I just picked up a red TriStar CLX with high/low switch...questions

[gvox]

The first two numbers in the serial number is 87, does this mean the unit was manufactured in 1987?

The vacuum isn't in bad shape, it actually looks better than it did on the ebay listing. I bought it on eBay because I've wanted one for years, and I guess there just weren't many sold in my area, because I've never come across one or even met anyone that has one.

Although the plug was replaced at some point in its life. It works, but there doesn't seem to be any change in power or sound when I switch from low to high and back again. Is an indication that the motor was replaced at some point?

I also noticed that there seems to be some burn residue around the switch itself, on the red paint. The kind you would expect to see if the switch had shorted out in the past. But the switch itself looks good.

I've never even seen a TriStar much less used one. Should switching from high to low be discernible? Will I have to take it apart to figure out what's going on?

While the listing is up you can see pictures here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294688774789?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

Any information or advice about this vacuum would be most welcome! Thank You for taking the time to read my post!

 

[thevacomaticiec]

Could very well be motor change  before you  got  it  it should  go up in rpm  yes and more suction    .Yeah looks like you needa  new switch and 2 speed motor  for it  id check  on ebay fora  2 speed ameteck motor  Any one wana chime in???????

 

[luxlife]

The burnt switch is probably a result of the loose cord. Whatever pulled the cord loose probably also pulled the wires loose from their connections and created a short. I don’t remember the wiring diagram for that model, but I thought it was complicated. If you can secure a new cord with the strain relief in place and wire it correctly to a new switch, it might solve the problem. It’s worth a try because you’re going to need a new cord and switch anyway. Someone more knowledgeable than me about 2 speed wiring might see this post and chime in.

 

[thevacomaticiec]

for one speed tristar 2 speed should be similar cant find 2

<a style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;" name="start_34836.376012"></a>






<div style="margin-top: 37px;">Here's a simple way to remember one speed canister vacuum wiring.

There are two leads from motor. Two from cord. Two from switch. Two from power nozzle receptacle.

Connect in this order:
One cord to One motor and One receptacle

One cord to one switch

One motor to one receptacle to one switch

In the end, there should be three wire nuts holding the eight leads in the above connections.</div>

 

[gvox]

First, I want to thank everyone for helping me out. I really appreciate it.

Here's what I'm guessing without opening the machine yet. Which I will do to confirm. I'm betting the switch and or motor shorted. An owner somewhere along the line took it for repair, the guy priced a two speed motor, but told the owner he could just put a one speed motor in it for less, and bypass the high low switch. It was an old vacuum so the owner agreed.

Just a wild guess at this point. Once I open it I'll see if it's a four wire two-speed motor and determine if the switch is even connected anymore.

It kind of sucks because it seemed like a good deal if it was just a power cord problem, but if I have to buy a new 2 speed motor and switch (if it's fried) then I'll be in the canister alone for almost $200. You win some and you lose some.

The weird thing is the switch itself looks pristine. The burn marks are around it. Maybe, I'll luck up and the switch will still be good, just bypassed. I don't know.

Are the four wire Chinese replacement motors any good? Prices for those are $130 to $181 (some guy is dreaming on eBay). Unless he can tell me what makes his motor better than the others I'm looking at. Recommendations are very welcome!

Does that sound about right?

 

[thevacomaticiec]

Do not buy any thing other than 2 speed tristar motor the rest is crap ameteck only  will last a life time

 

[gvox]

Just to be sure. Is this the motor that should be in the vacuum.

https://www.amazon.com/Ametek-Motors-117556-00-Motor-Speed-Filter/dp/B01ER6S7L6

#117556-00

 

[thevacomaticiec]

Yes sir looks like  it  to me  but try ebay better price  

 

[luxlife]

Don’t forget to fix the cord.

The strain guard is worn on your cord, so you might want to consider replacing the whole cord, unless you’re comfortable trying to repair it from the inside.

 

[dysonman1]

There were two different two-speed motors used in red Tri-Star machines. You'll have to open it up to see. Some use the five wire Ametek motor (just like a 2 speed Filter Queen in the mid 1980's). Then, Tri-Star changed to a four-wire motor and different two-speed switch. Again, you'll have to remove three screws to open it up and see. Will be interesting what you find. Motors have dates on them, which will be a great clue as to what happened. Also, the 'burn' around the switch is often caused by carbon dust as air from the motor compartment can escape if the switch nut is slightly loose. The black carbon dust discolors the red wrinkle finish paint.

