Kirby help needed!

[kirbyeureka95]

Hey guys so i recently got a heritage 84 (or w/e the first heritage is called) and I'm trying to change the fan. Ive done this about 10 times on my various kirbys and so i thought it wouldn't be a problem. the thing is, i don't see any place in the motor to grip to hold it still while i take the belt shaft off, and when i clamp the fan, the shaft just turns the armature while the fan stays still (its not very lose just enough not to move when i firmly twist). so all that to say...any advice? I've heard of a special tool on here that one of the users sells- should i get one? I've never needed one before. thanks!

 

[twocvbloke]

There were two original Heritage models, the Heritage and the last of the line Heritage84, both identical apart from the latter having "84" all over the place, then came the HeritageII which was a different trim colour and initially had the same large nozzle as the Classic to Heritage84 models...

I had one Kirby with this very problem in the past, and the solution was not pretty, but that one ended up as spare parts rather than being restored, the best way to get the fan off is the fan locking tool which you use on the cooling fan, but if the pulley is jammed on you'll actually damage said cooling fan, so the only way is to remove the back of the motor (the field coil and associated wiring), grip the armature with one hand (wear gloves too, or you'll tear up your knuckles) and grab the pulley with a vice grip tool, and turn like hell until it comes free...

And remember, the pulley unwinds in the direction the motor turns...

 

[kirbyeureka95]

don't you turn the pulley to the right to get it off?

and i already took the rear motor cover/field off and tried gripping the cooling fan, but i dint want to try so hard that way because i didn't want to bend the cooling fan. do you need a special tool to take off the rear bearing? could i grip it there if i took it off?

 

[kirbylover]

If you are on facebook you can join the Vacuum Collector Club group, which I have scans from Heritage II service manual.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.257461267604624&type=1

If not let me know and I can email you some pics.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.257461267604624&type=1

 

[twocvbloke]

"i already took the rear motor cover/field off and tried

It's not the cooling fan you want to grip, it's the armature, the big rotating lump of metal inside of the motor, not just inside the motor shell...

The rear bearing is not the issue here, that will stay on the armature no matter what you try (bar hitting it with a hammer!!!), you need to take the motor FULLY apart, that means removing the carbon brushes, removing the safety switch, taking off the white plastic cover on the back, and revealing the armature, you sick your hand in the back of the motor casing to hold the armature still and then grab the pulley with a vice-grip tool and then turn it the right way...

If you're wanting to remove the rear bearing for replacement, you will need a bearing puller which isn't that cheap:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/180703270283

 

[a007kirbyman]

Hello Michael,

For future reference, you DO NOT need to disassemble the motor, to change a (suction) fan.

You can (obviously) do it that way; however, that's way more time consuming than's necessary. The 'fan tool' just slips in between the 'sections' of the armature windings, on the right side of the bell housing.

If you do still need assistance, feel free to email me. I'm more than willing to help.

[See the link below, reply #3 for add'l info.]

Cheers & hagd/n all,

Bill


In case the link doesn't take you there, here it is as well:

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?14163_4



http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?14163_4