Kirby 561 Resto

[biggreen]

Newby here , Just got a Kirby 561. Its complete but needs some love . Id like to restore and use it . Whats my best option for a Bag ? Do I buy the black shakout I see available or do I search for an OEM bag ? or is there an upgrade that may make more user friendly. Wheres the best place to buy parts? Id like to avoid cheap counterfeits. Cant wait to get started !! Thanks

 

[biggreen]

Check the original sticker still there...

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Ken,

eBay is always the place to go to for older parts. If you are interested in keeping this vac in collectible status, you should find an old speckled Kirby bag with the round Kirby logo on it.

~Ben

 

[vacuser]

kirby bag

the black ones you see on ebay are cheap & thin. do not buy these. i speak from experience. ask around & you can find an original bag no doubt or one that has the good thick cloth from the kirby company.

 

[eurekastar]

OEM Bags

The black bags seen on Ebay and elsewhere are, in fact, made by Kirby. For whatever reason, Kiby does not put a manufacturer's marque on them. Order a replacement from a Kirby Service Center and that's what you'll get. Pictured is a Model 517 restoration I did with one of the bags.

Also, I've washed many used bags with good results when they weren't too worn. I turn them inside out and vacuum them to remove as much debris as I can. Then I rinse them in cold water. After that, I wash them in cold water on the gentle cycle using woolite and hand them out to dry.

 

[eurekastar]

By the way

The Kirby in my avatar is an all original Model 560 that I restored a few years ago. The 560 and 561 are almost identical. The only exception is a slight difference in the belt lifter.

 

[bikerray]

561 was the last year for the open top shake out bag current Kirby part #190062.

The next year model 562 used the bag with the Sani-pocket (where you could hide your snacks while vacuuming).

If you do go on ebay Kirbyneeds (located in Utah) is a Kirby dealer and has the bags in his ebay store Kirbyfans.

I just go through my friendly local Kirby repair shop they can order them from Kirby.

If you need a new belt or brush roll, it takes the older softer belt, don't use the newer knurled belt.
Belt #159056
Brush roll #1525

 

[biggreen]

Thanks you all so much

 

[bnsd60m9200]

are you wanting to just clean up what you have, or restore it to all original? that makes a GIANT difference where you obtain parts from.

Will Hemb

 

[biggreen]

Hi Will,
I want to restore it, but I am going to use it as well. At this point I have begun disassembly and I plan to polish all aluminium and reassemble with as many OEM parts as I can find. I would settle for a regular bag but would at some point like to find the correct one that I could set aside. Thanks for your interest. Ken

 

[eurekastar]

Painting Trim

Unfortunately, Kirby no longer sells red trim. However, you can use plastic/vinyl paint on it with every good results. It's also very durable. If you'd like to know more about how to do it, please let me know.

 

[biggreen]

Where would I find the correct rivets that hold the bumpers on ?

 

[eurekastar]

Rivets

The factory rivets are a special type called a tubular rivet. It requires a special riveter. I just used regular pop rivets.

 

[biggreen]

Eurekastar, Thanks for the info on the rivets, Id like to hear about the bumper painting process. the Picture of your Kirby is certainly a benchmark. Today I will be completing the disassembly and begin the wet sanding/ polishing of the aluminium.Ive done my share of this as Ive restored a few motorcycles. Thanks, Ken

 

[biggreen]

How hard is it to replace the bearings in this ? Do I need ant special tools ?? thanks ken

 

[eurekastar]

The front bearing comes already attached to its mounting plate. That plate his held on by four screws. You can gain access to the screws once you have the fan off. The rear bearing requires a special bearing puller in order to get the bearing off the armature. Those pullers are made by Kirby. The puller is definitely worth the investment if you plan to service a Kirby yourself. They all will need the same tool for the rear bearing. When you replace the rear bearing, you'll see something in there called a finger spring. You can replace it too or simply "respring" it by bending the fingers back out. Hope this helps! I always have a lot of fun rebuilding Kirby vacuums.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bearing-Pul...181389919165?pt=US_Vacuum&hash=item2a3bae83bd

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bearing-Pul...181389919165?pt=US_Vacuum&hash=item2a3bae83bd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kirby-516-1...181320163723?pt=US_Vacuum&hash=item2a3786218b

 

[biggreen]

Finally got to this 561

Diggin my fixed up 561 !! Great fun rebuilding ! now I just need the correct Bag...

 

[miskini]

I think

The black bag looks pretty good.

 

[human]

Beautiful restoration.