 

[gvox]

Yes I was already planning to repair the power cord. Frankly I was going to restore the vacuum anyway. It's just that the listing said it worked, which it does, and I was hoping all I'd have to do was repair the cord, service the motor, and do some cosmetic work. I was planning to repaint it, IF I can somehow get the silver three star stenciling right on the side. The other chrome bits look good.

Now, it looks like it might be a complete overhaul. New motor, new switch, and cosmetic work. Which will put the complete unit in the $200 range including the purchase price. I have a powerhead for it, but I still need to buy a hose and wand.

This particular vacuum looks easier to service then my Electrolux. So, I'm not bothered by taking it apart, including the motor. My guess (only a guess at this point) is that it has a one speed, two stage motor in place, which perhaps I can sell for a few bucks on ebay.

If I'm REALLY lucky, just the switch is fried and someone along the way just bypassed it, giving the motor one speed only.

Funny story; We've had various modern (new) vacuums over the years. When Dyson came out she started buying those. We've had two or three different models, and each of them gave us a few years each of trouble-free use. Then little things here and there started to break requiring me to repair them. Which I don't mind doing, but it's just a pain when you are using it and have to constantly take the damn thing apart to fix something before you can continue. I just want a vacuum to work like when I was a kid.

When the switch went out after Thanksgiving on our latest Dyson, I told her I was tired of fixing the plastic wonders, and I was going to buy an old Electrolux. She wanted to buy another new machine, instead I bought an Electrolux 1505 Silverado that looks almost new. She's happy with it.

I went ahead and replaced the switch on the Dyson. But I still hate it. Something fiddly is always going wrong with them.

When I told her I wanted an old TriStar because I liked the style, and have read good things about them. She said we have enough vacuums and I didn't need any more projects. ...I bought it anyway, and put it in the garage. Just like when I buy a new firearm, I have to ease her into it. LOL.

I say all that because I'm currently involved in another major project, which I need to finish so I'm not going to be able to dig into the TriStar ...this week.

QUESTION: Does anyone have a good source for a correct (white) cord replacement? I can improvise something, but I'd really like to return the machine to original condition. I can't seem to find the correct (white) cord AND the strain relief.

 

[kirbylux77]

Ed

I would restore the vacuum, but unless you really have a need for the high/low speed function, I would leave it alone.

These 4 and 5 wire Ametek 2 speed motors do work well and last a long time, but with one HUGE FLAW....the reason they need replacement is the speed that's used most often stops working first. Since most people use their vacuum in high speed on carpets and bare floors, that's the speed that stops working first. Then you are stuck with using the vacuum in low speed only, and the low speed is usually only good for furniture cleaning and dusting, so they have to take the motor in for replacement. That's the whole reason why you see circuit boards in vacuums with variable speed control, they allow the use of single speed 2 wire motors that are much more reliable.

The other reason not to use a 2 speed motor is there is no way to upgrade to a more powerful motor in the future if desired. Those Ametek 4 and 5 wire motors pull about 90" waterlift, and while that was good for the 80s and 90s when these vacuums were made, new vacuums now have motors that produce at least 100" waterlift. If you do want to upgrade the performance in the future, there are 3 motors available that will fit and work perfectly in your TriStar. The first is a double stage Electro Motor motor, this is the motor used in the TriStar EXL, that pulls 100" waterlift. The second motor is a upgraded double stage version of this Electro Motor motor that pulls 116" waterlift, this motor will literally turnn your TriStar into a portable central vac. The third motor is a double stage Ametek motor from the Numatic Henry canisters that will pull 110" waterlift. All 3 of these motors will fit in the rubber motor mount and they are the same size as the motor you have now.

