 1 black will go to the motor the other goes either to the power switch or to the power cord. Follow the wires to the cord or power switch. There's going to be a neutral wire usually white. It should a green for ground too.
The white/neutral wires could be looped and just be one continuous wire. This means it's soldered and covered or in heat shrink or they didn't cut the wire because they didn't have too. There may not be ground as it wasn't prevelant on vacuums until the the 1970s.
Show where the wires lead and I can tell you what to do.
Once that's done I can tell you how to take out the motor.

 

[dusthater]

Here’s the wires. Power switch on top left and cord bottom left.

 

[lesinutah]

It

Looks like what I've highlighted is a wire nut or a wire nut then electrical tape over it.

Tell me if it's a wire nut or if it a switch please.
Thanks

 

[dusthater]

That's the switch.

 

[lesinutah]

Ok

The wire in red cut it. It has to be cut to get out the motor.

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

I have a vacuum ordering catalog from 1963. I'm not see the Canadian models.
I took a picture of each model that's close to yours.
My guess is maybe heat up the black rubber. Then with gloves try to move the motor around and it's probably going to pop out.
I say heat the rubber because it'll let you move the motor without ruining anything. .
Hopefully this helps.

 

[kirbylux77]

Hi Alec. I don't have any advice, and I can't help you. But, from one Canadian member to another, welcome to Vacuumland, and I wish you the best of luck restoring your General Electric cleaner.

Back when I was a teenager, I used a 70's model General Electric with the Filter Queen style PN....not the greatest suction or the best PN in the world, but considering it was a lower end brand sold in Canadian Tire it was pretty damn good for what it sold for! And their stuff was always quality, you KNEW you had a long lasting vacuum if you bought anything GE. So I do like them a bit

 

[dusthater]

Thanks for the warm welcome kirbylux!

I’ve made a little bit of progress but am now stuck again. I still couldn’t get that piece of rubber out but I was able to remove that screw (pic 1) you can see in the cap of the motor on my previous pictures. They run through the whole motor and I assume there is a nut on the other side which is why I thought I couldn’t take it out before but somehow it worked. And I hear jingling if I shake the vacuum so I think there’s two loose bits down there. Now I can take the outer part of the motor off. There’s a flathead screw on the end of the rotor that won’t budge.

 

[lesinutah]

Leave

Everything as it is right now. Just clean the motor up.
If you use a magnet ut should let you move the screw where you want it. Once the screws removed and the motor cleaned up reassemble.