tylerhawkins84
Well-known member
Royal tank motor replacement
Yes, replacing the motors on these can be a real unnecessary pain. The first one I did was on a NOS 4150 that I wanted to get the new motor to keep as a spare for my 4700 that used the same motor and then replaced it with a new compatible Lamb motor and sold it. That one came out relatively easy with a little WD-40 sprayed around the rubber seals. Then the motor pretty much just slid out but it had never been used. The only damage I caused was a little scratching to the inside of the canister when trying to slide the bracket that screws in behind the motor to hold it in place back in when I was done. It was such a tight fit going back in for some reason I couldn't hardly get it back in. I decided to put it in the freezer for a few mins to contract the metal a little and sure enough it went in. The second one I did recently was a nightmare! It was a 4650 I wanted to part out because the tool caddy was badly cracked and broken and I only had the tank anyway. I literally had to destroy the canister housing to get the motor out without damaging it. I cut the canister apart around the motor and still couldn't hardly get it to budge. It had a couple issues that I think contributed. The previous owner had removed the flush rivets holding the rear wheels and used small nuts and bolts to secure them and they stuck up enough to keep me from being able to slide the rear metal bracket out and the housing was a bit dented so the rubber seals just did not want to slide past the dents. I finally got it out by taking a wood chisel and cutting through the housing just in front of the motor and then sliding it out the front. I honestly don't think all the frustration, blood, and sweat was worth the $50 I hope to get for the motor (currently on eBay if you need one) LOL. They really should have allowed for a little more clearance. Unless this goes perfectly, it is very easy to ruin your vacuum or severely damage it in the process. A motor replacement should not be this hard especially when you know the process!
Yes, replacing the motors on these can be a real unnecessary pain. The first one I did was on a NOS 4150 that I wanted to get the new motor to keep as a spare for my 4700 that used the same motor and then replaced it with a new compatible Lamb motor and sold it. That one came out relatively easy with a little WD-40 sprayed around the rubber seals. Then the motor pretty much just slid out but it had never been used. The only damage I caused was a little scratching to the inside of the canister when trying to slide the bracket that screws in behind the motor to hold it in place back in when I was done. It was such a tight fit going back in for some reason I couldn't hardly get it back in. I decided to put it in the freezer for a few mins to contract the metal a little and sure enough it went in. The second one I did recently was a nightmare! It was a 4650 I wanted to part out because the tool caddy was badly cracked and broken and I only had the tank anyway. I literally had to destroy the canister housing to get the motor out without damaging it. I cut the canister apart around the motor and still couldn't hardly get it to budge. It had a couple issues that I think contributed. The previous owner had removed the flush rivets holding the rear wheels and used small nuts and bolts to secure them and they stuck up enough to keep me from being able to slide the rear metal bracket out and the housing was a bit dented so the rubber seals just did not want to slide past the dents. I finally got it out by taking a wood chisel and cutting through the housing just in front of the motor and then sliding it out the front. I honestly don't think all the frustration, blood, and sweat was worth the $50 I hope to get for the motor (currently on eBay if you need one) LOL. They really should have allowed for a little more clearance. Unless this goes perfectly, it is very easy to ruin your vacuum or severely damage it in the process. A motor replacement should not be this hard especially when you know the process!