I wouldn't worry about needing to reduce the suction for carpet or bare floors. If you use the TriStar powerhead or a floor brush, the powerhead has a sliding suction relief valve on it and most floor brushes are designed to allow air to flow through them and not stick to the floor, so that's not a worry. If you do need a way to reduce suction for dusting and other jobs, what you could do is buy a straight suction hose off Ebay, take it into a vac shop, have them take the hose handle off and put a rubber hose cuff on and generic metal hose handle with a bleeder valve to reduce suction. This solution will be much more simple and reliable in the end, which is what you want right? Also, to make the vacuum's suction last longer and improve filtration, I would open up and line the cloth support bag with a Kenmore Q/C HEPA Cloth bag. The TriStar single ply paper bags do clog quickly, reducing suction fast, and leak lots of dust. The Kenmore bags solve both these issues and can be bought in bulk generic bag packs dirt cheap on Amazon, Ebay and AliExpress. Just simply cut the bag open closest to the cardboard collar, rip the cardboard collar off, and then line the cloth support bag with it.

Best of luck with the restoration Ed. You found a really good, high performance vacuum that's a favorite amongst collectors. Happy Vacuuming .

Rob

 

[gvox]

Two different two speed motors....how can I tell which one?

From what I've read on this forum, TriStar's are dated by the first two digits in their serial number. So if that's true, mine (87) is from 1987. Which two speed motor would this have come with?

As I expected. The switch isn't hooked up. It doesn't look fried. There just aren't any wires going into it.

The motor is a LAMB AMETEK 116146-00 rated for 9.5 amps. It has what I think is a date code underneath the motor on the tag in the upper right hand corner. It reads 02-00.

So I'm guessing it was manufactured in February of 200O, and this motor replaced the original two speed motor sometime after that.

The motor looks good, and functions. Any idea about what a fair asking price for it would be?

I think the original motor was rated at 7.5 Amps on low and 10 amps on high. I kind of want to return the unit to its original specs. Despite the fact that I'm only gaining .5 amps on high. What do you guys think? Is it worth doing?

Again, thanks for any advice and recommendations.

(Had to upgrade membership to edit this post: The above comment was added while I was typing this one. Thank you for the information)

Do you think it would be worth upgrading this unit and just forgetting about the switch?

Heck, go big or go home, The 116" water lift Electro Motor sounds interesting, do you happen to know the model number?


[this post was last edited: 1/18/2022-12:54]

 

[thevacomaticiec]

Could be a bad switch   so yes open her up  3  screws  .2 in each wheel and one bellow  bag door clamp and open it  .If you plan on period correct restoration ebay  for hose wants  tools  is you  best bet but be prepaired to $$  for the golden tools and period correct parsts .But  id think your best bet is replace cord and   test swith.

 

[kirbylux77]

Ed, I would just leave the motor in there for the time being. The only thing I would suggest is, since the motor is now 21 years old and you have no idea of how often the previous owner used the vacuum, it would be wise to invest in a armature seating stone and to install a new set of carbon brushes. Once the brushes get too short, the metal holder can get close enough to the armature and cause irreversible damage. This will prevent that, clean up your armature and insure your motor lasts and is reliable for many years to come.

As for how much amps your original motor in this vacuum would have drawn - first of all, know that the next TriStar CXL single speed model used the Ametek 116311 motor which drew 7.5 amps. Both this motor and the 2 speed Ametek motor TriStar used would have both pulled 90" waterlift on their highest speed. So when you say you want to return the vacuum to original specs, don't worry about the amp draw! Amps only tell you how much power the motor uses, it is NOT a direct correlation to how much waterlift and airflow the motor produces or how efficiently therefore it is using that energy. As long as the vacuum is producing 90" waterlift with that motor, just worry about that and be happy if it is.

Now, as to whether you should replace it with a new one and sell your current motor? Don't bother trying to sell yours. Used motors generally don't sell for much. Also, try your vacuum out first with the current motor....depending on the surfaces cleaned daily and the type of dirt you pick up in your home, the current motor may be more than sufficient for your needs. Also, if you use the Kenmore bags I suggested, that will help A LOT, as part of determining whether the motor produces enough suction and airflow for your needs is how well the vacuum maintains it's suction and airflow. If it does that well, you don't need to get a higher powered motor to compensate. So since the Kenmore cloth bags will allow the vacuum to perform better longer, that may be beneficial to you.

I will send you links by email tonight to the 3 motors I mentioned in case you do decide to upgrade. And btw you are more than welcome for the advice I gave above.

Rob

 

[gvox]

Thanks Rob...and to everyone else!

I will consider what you've said and maybe hold off on the motor, but I do want to know what options I have for down the road. I will look for your email tonight.