Well Friends, my 1020 came Monday Morning, but I see Blue Sparks inside the Motor, HELP!!!!!!!!

[moparhemipower]

OK Friends of mine and fellow Hoover Convertible 1020 Lovers, well, as most of you know, I Bought an almost MINT 1020 off ebay recently, from a Super Nice Guy, who is a Member of this WONDERFUL Site and AMAZINGLY, it came to me in the Mail EARLY on Monday Morning, BUT as GREAT as it looks, I call my 1020 Alice, lol, the Motor sounds LOUD and Dry, NOTHING like the almost SILENT Running Motor in my near PERFECT ALL Original 1076.

OK, so, after installing a new Bag and Super TIGHT Hoover 49258 Belt, I did a little Cleaning to it, plus Lube some Rusty Squeaky Parts, I decided to take the Hood off and have a look at the Motor... And guess what I found, NOTHING!!!!!!!! Yup, the Motor looks almost BRAND NEW dare I say, with little to no Rust at all, so after I checked all the Screws and everything, I decided to Run the Vacuum for a little bit, with the Hood off, so you know, I could see or hear better if there was anything wrong and well, I did notice something Scary, TINY Blue Sparks inside the very top of the Motor, Yup. Yeah, as I was pushing it, I could see the TINIEST Blue Sparks inside the one back Hole in the very top of the Motor you know and was HOPING this is not a BAD thing????

AGAIN, the TINIEST Blue Sparks you can imagine, but still, that got to me and almost has me having a Heart Attach here!!!!!!!! I've seen Blue Sparks as something normal in A LOT of old Appliances, plus Lionel Trains when I was little, my Electric Shaver and Blow Dryer, but not in a Hoover Convertible, so what with the Motor just not sounding right and all, well, I dunno, but I'm VERY Upset about this now and HOPE at least one of you will tell me this is normal or fine, PLEASE, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, get back to me ASAP Guys and help your new Friend out here, THANKS A LOT!!!!!!!!

Jim or James C. Gockel

 

[gottahaveahoove]

It is NOT a good thing

get it checked by a vac place. here's mine

 

[lux1521]

Are the sparks constant or do they flicker? A very small amount of sparking along the edges of the carbon brushes is to be expected, be excess sparking could be a sign of trouble. I think it would have to have some serious carbon brush / commutator issues to sound as bad as you describe, and the sparks would be larger.

I'm thinking you have a bearing issue. Your fan could also be broken, but I'd imagine you checked that already.

 

[moparhemipower]

Motor Photo now...

Here is a Photo I just took of the Motor, so you can all see how nice it looks and before any of you ask, yes, the two Speed Switch works PERFECTLY, no, the Motor doesn't really get that Hot at all and no, even when the Vacuum is Running, there are no Weird or Burning Smells, so I dunno what the problem here is...? :/

 

[moparhemipower]

OK Guys...

John, there are really no Decent Vac Centers near me, I mean, the one's I have had to deal with over the Years, are run by people who are no different then Ira, so I'm kinda stuck here, unless someone can stop by my House and take a look at my 1020 you know... Heck, one local Vacuum Center kept my old Kenmore Twin Fan Magicord Self-Propelled Upright for at least 5 Years before giving it back to me and it was only there for one new Fan, but when I got it back, I noticed they had striped quite a few Parts off of it as well, so honestly, it's really no wonder my Mom threw it out only just a few Years ago.

And Erick, the Sparking is VERY TINY, can ONLY been seen from the very back of the Vacuum, you know, when you are behind Pushing it and just plain Flicker a little, so it's not like a large constant Spark or anything you know, in fact, you really sorta have to look hard to see it... Plus, when you engage the High Speed Switch, the Sparking doesn't get any worse or bigger at all, Heck, it doesn't even Flicker much more, so I dunno...?

Also yes, the Fan is PERFECT and Spins very freely, here's a Photo so you can see it...

 

[lux1521]

Try running it with no belt at all, if you have not already. Sometimes things can trick you, and this test would 100% rule out the brush roll. Ruling things out is always good.

Secondly, turn the motor shaft very slowly, and feel for any rough spots that might be an indicator of bearing issues. Also wiggle the shaft to see if it has excess play.

Lastly, back to the fan. Have you looked at it with the bag off? You can get a much better view of any damage from there. From the angle of the picture you posted, a lot of damage can still be hidden.

 

[kirbykid63]

You may need new brushes

It sounds like its time to replace the bearings and motor carbons.I find that most machines of this age are in some need of maintenance,The parts shouldn't cost much and your machine will run like new again.

 

[hoover_elite_20]

I had the same issue with my Kirby classic

When I bought sanitronic VII the classic came with it as a freebie. The Kirby guy said "If I never see that Kirby again you can have it.". So I happily took it and turned it on and it sounded real bad then stopped. It appeared that the carbon brushes were bad so I replaced them and now it runs perfectly.

 

[camelotshadow]

I see slight blue sparking in all of my motors
I checked brush in one & it seemed long enough on a filter queen

I may take one in for service & see what they say

I fixed 2 hi/lo switchs on the 2 filter queens
One worked on hi
the other lo
Got them to both works now
& the donor switsh I made work on high

So doing ok there

Just worried about the sparking now

 

[truckerx]

Sparking Hoover

Some minimal blue sparking is normal where the carbon brushes meet the commutator. I light dressing with an abrasive commutator cleaning stick should clean any residue from this area. You might also want to check the brushes to make sure they are free to move against the commutator under their spring's pressure as they wear.
Bearing grease can sometimes dry out, not necessarily from hard use but from age, putting an extra load on the motor which might cause some extra sparking.
If none of these remedies cure the problem, you might have the armature checked by an electrical motor shop or vacuum cleaner dealer. Here's hoping this will help you.
--Bernie

 

[moparhemipower]

ALL my Hoover Convertible's Spark to!!!!!!!!

