My Kirby 505 from KirbyCollector!

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kirbyclassiciii

Well-known member
Platinum Member
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Mar 18, 2009
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5,339
Location
Milwaukie, Oregon
Hi everybody,

My Kirby 505 from Thom (KirbyCollector) has finally arrived!

Also included are some screw size comparison pictures with similarly-sized screws from my Dual Sanitronic 80, Classic Omega 1CB, Classic III 2CB and Heritage 84, to help you know which of those size screws will work when replacement of these older screws is needed.

~Ben

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Nice

Ben,

Nice.... I'll be interested to see the finished product. I want to apologize for not getting back to you about the screw sizes. seeing this post made me remember...I dropped the ball sorry again.

Jim

Is that the washers I see on the back wheel?
 
VacMadMan

Jim,

No, no wheel washers included here.

And I would definitely appreciate it if you could please get back to me about the screw sizes on your machines, that way, I can see whether or not yours also has the odd coarse-threaded screw for the rear shaft and #8 screws for the headlight cap clips.

It would also help identify whether or not any of the screws I took off of my other machines are wrong.

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/9/2021-18:14]
 
Ben

The axles 505-512 with wheel extenders when wheel bounces that's going to flex the pivot point of the screw making it week. I'd use heritage black wheels.
Do you have black wheels bag, cord etc.
Glad to see you got a 505 the walking Kirby parts number encyclopedia gets a super rare 505.
I may be having a super rare vacuum to unleash to the public, we shall see. If you need parts or have questions I have a 3c vacuum, 4c floor polisher, a 505 belt cap version rebuilt 505, 2 508's 2 509s and 4 510s and parts to boot.
I'm just trying to help as the axles with screws flex.
 
505 srews

Ben,

Here is a picture of the 505 screws you asked about. the top two are the hood cap light clip, and cap clip screws. The middle one is the rear axle screw and the bottom one is the front axle tab screw.

I hope this helps.

Jim

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VacMadMan

Jim,

Thank you very much! It looks like Kirby was using coarse thread screws for both the rear axle and the headlight cap!

On my 505, I also checked out the two smaller right screws inside the cap that hold the socket in, and they are also fine threaded screws (not coarse threads as yours) and exactly the same length as for the front axle clamps.

Kirby continued using that particular rear axle screw up to the Dual Sanitronic 80 and for a few years after that in the American Lincoln Super Sweep, although it was no longer with coarse threads.

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/10/2021-20:03]
 
VacMadMan, LesinUtah

Jim, and Les,

For fun I tried to test my #6 rear shaft screw from my 1979 Tradition 3CB (which is 5/8" in length) in the rear shaft screw holes of my 505 and Dual Sanitronic 80 motor housings, and of course it didn't fit: in the case of the former it did not fit at all due to the original housing using coarse threads (in 24ths), while in the latter case (see attached pictures) although I was able to screw it in, in the end it was 1/8" too long.

In both cases, the length of the #6 screw used to hold down the rear shaft originally would have been not longer than 1/2", but 3/8" length screws also work.

Because the rear shaft screw in my 505 had coarse threads, I now want to ask: when did Kirby switch from using coarse thread (in 24ths) screws to fine thread (in 32ndths) screws?

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/11/2021-01:31]

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When

They went from 13" ds80 to classic cr1?
My guess is above as the body using the wheel brackets.
 
LesinUtah

Les,

Kirby replaced the Dual Sanitronic 80 with the Classic 1CR in February 1970 (production started about December 1969).

That 5/8" screw was first used on the 1CR, however the shorter 3/8" screw for the light socket was unchanged. They did change the rear shaft in that there were no screw holes on either side, meaning all you do is slap on the two back wheels (one on each side) and then use two 5/8" screws once you have the shaft and wheels mounted.

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/12/2021-03:36]
 
VacMadMan, LesinUtah

Jim, and Les,

More screw size comparison pictures, this time on graph paper for easier measurement (markings included). Hopefully, this will clear up the screw length conundrums once and for all.

In order:
Picture 1: all my 505's #6 screws, and the #8 screw for the light cap's left hand clip.

Picture 2: my 505 light cap's left-hand clip screw, plus all my Dual Sanitronic 80's equivalent three screws.

I also added the model number and application these screws are for. For models C to 4C and 505 to 516, the same #6 screw (3/8" length) was used for both the light socket clip and the front axle clips, so in the case of the latter I included the axle clip itself to further designate what the other identical screw is for (while the 516 was all new, it was also the only machine in the new design to carry over the #6 screws for the front axle clamps; model 517 switched to using #8 screws for the two clamps).

Additionally, the headlight cap for models 2C to 515 also used two #8 screws for the left-hand clip inside the cap.

Here, again, are the approximate lengths of the screws I measured on the graph paper:

For model 505 (in order of markings on the paper):
#8 screw for light cap's left-hand clip: 3/8"
#6 screw for light cap's socket clip (right hand): 3/8"
#6 screw for front axle clamps: 3/8"
#6 screw for rear axle: 9/16"

For model Dual Sanitronic 80 (D80) (in order of markings on the paper):
#8 screw for front axle clamps: 5/16"
#6 screw for light cap's light socket: 5/16"
#6 screw for rear axle: 3/8"

~Ben[this post was last edited: 6/15/2021-19:23]

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My 515 Rear Wheel Screw (for VacMadMan)

Jim,

I removed the 515's rear wheel screw (at left in the attached picture), and when I measured it against a similar size screw (at right) from my 1979 Tradition 3CB's headlight lens, I found it measured the exact same 3/8" length!

So, Kirby did update the rear wheel screw from being 1/2" in length with coarse threads to 3/8" in length with fine threads, but as to what model exactly marked this change, I don't know yet (I think it was model 509).

~Ben

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508

I have pics of a 508 that will blow your mind. I found them on Pinterest or Google I don't recall. I do know the vacuum is owned by Adambombs aka Adam mercer.
It's bag is exactly like the 505 it looks like it's duvetyne. It has the same shape but it's white. Idk if it's a prototype but it's sweet. I just found the pics in my archive of vacuum pics.
I hope Adam won't care I don't know him personally but I know he is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Enjoy the pics.

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