Kirby 511 needs TLC

[jbuchanan]

I have my great-grandmother's Kirby 511 (and all its attachments, everything is original) that needs help and hoping to get some advice from the members of the forum. The serial number plate on the bottom of the motor housing says that it was remanufactured in 1968. I was born in 1969 so I don't know anything about it lineage.

In a nutshell, it works, but the beater bar looks like it's not been replaced since it was at the factory and I don't notice that it's actually doing much. I think the belt may need to be replaced because the bar does rotate but I think it slows down when the machine is put on the carpet.

I'm also interested in how to give it the TLC it may need. I don't think i'm going to do much with the attachments but i'd like to get the machine working at its peak if possible.


I powered it up today and noticed that it REALLY has tremendous vacuum compared to my Oreck. But occasionally it is very difficult to push forward because the plate that covers the beater bar seems to "drag"... Pulling the vacuum back is no problem.


The bag is pretty cruddy looking inside - how would I go about cleaning it? Can I (should I?) wash it in cold water in my front loading washer?

thanks!

 

[kirbyotronic]

The model 511 was produced in 1951.

For replacing the belt, any old Kirby belt would work, just make sure it's not knurled. If the brush roll has short bristles, try adjusting them with the two screws on each end. These brush rolls do pop up, but not very often.

If it's hard to push it might be the brush roll if it has short bristles, when the bristles make contact with the carpet, I guess you could say it adds extra "horsepower"! It makes a big difference.

For cleaning the bag, get a nice clean bucket or tub, use warm water and a little bit of Woolite (any gentle detergent should do the job). Just agitate it with your hand for a little bit, and rinse it (either by soaking it in clean warm water, or just giving it a very gentle spray with the garden hose). Before you wash it make sure the silk screening is not fragile, meaning it doesn't come off of the bag easily.
Hang to dry.

Hope this helps,
~Alex

 

[methodistbill]

belt change

www.govacuum.com has a demonstration video on how to change the belt. It can kind of confusing at first and this video helps. But once you get the hang of it, it's a snap to do. Luckily, Kirby has used the same basic engineering on the belt lifter for decades, so this video should help.

Bill