ROYAL 996, bought today at thrift store

[massagemiracle]

Bought this Royal upright for $10 at thrift store today. Don't know much about them
first I have had. Any imput will help! I was told it wasn't very old. Serial is G90025

 

[massagemiracle]

I put a new bag in it, a new belt, and it runs great! Now I need a light bulb!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

6-Blade or 9-Blade Fan?

If this machine was made in July of 1990, then it would use the 9-bladed fan, correct?

Thank you,



Ben Edge

 

[gsheen]

That is truly a beauty 

 

[jmurray01]

To quote a well known John Carpenter movie, if I were there, I would have told them whatever they were asking wasn't enough!

What a beauty...

 

[massagemiracle]

I have no idea about the fan blade count. Thats why I ask for info on it.

 

[mieles7]

Royals are so cool. I have had some trouble locating a lightbulb for my 4000 though.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

To Determine Whether Six or Nine Blades

Ben G.,

To determine whether the fan has six or nine blades, you can either turn it on and listen to the tone and pitch of the vacuum (if you don't feel like removing the Adjust-O-Rite), or you could remove the Adjust-O-Rite and look with a keen eye inside the motor.

If the pitch of the motor is higher than usual, it would have nine blades.

To compare:

Royal with 6-blade fan:


Royal with 9-blade fan:


Yours should sound like the one in the second link.

~Ben Edge

 

[jmurray01]

Light bulb ? Where the heck would that go ?

 

[mieles7]

It's like a kirby, where you lift the part above the nozzle up, but on Royals ints non removable.

 

[blackheart]

A nice find

I think that's the same model i have they are nice machines and really propel themselves due to their brushrolls with stiffeners. If only they made a synthetic bag for these, the bag system is really what limits their power i feel

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Ian,

This machine has a deluxe headlight, so it can be lifted up (the nozzle of course is non-removable) so as to add moth crystals when so needed.

The only three Royals with the removable nozzle were models 888 (Royal), 980 (Electro-Hygiene) and 990 (Galaxie Prestige). All of these disappeared by 1985.

~Ben

 

[eurekastar]

Those are great vacuums. They are light and nimble. And as noted above, the brush stiffeners make it self-propelled. My only suggestion is to use a Kirby belt. They are much easier to get on then a Royal belt.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Yes, This Has 9-Bladed Fan

I was watching the YouTube video Mr. Giltz made of his 996, and it does in fact have the 9-bladed fan. For all those in the know...



~Ben Edge

 

[tolivac]

DON'T use a Kirby belt in a Royal Machine!They will put too much tension on the Royal motor shaft.Use Royal belts instead.Vac dealers and parts shops have Royal belts.

 

[eurekastar]

I'm not positive, but I think it's just the opposite. A Kirby belt doesn't have as much tension and is therefore easier to get on. Royal has started producing its own knurled belt. The new belts are VERY hard to get on. That's why I started using a Kirby belt.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Bill,

I have read that Royal recommends to only use the smooth flat belt 1-044260-001 on the square-end ball-bearing brush rolls when used for the older machines that originally took the sleeve-bearing brush rolls.

~Ben

 

[hibiscus]

Royal 996

Searching for carbon brushes for Royal 996. Any suggestion where to find?

 

[madman]

Measure old brushes and order by size. Much simpler and often cheaper than going by part number. Though you get lucky sometimes. The only Royal I have is from 1940, but the brushes I ordered from McMaster-Carr, part number 126-B. No promises they'll fit your machine, but it's not like Royals have changed much over the decades. Measure your old brushes to be certain!