repairman
Well-known member
I replaced the neutral pedal and actuator bracket and the machine constantly makes a rattling/clicking sound regardless of if the machine is in neutral or drive. Do I need to get a new transmission?
Kirby G7 Clicking
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human
Well-known member
My G5 has done that for as long as I've had it but other than the noise, it works just fine. I don't think there's much you can do about it as the transmission isn't really designed to be serviced. At some point, the transmission may give up the ghost. All things do wear out, after all.
If the cam on the drive/neutral lever is either loose, misadjusted, or worn, this can happen. I’m this case, the vacuum will still click in neutral even after replacing the cam lever. The solution is to replace the drive/neutral lever.
vacuumdevil
Well-known member
As the men stated above change the drive pedal assembly. Here's a video to show you what that entails.
I reply here before actually seeing vacuumdevil's video. Perhaps what I am about to say is in the video, making this redundant. If so, I'm sorry for wasting your time. If not, this might add some useful info to supplement my earlier reply.
If you take the tech drive assembly out of your Kirby, you will see that there is an axle onto which the two rear wheels attach. This axle can be removed if you take off the tech drive D/N lever (1 screw underneath the transmission) followed by the two axle mounts (1 on each side, each attached with 1 screw).
On this axle, you will see a number of elements. Notice that there is one large gear (blue arrow) and a piece just beside it (red arrow) with a "castle" shape. The large gear is always driven by the transmission and never disengages from it. You will find that this piece is free to spin on the axle. However, the element with the "castle" shape next to it is constrained to the axle such that it cannot rotate with respect to the axle but CAN slide along it. This piece slides up to the large gear when the vacuum is set to "D" and its "castle" pattern mates up with a complementary pattern on the large gear. Therefore, when the two elements are locked together, the vacuum can self-propel. Pressing the vacuum into "N" makes the "castle" piece slide away, and the two pieces disconnect, allowing the vacuum to freewheel.
The clicking noise occurs if the two pieces I discussed above do not fully separate when the vacuum is set to "N." One common cause of this is a worn cam lever, which you replaced. The other cause is a messed up D/N pedal. If replacing the cam lever doesn't solve the problem, then replacing the D/N pedal likely will.
However, even if you continue to use the vacuum with the clicking sound, you will not will not damage the transmission. Rather, only the two aforementioned (and separately replaceable) pieces could slowly wear down.
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kirby-Rear...Gear-Assy-G3-thru-Avalir-555211-/183243131055
If you take the tech drive assembly out of your Kirby, you will see that there is an axle onto which the two rear wheels attach. This axle can be removed if you take off the tech drive D/N lever (1 screw underneath the transmission) followed by the two axle mounts (1 on each side, each attached with 1 screw).
On this axle, you will see a number of elements. Notice that there is one large gear (blue arrow) and a piece just beside it (red arrow) with a "castle" shape. The large gear is always driven by the transmission and never disengages from it. You will find that this piece is free to spin on the axle. However, the element with the "castle" shape next to it is constrained to the axle such that it cannot rotate with respect to the axle but CAN slide along it. This piece slides up to the large gear when the vacuum is set to "D" and its "castle" pattern mates up with a complementary pattern on the large gear. Therefore, when the two elements are locked together, the vacuum can self-propel. Pressing the vacuum into "N" makes the "castle" piece slide away, and the two pieces disconnect, allowing the vacuum to freewheel.
The clicking noise occurs if the two pieces I discussed above do not fully separate when the vacuum is set to "N." One common cause of this is a worn cam lever, which you replaced. The other cause is a messed up D/N pedal. If replacing the cam lever doesn't solve the problem, then replacing the D/N pedal likely will.
However, even if you continue to use the vacuum with the clicking sound, you will not will not damage the transmission. Rather, only the two aforementioned (and separately replaceable) pieces could slowly wear down.
Good luck.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kirby-Rear...Gear-Assy-G3-thru-Avalir-555211-/183243131055
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Well, I should have read your original post more closely. You say that not only does your Kirby make the sound while in drive in addition to neutral, but that you have already replaced the pedal assembly.
I misunderstood your post and assumed that you were having the typical "clicking in neutral with the vacuum off" symptoms. My suggestions were centered around solving this issue. It seems that your vacuum's issues are different and might require something different.
My apologies if my replies were confusing or irrelevant.
I misunderstood your post and assumed that you were having the typical "clicking in neutral with the vacuum off" symptoms. My suggestions were centered around solving this issue. It seems that your vacuum's issues are different and might require something different.
My apologies if my replies were confusing or irrelevant.
On my Sentria, I've decided to disconnect the trans drive belt from the motor altogether and have Tech Drive always in neutral so that I can push it. I'm going to do the same to my Avalir once I'm finished refurbing it. I can handle pushing a Kirby with no sweat and what's more, Tech Drive is a parasitic loss on the motor (albeit small). Both transmissions work but it's just something I don't need.
