Kirby 515 Light Cap Changes???

[kirbyclassiciii]

My Kirby 515's light cap, for some reason, does not have the right light socket that would be held in with two screws, but rather the angled one used on models 516 to Classic 1CR (to be more specific, this particular light socket is the all-metal one used on models 516 to 560) that has only one screw keeping it in.

If I am seeing the inside of the cap right, the original 2C-515 square-bodied light socket will not work due to the angled provisions you see here.

I wonder if Kirby changed the light socket sometime during the 513-514-515 run?

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/26/2021-22:51]

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

And My 505's Light Socket, to Compare

Here, again, is the inside of my 505's light cap to compare... again, not the original one due to the red bumper. This makes me wonder if my 515's light cap is in fact an aftermarket casting with the angled provision for the 516-1CR light socket?

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

The

Light socket I believe ran through 512. I have a 514 and 515 and I'm pretty sure they have the later bulb. Im guessing they knew 523 would change the motor mid run but the socket like 505 was on 3 amp motors.

 

[vacmadman]

515 light socket

Ben,

My 515 has the same one screw angled round light socket. I thought the 505 was the last to use the square light socket. My 508 pictured has the two screw round light socket. My 514 also has the same two screw round light socket set up.

Jim

 

[hoover300]

No idea on the 515

But very early 508s had the 505 style socket. First 508 in this thread: https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?19929

 

[vacmadman]

508 light socket

Kieran,

Thanks for sharing this. I'm not surprised the early 508's had the square socket, Kirby would use parts left over from previous models from time to time, or make changes mid stream in production. That's another reason why it can be so challenging to determine what was original, and what was not on Kirby's.

Jim

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

VacMadMan

Jim,

I do believe you are right about the 508 switching from the square-bodied light socket at mid-year.

I did find the 514 used the same angled and metal light socket with one screw, but the 514 also still had the left-handed locking clip with the two #8 screws.

Thom Stepien's (kirbycollector) 514 (look at 0:02) has the angled socket:

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

If I remember

I'll look at my exploded diagrams. It tells you what everything came with.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

LesinUtah

Les,

That they do, but none of mine make mention of the left-handed locking clip that was used on models 514 and earlier.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

My Other 515

Hi Jim,

Here's the inside of the light cap of my second 515 that I got this year.

The left-hand locking clip is still intact, as is the provision for the original horizontal-mount light socket, but, this 515 has the usual angled socket with only one #6 screw holding it in. Therefore, I am starting to wonder if this cap casting was in fact a replacement for the original one (that my first 515 has)?

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/29/2022-19:13]

 

[hoover300]

My original early 515 with rubber wheels doesn’t have the clip, I think they were using leftover 514 parts when making some of these.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Hoover300

Kieran,

Thank you for the heads-up; I believe the version of the casting w/o the clip is the later one, though (again, because of what you mention about leftover parts from the previous model), and I think that turned up at the same time the other changes for it came about (gray wheels, red tools) when Kirby was just announcing the all-new 516.

Therefore, my older 515's original light cap casting was replaced later on, because this machine (and my newer 515) also had the black wheels originally.

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/29/2022-21:11]

 

[vacmadman]

515 light cap

Ben,

Here's a picture of my 515 light cap with the angled single hole mount with no clip lock, it's set up the same as your first 515.

 

[vacmadman]

My 515 before and after

This is what my 515 looked like when it first arrived, and what it looks like now with original 515 bag and the first smooth finish Dupont plastic wheels. I have also found an original 515 cord for it not pictured.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

VacMadMan

Jim,

I would guess then the one on my second 515 (serial no. 255163-WS) had its replaced. This would therefore mean all 515s in fact had the version of the light cap my first 515 (serial no. 101591-WS) has. Thank you!

~Ben