The TriStar Saga Continues...

[danemodsandy]

...And oy, am I P.O.'ed.

I had one last repair to do to make my new TriStar perfect. The machine needed a new afterfilter basket, which is a part the afterfilter screws on to. It's pop-riveted to the body of the machine. Since I have a rivet tool, and since I was ordering parts from TriStar Canada anyway, I ordered a new basket, checking the parts diagramme on the site very carefully to be certain I was getting the right thing. I ordered. It came. So, today I went to the hardware store, laid in a package of the correct-sized rivets, and came home and got to work removing the old, broken basket.

I could NOT believe it. Under the basket, where you can't see it, there is a rubber gasket intended to make the basket seal tightly to the vacuum cleaner body. It was NOT shown on the parts diagramme, no one at TriStar Canada warned me that one might be needed, and the old one is hard, and broken into several pieces. I had absolutely no information that this damn thing even existed until it was too blinkin' late.

Just ONE DOD-GREMMED TIME I'd like to tackle a project and have it go smoothly, with no complications that delay its completion for days or weeks. Just ONCE.

So now, I have to go back to TriStar Canada, find out how to order this thing, pay another shipping charge, and wait. And wait.

What is bad about this is that I got a TriStar because I needed the extra filtration; my allergies are getting too bad for single-filter machines to do much good. I need the machine working properly now; it's pollen season here in Georgia. Sheesh!

Anyway, I figured if any bunch of people would understand how I feel right now, it'd be youse guys. If anyone has this gasket in a parts stash, of course, I'd be eternally grateful, but it's such an obscure part that I can't imagine anyone does.

 

[camelotshadow]

I can sympathize

today my allergies were storming
almost 100 outside
& some bugger crept into my nostrils to wreck havoc
nothing to do but blow n wipe
lol
really don't have good vacs 4 that cept filter quyeen
which I have grown fond of
got to watch for those pesky gaskets

canada
arrgh
you think it was the moon
shipping takes forever
guess they still use sleds & dogs

LOL

 

[danemodsandy]

Uh, No...

...Actually, the hold-up is our Homeland Security system, I understand. Stuff used to come from Canada more quickly.

 

[camelotshadow]

Just kidding

guess we can't be too careful
never know what inspid dangers lurk
from the frigid tundra above...

Yikes

 

[logan]

Sandy, are you talking about the filter that covers the motor fans on the inside of the bag chamber or the larger filter that fits over the exhaust?

 

[filterqueen83]

Hi

ok first take a deep cleansing breath. It has been one of those weeks for me to. It will all be ok if you are not too concerned about extreme perfection just use a small bead of silicon and that will do the trick and you will still be able to remove it when service is necessary down the road sometime.

 

[danemodsandy]

Logan and Matthew:

"Sandy, are you talking about the filter that covers the motor fans on the inside of the bag chamber or the larger filter that fits over the exhaust?"

Logan:

I'm talking about the fitting for the filter that fits over the exhaust. It's a black plastic thingie that is pop-riveted into place. The filter screws onto the fitting with a quarter-turn. The gasket is obviously there to prevent air and dust leakage from the area of the filter, where the fitting is riveted to the vacuum's body.

Matthew:

I'm aftaid I am concerned with perfection, on this machine. It's a long-standing dream come true, and a wonderful vacuum. I have located and installed every last thing it needed; this is the only remaining task. So, gotta find the gasket, gotta put it on. That's the reason this was so incredibly frustrating- I am so close to having the machine right.

 

[filterqueen83]

In that case

I would wait I was peed off about not being able to pick up my motor for my princess this weekend so in time this shall pass too my friend.

 

[danemodsandy]

Matthew:

I know what you mean. Once something goes wrong, it's a good idea to walk away from the project and chill, because if you don't, that's when the bad mistakes happen.

I buttoned the TriStar back up, except for the filter basket, and used the Diamond Jubilee this weekend. Tomorrow, I'm calling a new TriStar resource I found online- TriStar Arizona- to see if they can come up with the gasket. The people at TriStar Canada were very nice, but shipping takes quite a while.

BTW, the gasket is just a square-cut O-ring with a compression groove on both the inner and outer faces of its side.

 

[danemodsandy]

All Is Well:

I found the gasket at my local hardware store; knowing that it was a square-cut O-ring of a certain size helped enormously.

So, the fabulous TriStar is back together, and vacuuming fine- complete and correct.

Life is good.

 

[filterqueen83]

YAY

doesn't that just feel wonderful when its all done.

 

[arh1953]

I just went through a crisis here with my "lifeline", glad you got your beautiful vacuum back in the running.