HOOVER U1040 HANDLE MECHANISM NOT WORKING

[amateursewing]

Hi, I have a really nice Hoover U1040 junior, working fine, but the handle mechanism rachet does not engage the handle in the upright position properly, it will hold it when the handle is jiggled sideways but will not support the weight of the hoover to lift the hoover with the handle upright, my old one was terrific, how can I fix this? it seems to be in the mechanism below where the handle moves from flat to upright, thanks amateursewing @ gmail . com

 

[vacuumlover]

My u1036 used to do this alot.

Did you put any oil on it? If not then it's most likely the catch warn down.

 

[vintagerepairer]

The fact that the handle can be moved sideways indicates wear in the handle bail. Very common in this type of cleaner, though I was never sure if this was a deliberate attempt by Hoover to make sure the cleaner wore out and thus cause the eventual sale of a new cleaner.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

That has happened on the Convertibles (Seniors) also.

Usually, the piece will be replaced. However, I HAVE seen people file them down, thus, making the notch deeper. If you have the patience to do this, it should solve your problem. This is only from MY own experience.
John

 

[vintagerepairer]

The problem with the Junior is that the handle sits in a single shaft and not a fork as seen on the UK Senior / US Convertible. Because of this, all the force applied to the handle is concentrated on one point - the handle bail. This twists the bail and over the years wears the pivot hole in the bail from round to oval. As a result the bail twists even more and the notches actually slip over part which locks into the notches.

Sometimes the notches are the only part which wears out and an attempt to file them might work. Interestingly, although the same design was used from 1959 until the end of production in the late 1980's, it was only around 1983 that Hoover made any attempt to change some of the pins and fittings in order to prevent the handle bail wearing out. The changes were part of a much larger plan to streamline the way the Junior was assembled and in the same way I always wondered if the wearing out of the handle bail was a deliberate act of planned obscelence, I can't help wonder if the fact that the new arrangment prevented wear & tear was purely accidental.