Question about OLD Hoover 105

[fantomfan]

Hey all,
Some guy just offered me a Hoover 105 which i'd LOVE to own. But, the motor doesn't run. It just makes a buzzing electrical sound (he says.) I already explained to him that there is a limited market for vintage vacuums and also given it's state, it's not worth a whole lot. You can bet your money it's been sitting for years without use. He doesn't have a price in mind. I offered $40 IF I do decide to buy it. Is it possible to fix it? I'm not buying it as a show piece, it must be able to be fixed. I'm asking for help on this because my knowledge is slim to none for this era of vacuum cleaners. - Mitchell

 

[bvac6]

hoover

If I'm right, those old motors had a top ball bearing and a lower sleeve bearing. It may just need a good cleaning and oiling/greasing. Those motors were really tough. I've got two 105's, one of which had a similar issue and after a thorough cleaning and oiling with Blue Label 3 in 1 it took right off. However, the Hoover experts can shed more light on this.

 

[s31463221]

Mitchell

Bvac6 is correct, it is a top ball bearing, and a lower sleeve bearing. I just worked on a 105 a few weeks ago and had that old motor purring with minimal effort! I'd take a look at the bearings, especially that top one since it requires oil to be added on occasion. Next I'd make sure the carbon brushes were of decent length and were touching the commutator. If all that looks good, pull the whole armature out and check it closely to make sure it hasn't sat and "hummed" too long in one spot as that can destroy an armature. These old Hoover "coffee can" motors are super simple to work on....might explain why you see these 75+ year old Hoovers still alive and kicking today!

 

[dysonman1]

The model 105 Hoover does NOT have ball bearings anywhere. It uses two sleeve bearings, which are both fed oil from the top. The first Hoover to use Ball Bearings was the model 700.

There are several reasons a motor could "hum". One is lack of oil, which might mean the bearings need to be reamed first. One is something stuck in the fan chamber. A simple cleaning would be all that's required.

Forty dollars isn't too much for a 1920 Hoover. However, I would not buy it "sight unseen". I would definitely have to see it, and take it apart first before spending the money.

 

[fantomfan]

I think i'm going to go for it!

I'll call him today and see if I can go see it tomorrow. I'll be sure to take a look at the motor before buying it. I'm willing to take a chance given it's an OLD Hoover that i'd love to have in my collection. I'll let you all know how it works out.

 

[dysonman1]

Take a straight screwdriver with you. There are four screws that hold the motor to the base. Take those four out, and make sure nothing is holding the fan. Turn the fan by hand, and if it's hard to turn, then the machine just needs oil.

 

[fantomfan]

I'm going there tomorrow afternoon!

Thank You for the advice. - Mitchell

 

[fantomfan]

I got it....

Well.... he was VERY unreasonable. I thought we agreed to $40 but he apparently did more "research" and thought it was worth even more.. WRONG. Terrible way to do business. I NEVER expect more money than I originally agreed upon. He didn't notice the tape one the cord either. Now for the good news. The fan DID turn a bit, which was a good sign. Sure enough, loads and loads of decades old crap was jamming the fan. VERY nasty. After cleaning it out, the fans turned much better. And now, it works! Sure, it's going to needs some oiling, but it started right up after putting it back together. It's really very simple to take apart. Now i'll need to get some strong wd-40 to take care of the rusted screws on the bottom. I cannot get the plate off to put a new belt on. Also, the brushroll is surprisingly intact with only a couple bristle spots missing. I'm not sure if the bag is original or not, it is certainly a very early bag. The cord may or may not be original but the plug is definitely not. It has a couple small tears on the bag at the dirt intake. I paid $50 ONLY because I didn't want to pass up a 105 HOOVER. Not that I was happy with him though. This thing may have ended up in the trash. I suppose $50 isn't so bad because it DOES work. The front part of the bumper is still there, and I have part of the left side of it as well. Also to my surprise, he also has a Regina Housekeeper Plus in very good condition that I will hopefully be able to buy. I offered $30 and I will NOT go any higher. That is fair for a Housekeeper. I only am willing to deal with him again because I've been waiting to find a Housekeeper for years and this one runs and looks nice. For some reason he thought it was from the 70's. Well, hopefully that works out. Besides that, I'm happy to have such an OLD addition to my collection. It was worth putting up with someone who was severely misguided to get this machine.

 

[fantomfan]

Could anybody..

Post a pic of an all original 105?

 

[bvac6]

Dysonman1

Thanks for correcting me, It had been so long since id been in a 105 I wasn't sure!

 

[bvac6]

Bag

The bag isn't original but its lovely to have anyway! I believe the original bag was a sateen like material with The Hoover written on it, sort of like whats on this 541.

 

[fantomfan]

That's what I thought.

HE was sincere it was the original bag. I almost started to argue with him. That is how misguided he was.

 

[bikerray]

I don't know if this parts list for a 541 would help at all.