Yup, ALL my Convertible's do it, especially the two Speed Models, when you engage the High Tool Speed you know, so I guess it was never anything to worry about at all then, I mean, all my other Convertible's look and Run like BRAND NEW almost, so... Funny thing is, some Convertible's like my 1020 have Blue Sparks, while other's have Green, lol, so I guess it all depends on the Motor you know, I mean, they all have their own Unique Motor and Sound... Least mine do anyway, lol!

I did however completely Dismantle the Motor of my 1020 and discovered why it sounded so BAD, see, because it had sat for 15-20 Years, basically, EVERYTHING inside the Motor had Rusted and Seized up, so that Friend's was my problem and I'm Happy to say, that after COMPLETELY Cleaning the Motor, removing all the Rust and Lubing it all up with a good amount of WD-40, I actually got it to sound pretty Damn good now and I'm Happy to say it Runs just as SMOOTH and STRONG as my other Convertible's, even the Bag Inflates much BIGGER, so I think after I Dismantle the Motor again and Lube it up with a good Amount of 3-IN-ONE Oil, plus this GREAT Automotive Grease I Bought, it should Run like NEW and for many Years to come!!!!!!!! I would have Greased the Motor before, but I didn't have any at the time on me and wanted to see how it would Run after a little WD-40 you know, which turned out to be quite good actually...

I do now feel STUPID for Posting about this, but I didn't know the Sparking was normal, I mean, I never saw it before and only started Collecting recently you know, so what with how BAD my 1020 sounded, I'm sure you all can understand and not think I'm a MORON or anything, lol!

Later!

James C. Gockel

 

[lux1521]

I'd be sure to oil or grease the motor fairly soon. WD-40 might be good at unsticking things, but I've heard it is not a really good lubricant.

Glad your problems are solved, and happy Hoovering!

 

[moparhemipower]

That's why I haven't been using it or anything...

Yeah Erick, because I knew WD-40 would not be Sufficient Lubricant, I only Ran it for a few Minutes, once with the Bag off and once with it on, that's all and honestly, my 1020 has been sitting on my new 1950's Buffet I found Thrifting ever since and until I do get the time to properly Oil and Grease it, my 1020 will remain there...

I did Surprise myself Dismantling my 1020's Motor like I did, I mean, I had no idea how to even begin taking it's Motor apart, as honestly, I haven't needed to work on the Motor's of too many of my Vacuum's you know and only started my Convertible LOVING, plus Collecting recently you know, but the way I saw it is, I use to be a Certified Auto Mechanic, plus Auto Body Tech and have worked on nearly EVERY Make and Model Car because of that, I actually worked for 12 different Car Dealer's, plus two Auto Body Shops, not to mention all the time's I've Torn down and Rebuilt the Motor's on all of my Car's, so I figured, if I can work on a Viper and/or a Delorean DMC-12, LOVE THOSE, I can EASILY work on and HOPEFULLY Fix the Motor of my 1020 and you know what, I was right!!!!!!!!

I did actually ask Jeff Parker for help, but he won't talk to me or anything, so I was on my own with this you know. Yeah, I not only emailed him, but sent him a Message on YouTube, plus MANY Comment's and he IGNORED them ALL, so I dunno, I mean, I guess he just has something against me you know.

Either way, I did figure out what all was wrong with my 1020 and after I properly Lube it all up, not only will I take a few Photos, but I will try and make a Video of it Running to!!!!!!!!

Later!

 

[lux1521]

I'm glad you have that good feeling when you get done. For me, the rebuilding process is one of the best parts of getting a old vacuum. I sometimes even look for cleaners in bad shape, just to see if I can make it look good again.

One thing I want to point out about rebuilding. Knowing how to do good restoration work is one of the ways to get good deals. When a poor looking cleaner comes along, a lot of guys that can't be bothered to put the time and effort in will pass on it. An experienced vacuum restorer can get a good deal, make the cleaner look good, and feel good about it when your done.

By the way, what kind of body shop were you working in when you worked on a DMC-12. I've seen one up close, and its a cool car, but I have no idea what it would be like to work on one.

 

[camelotshadow]

I remember that pale lime vac from my childhood
Wish you were closer
I got a Merz 83 500 SEC that could use some loving care.

 

[truckerx]

Sparking Hoover

OK....I would recommend VACUUM CLEANER BEARING GREASE because it is the proper viscosity for vacuum cleaner bearings. You have two bearing plates on your Hoover, one on the top and one on the bottom of the motor shaft. The bearing plates are hollow. It takes a special Hoover tool to force the bearing grease into the bearing plates. and you may have to remove the fan in the process. Although the bearings CAN be greased by hand, it is more troublesome forcing the grease into the bearings with your fingers. Either way, you'll find a tiny pin-sized opening on each bearing plate. It is like a tiny vent hole, which is exactly what it is. When the bearings are fully packed, the grease will ooze out of the hole.
Remove the carbon brushes, check them for wear and make sure that they are free to slide in and out of their retainers under thier spring's pressure. Get a "com" stick or a fine piece of emery cloth to clean the commutator as you spin the shaft by hand. The commutator should look a shiny brass or copper color and be free from residue after this is done.
DO NOT rely on WD-40 for bearing lubrication, although it may temporarily help to revitalize any remaining dried up grease within the bearing plates; it is only a temporary measure! WD-40 is NOT a sufficient lubrcation for sustained use and long motor life.
WD-40 or light sewing maching oil is fine for sqeeky wheels or other sticking machanical parts but not for the motor.
If you follow these directions carefully, this should get you going. Hope this helps.