The newest member of the family.

[electrogirl]

I went thrifting today and found this, complete with green extension cord in the Quakertown, PA Salvation Army Thrift store. It was in the furniture room which for some reason I headed to first before the electronics section. No price on her, so I asked the boy who was sorting ladies shoes, he walked off somewhere across the cavernous store and came back and said, "9.99." SOLD! Then I had the nerve to ask him to plug it in to see if it worked, like I wouldn't have taken it anyhow. My first Hoover!

These pics are how I found it, it is going to get the full beauty shop treatment. Can anyone tell me the proper way to empty the bag? I ended up getting the zipper off the track on one side, I can fix that, but can I wash the outer bag, and how should I go about this? Also, what year is this? I am so ignorant of these things.

 

[electrogirl]

More Pics

Here are some more shots.

 

[electrogirl]

The money shot.

 

[electrogirl]

The beater bar.

 

[electrogirl]

Hoovering after dark.

 

[electrogirl]

A diamond in the rough

As pictured is how I found her. So pardon for the tangled look on the cord (which has now been detched from the extension and wrapped properly), and the dust on the surface. These are all before shots.

 

[petek]

Nice find, dirty before pics are good. Get cleanin

 

[eluxomarty]

Missing

Great Hoover! It just seems to be missing something without the round logo in the corner. Sort of like going out without your pearls and earrings. That is of course if you wore pearls and earrings. Which i don't of course being a guy...not that there's anything wrong with that , i mean if you like pearls than wear on you know. Okay .....your Hoover is an 80's machine but the Hoover experts could probably tell you the exact year. I would take the whole bag off the cleaner and there is a tiny screw that holds the vinyl bag to the bellows. Loosen that ( don't lose the screw it may pop off ) wash the bag with a damp cloth or in a sink with soapy water if it's really dirty. You can wash the bellows and fill tube the same way and let them air dry. I think the zippers get stuck because dirt gets into the teeth. Washing the bag may fix this , maybe some WD40 on the teeth? The Hoover experts will know better. I'm just enjoying my day off and am posting more than usual!!

Happy Hoovering! Marty

 

[electrogirl]

Uh Oh

Good God...She's taken it apart!

 

[electrogirl]

Thanks Marty for the tip on the bag. I think I will try that. I agree it is missing something without that Hoover badge. I guess this is my jeans and t-shirt hoover girl.

 

[electrogirl]

Scrub a dub dub

Lather rinse, repeat

 

[swingette]

oh NO you didnt put the entire agitator in a bath!! oh LAWD!



(pulling self together)

 

[electrogirl]

Uh Oh

Did I just kill it???? I certainly got it clean, I didn't bother to take a pic, but that water was DIRTY. I scrubbed off a load of black guink and even some brown (I suspect this came from a home of smokers).

It is drying right now in my bathtub.

 

[swingette]

ur gonna have to take the entire agitator apart now. bearings, washers, brush strips, everything. it will be best to dry everything under a soft heat source. like a warm stovetop. let me see if i can figure out something for you short of scanning a manual.

if you dont take apart the agitator it wont dry properly and the bearings just wont be right.

 

[eluxomarty]

Clutch the pearls!!!

Debbie and David, Although I don't wear pearls this is the moment where I klutch my imaginary pearls! Debbie, when you take the agitator out of the suds take it apart completely and let it dry. All the parts inside may not dry completely if the agitator is left intact. I'm talking the end caps, bearings , washers, inside rod, we don't want anything rusting inside. Paging Dr Tom, Dr Jeff, Dr Fred! STAT!

 

[electrogirl]

Don't worry fellas, I have a hair dryer at the ready, I am taking the end caps off right now. I will gently dry her out. I really did not realize there was anything "in there" beyond a brush and a beater...hmmmmm guess I am getting my first hoover lesson.

 

[electrogirl]

I think we are fine, I took my conair hairdryer to the brush roller, and it seems pretty dry. The end caps are back on and they rotate smoothly. If I feel they are stiff, I will add a bit of machine oile, but so far, so good.

 

[arh1953]

That is a really pretty vacuum. I don't think you killed it.

 

[myhooverco]

*GASP*

Electrogirl...

I walk away from my computer for a minute and just look what happens!!!

Oh, yes you will have to take the entire agitator apart and dry it out. I usually just take them apart and spray a windex type cleaner on it and scrub it with a toothbrush, grease the bearings and put it all back together. I have never submerged an agitator before....

