You asked about that Kirby 515?
It is one of the very favorites of my collection and a highly appreciated birthday present from a dear friend last year. The 515 came to me beautiful and looking like new, fresh from a professional metal polisher's workshop. Now, thanks in part to Bill (a007Kirbyman) for the elusive paper field baffle, it is complete, correct and like new on the insides as well.
Yes, I know the bag is not original, but it is a very nice genuine Kirby replacement.
Here's what I've done to the 515 in the past couple of weeks:
1) Full tear down, detail cleaning and lubrication
2) De-bur edges of fan blades - Otherwise the original fan is in excellent condition.
3) Replace front and rear bearings
4) Resurface commutator and replace carbon brushes
5) Replace brushroll & rug guard gasket
6) Install four matching gray plastic wheels. I've seen the black rubber wheels and the gray plastic on different 515s. Very confusing. I have 4 gray wheels, but only 2 spare blacks . . . decision made.
7) Visor trimmed with my last red NOS replacement
8) Switch the perfect belt lifter from the power polisher to the rug nozzle and vice versa with the less perfect lifter originally on the rug nozzle.
First comes a photo essay of the replacement of the field coil baffle, followed by some serious beefcake!
