Rainbow Powerhead Bearings..??

[vintagekitchen]

Ok guys, I replaced the 3 main motor bearings in my Rainbow D4, and love love love it! It was good before, now it is great. So much quieter and stronger. But I'm wondering, what about the bearing in the powerhead motor? I cannot find a source for them online anywhere. Has anyone else replaced this little bearing? seems a shame to replace the powerhead motor when its in such good shape, just due to bearing age...

 

[gsheen]

Yep we have done it a few times , I just go to my local bearing shop and get new ones . I think they are a 626rs. I alway use rs instead of the zz because of better dust seal

 

[kirbyduh]

Kevin...

Try going to ABC vacuum in Glasgow. They could probably hook you up. A man and his wife run it and they're super nice. I've been able to get just about any vacuum part I ever needed there. (Make sure you tell him you're a collector)
P.S. I live in Metcalfe County, so we aren't very far apart!

 

[scvacuumguy]

Just a quick word of advice from a vac store owner. Trying to replace the bearing on a PN motor is a pain. 7 times out of 10, you will end up ruining the motor. Normally, when the bearing goes bad on a PN motor for a Rainbow, it is the best use of resources to just replace the motor.

 

[gsheen]

That's true to a point , As scvacuum guy says you can damage them especially if you do not have the right equipment , bearing pullers wont do . We use a Pneumatic press with special plates that I had made to remove the bearing and on some brush bar motors the cooling fan.


 


However he is right if the bearing is already gone its not worth it , It would have damaged the com and armiture badly, however if they are just loud and dry then we do them. 


What I would suggest you do though is find out what a new motor costs. here in SA they are very expensive but it mght be worth your while to just replace.


 


what I did find out though is that some of the LG bagless upright vacuums use the same motor to drive there brush roll, Identical just plug and play.


 


In SA the market is much smaller so things get expensive so we learn how to fix them.


 


If my vac store was in the USA in one of the bigger city's I probably would just replace the motor.


Its more effective and you won't have a comeback as a shop owner.


 


Gareth 

 

[vintagekitchen]

well, the motor is still good, the bearing is just getting dry, and making a bit of noise. I know I could replace it with either a rainbow motor, or a eureka one, but I hate to toss something repairable . Are the bearings really that hard to change? The main motor bearings were some of the easiest work I have ever done.