Need help to change Kirby Sanitrnic VII bearings.

[nali]

Hello here.
I'm a proud owner of a Kirby Sanitronic VII since a few days.
My goal is to fully polish it and use it as my regular vacuum.
I almost have old stuff

I think I need your help.
First note I'm not a newby about mechanic, it's my job.
So I also take care with old things ..

Here's the problem :
The bearing are quite noisy, so I suppose they are dead. Since the Kirby is dismantled now for polishing, I might as well changing them.

The problem is I'm not sure how to change them. I have to remove the rotor, and the turbine I suppose.
Is there anything special about this ?
I usually heat the casting and use a puller, but I prefer to take care and ask before.
I also could not find any decent schematic about the inside, this will help.

Any advice ?
Thanks a lot.

 

[repairman]

I'm not an expert, but....

I would not heat the armature, if you have a puller, then that is it. You also have to take off the fan which is reverse threaded. If there is a metal fan, it is all one piece with no other washers. The plastic and lexan fans have more parts and you have to unscrew the spindle itself. You put a rod or small screwdriver in the hole on the shaft when you have the back housing off which will let you take off the fan after the fan casing is removed as well.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on anything.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

nali

These two videos by ChicagoMike could help you:

1


2


Good luck!

~Ben

 

[chicagomike]

Good job Ben!! The videos will definitely help - and if they do not help Nali look at some of my other videos as they will show how to take the S7 apart, the videos I have are not the specifically the S7 model but generally they are all the same. Some day I will make a video taking apart and re-assembling every Kirby model there is...

P.S., heat does not hurt a darn thing especially since you are going to install new bearings. And you might need heat to get some things apart.

 

[chicagomike]

P.S., the only place you really need a puller is for the rear bearing. And honestly, if you don't have a tool that fits the small bearing to remove it, cut it off as you are installing a new bearing anyways so who cares if you destroy the rear bearing - just be careful not to damage the armature shaft.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

chicagomike

Mike,

Thank you for the shout-out!

~Ben

 

[nali]

Thanks a lot !
Now I understand why there's a hole in the shaft
Mine has a metallic impeller, so I just have to unscrew it (in the correct direction .. ).
I didn't try yet. I hate unscrewing impellers ! There's always a risk to break it.

KirbyClassicIII : nice YT channel ! I've been looking for one like this for a few days without success.

Excepted the shaft / impeller / rotor, it's in parts for now and I started polishing it. Using my brand new drill, of course

Philippe.

 

[nali]

I first understood the impeller itself had to be unscrewed.
In fact, it's the whole front shaft assembly.
There's a hole in the front shaft, but also anther one on the rotor inside the casting.
This video show it perfectly :


It's done now and was very easy. Picture for future readers.

 

[repairman]

The hole on the armature is the one I was telling you about before because I assumed you were going to unscrew it by hand.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

nali

That drill I see looks very vintage to me! It appears to be an early 1960s Black & Decker unit (coincidentally as old as your Kirby)! I have a B&D unit myself, a 1994 model 7190:


~Ben

 

[nali]

My B&D seems to be from 1958.
I also have a Lesto / Bosch jigsaw from the same period, which is brand new and unused because the first owner has broken the mechanism to fix the blade as soon as he got it out of the box

 

[tolivac]

Nice Bosch jigsaw-remember one of these at the tool repair place.These were better made than the current models.Worth fixing up!

 

[nali]

Well built yes.
All metal inside, and roller bearings.
No cheap plastic.

 

[nali]

We all love pix.
Kirby has been polished and I took care about him.
I didn t change the bearing cause lazzy
So just used 2 stroke oil engine to lubrificate.
Thanks for the help.

Would change for a 1930 outboard.
Montréal.