Removing Kirby Fan

[kloveland]

I am trying to remove the fan from my Kirby Classic III to access the front bearing. I inserted a nail into the little hole of the pulley to try to loosen it. THe fan is on tight, I can't get it off. Any suggestions on removing the fan and replacing the front bearing?

 

[vacuumkid3]

"Lefty tighty, righty loosey" is the case here. Are you turning the fan clockwise? If you have the nail inserted in the hole behind the cooling fan, then just try as hard as you can turning the vacuum fan clockwise. Good luck, and I hope this helps! (I just got through taking off the fan to my Kirby 519 yesterday!)

~~K~~

 

[charles~richard]

Are the fan blades metal or plastic? I don't know when Kirby made the switch but I do know that for the past at least 10-12 years or so, replacement fans for older models are only available in plastic. And removing them is a different procedure hecause the fan and belt shaft are two pieces. What you have to loosen is not the fan but the shaft. The 509 that I just started on has a plastic fan, which should not have surprised me since it was a rebuild, but it did.

 

[kloveland]

The fan is metal. I did not know about the hole behind the cooling fan I will try that.

 

[vacuumkid3]

Kenny,

That was the same mistake I made my first time, as there is that hole where the belt pulley is. You should find that the pulley and fan come off together. You'll get the hang of it!

~~K~~

 

[kloveland]

I got the fan off. I inserted a screwdriver into the cooling fan and turned the fan it came right off.

I realized that in order to replace the front bearing I would have to take the entire motor apart. I sprayed some spray lubrication in front of the bearing. I sealed the fan chamber with sealant and put the Kirby back together. It runs a lot quieter with no loud bearing noise as it did before. I can still hear the noise when I shut it off.

Thanks for the help. I made the mistake of trying to take the fan off like a plastic fan.

 

[kirbysthebest]

I believe the Tradition was the first to use the 11 blade Lexan fan. Prior to that Kirby used a 10 blade aluminum fan.