Kirby Tradition Hose and bumper

[cburger08]

I recently inherited my grandmother's Tradition which was always my favorite vacuum when I was a kid. I cleaned it up, replaced the speed switch, the outer bag, the inner bag hose, and polished it up to a nice shine. It looks almost like new now. It runs like champ and had a rebuild in the early 90s. The blue hose is in pretty good shape all things considered but the metal end is looking a little frowsy. Anyone know if you can polish that up like the aluminum on the main unit? Also, does anyone know how hard it is the replace the bumper on the power nozzle? I know it needs to get popped over the rivets on the back but I don't want to end up breaking up off a rivet.

 

[lesinutah]

Set tool

If you know what a set tool is. Im attaching a pic. You put the set on inside nozzle and use the set tool to pop out the rivets. When you put rivets on use the ones you took off original bumper. Just slide it on and when it's in right position use channel locks or a compression tool to mushroom the rivet back on.

 

[lesinutah]

Bose

The hose get steel wool and it will do most of the work. Sanding is all you can do on inside of the hose. The outer part use light sanding and steel wool. It will take a little bit but not too bad.
Les

 

[vacman1961]

DO NOT remove the rivets from the head on your Kirby. The bumper is designed to be installed and removed without damaging the original rivets. Just heat up the bumper a little with a hair dryer and it will pull right over the head of the rivet. When you get the new bumper soak it in hot water and it will slide right over the head of the rivet.

 

[lesinutah]

Um

Im going to disagree. He said there in bad shape. You do realize heating them up to take them off gives the rubber more likely hood to tear. The way I meantioned doesn't tear anything. I didn't say cut the rivets u pop them out with a finish nail set.
Its easier to pop out rivets put them back on with new trim. You don't have to heat up and the rivets go back in place. You simply compress barely and rivets are back exactly like they were.
If you polish the nozzle the rivets are in the way.
The poster can choose what they want. Its imo easter to uninstall reinstall. You can polish nozzle easier too.
Les

 

[texaskirbyguy]

I have removed and installed many bumpers by using a small amount of heat (hair dryer). Do not over-heat it.
Two small screwdrivers can get it off at both ends (one end at a time), but snap-ring pliers make a real easy job at spreading the warm rubber just enough to slide over the rivet head at install time. The rubber is stronger and more tear resistant than it looks, however overstretching it can bring bad results. A tad of soapy water can help it to slide on as well.

Regardless of what method you use to get the rubber under the rivets, make sure both ends are installed, then heat the whole thing some and stretch the bumper up on and around the nozzle.

 

[lesinutah]

True

You can skin a cat a million ways. If I'm not replacing the bumper I fold it inside out the inside being the backside rivets holding the bumper on.
I don't have snap pliers but it sounds perfect for the job.
Les

 

[cburger08]

Belt lifter lens

Any of you know how hard it is to replace the belt lifter lens on a tradition. I’ve not taken the lifter apart before and wasn’t sure the best way to go about it. I’m guessing it isn’t too hard and looks like it’s just held together with clips.

 

[lesinutah]

No

Rob does. He has a thread on it.
https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?33957_31
Les

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?33957_31

 

[jfalberti]

Ways to skin a cat

At the risk of showing my age, there was an episode of Lost In Space where Dr. Smith was up to something devious, as usual, and he told the robot that there was more than one way to skin a cat. The robot replied "There are exactly 37 ways" to which Dr Smith responded "And I've used them all!"

 

[texaskirbyguy]

A detailed explanation on the Tradition belt lifter disassy is mentioned here:
https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?34091

I liked "Lost in Space" - I used to watch it a lot when I was a young lad...