Congrats on your first Hoover. You have a good one there as it has a steel lined fan chamber. I think that this one was sold at Sears (Jeff a little help??) and I would say it is from about 1984 or 1985. Some models in this era did not use the Hoover "bug" (logo) on the base of the machine. This was of course a huge mistake on the part of the company. This one will clean up nicely. Let me know if you need any parts, I am happy to help.

--Tom

(I am surprised that everyone in vacuumland did not hear me gasp at the sight of that agitator in suds! Oh the pain!)

 

[petek]

You might want to get yourself a Magic Eraser at the grocery now if you don't already have some and see how magical they really are for getting rid of those stubborn scuff marks on the rubber and plastic. I love em.

 

[constellation86]

Manuals

I saved many of the pdf files of the Hoover owners manuals before the site changed and they were gone. I know I have a few convertible ones. If anyone needs one let me know and I can email it to you.
Nicholas

 

[electrogirl]

Hoover update

Well, so far all is well with the Hoover. I am so glad I posted that picture of the brush roll in the sink. I got to it just in time, thanks to all of you. I don't know what I was thinking! Well, it certainly is nice and clean now

I still have it disassembled, the bearings look good and still have grease on them (even after the bath). I am wondering..can I use white lithium grease? I happen to have a tube of that out in the garage.

I am working on cleaning the underside. I was busy the past couple days, so it is taken longer than usual. Overall the vac is in really good condition. The plastic hood only has a couple scratches on the highest point, and of course the normal scuffs and black stuff on the sides. The bristles on the brush roll look like new.

Next, I need to put the bag zipper back on the track on one side, it will be easiest if I remove the outer bag, but I am not sure how it comes off and goes back on again. I am afraid if I remove it, I won't be able to get it on again. I also don't want to rip it. Any advice from the experts would be greatly appreciated.

Pete,

What is a magic eraser? Is that the same thing as the gray artist erasers? I have a few of those somewhere in my office.

 

[myhooverco]

The bag comes away from the cleaner base by sliding the white tab on the bottom of the bag over. It is an "L" shaped white plastic piece between the handle bail. The bag will then pop off the cleaner. To remove the vinyl bag from the tube just remove the screw on the bottom back of the bag under the zipper and the tube will slide out along with the bag ring and rubber bellows. Best of luck on the zipper repair. Keep us posted!

--Tom

 

[electrogirl]

Tom,

Thanks for the advice, I did see the L lever and wondered what it did. The zipper was fine when I got the vac. On the way home from the thrift store I stopped at Target hoping to find bags for it, but I wasn't sure if it took C, so I unzipped it when I was in the parking lot to look at the bag, then I zipped it back down and noticed about an inch from the bottom, it was off the teeth. Now when I move it higher, it is off at that level. I hope it won't be difficult to get zipped up properly.

 

[electrogirl]

Tom,

Do I slide that L lever to my left? I am facing the back of the vacuum. It doesn't seem like it wants to move in either direction.

 

[eluxomarty]

Debbie

As you face the back of the cleaner slide the white lever to the left. It may take some muscle. The bag will pop right off. Some times i use a flat head screwdriver to slide ( push ) the lever over. Good Luck!

Marty

 

[electrogirl]

Marty,

Thank you! I followed your suggestion and took a flathead screwdriver to the base of the lever, and the bag is now off!

 

[buffalo-joe]

Be Careful.....

White Lithium grease does not mix well with standard grease. It can gum up everything. Its best to use axle grease or machine grease on these bearings. I use a medical syringe with the needle removed to inject the grease into the bearings. The grease I use is an agriculture grade grease for farm machinery. Its a good match on vacuums because both farm equipment and vacuums are in a dirty environment. 3 in 1 oil will get you by, but you'll have to oil quite frequently. Go to Tractor Supply and get a tube of grease for farm equipment and work that into the bearings. Now my secret for quiet Dial-A-Matics is out.......

Joe

 

[electrogirl]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the advice. I will stop at Tractor Supply this week and get the farm equipment grease you recommended. I do have 3 in 1 Oil here at the house, I also have surgical instrument oil from when my mother worked at a hospital.

I stopped at Wal-Mart to grab bags for the Hoover and I wandered over to the automotive section, they had grease in a can, but the ingredients said red lithium, I passed because I thought about your post, and I would rather get the farm equipment grease. Makes a lot of sense what you said about farm equipment and vacuums both operating in a dirty environment.