Ye ole typical Dyson clutch problem...

[atrac]

...or is it?

I found a Dyson DC14 a few months ago for $10 at a local thrift. When I tried it out I heard the ratchet noise. Also noticed the hose was torn near the top (the part that goes into the handle).

I finally borrowed a pair of wire cutters this evening and managed to cut away the bad part of the hose and re-glue the remaining good part back into the rubber/plastic attachment end. Problem fixed -- it's just a little shorter now, but still more than usable!

But that ratchet sound. I've read and assume that it is indeed a bad clutch. I've watched the video on how to repair it. Seems simple enough. What I am wondering is if that noise instantly means "replace the clutch" or is it just possible the belt is slipping? The brush roll still turns -- there's just that loud clicking sound when I engage it. Can you even open the clutch to replace the belt?

Obviously I'm trying to keep the cost down on this (which so far is insanely cheap). But if a new clutch is the best solution, I'll take it.

Thanks!

 

[atrac]

One thing I should note is I stated "ratchet noise" because that was the catch phrase everyone was using when I searched for "Dyson noisy." Honestly the noise is not "that" loud. It is just like a piece of plastic is rubbing against another piece of plastic. The impression I get is that the actual noise of a bad clutch is unbearably loud -- which this isn't (or I have more tolerance to noise than most people).

 

[sleepdoc]

Dyson clutch

I have avoided clutch-equipped Dysons because the clutch is breakable, but I do finally have one, a DC14. I've heard bad clutches on Dysons, and it could be described as "ratchety", but it is terribly loud, loud enough to alarm almost anyone into turning the vacuum off right away.

 

[twocvbloke]

I remember having to strip the clutch on our DC-04 (broken belt), what a pain in the rear that was, you have to make sure you do it over a bowl so you don't lose the ball bearings that reside in there, and you need to be careful not to damage the circlips that hold it all together. After I did ours, it started suffering problems under regular load, so, I just gave up with the thing...

All in all, I'd recommend just getting a new clutch, they're just too much of a pain to fix... :&#92

 

[hooverbaby]

I used to get a few of them..

in the shop for repair when I still had a business fixing vacuums. It was mainly the grey and yellow DC04s at the time..and to some degree the later DC07 models.

The clutches do indeed make a terrible ratcheting sound when they go wrong..but I would first check that the brushroll and its bearings are free to turn by hand, since trouble there could instigate the fault. They can be a bit of a fath to change, the main thing being carefully levering off the control knob from it's catches. The rest of the job is not too bad; it's necessary to remove 3 torx screws holding the clutch assembly in position, having carefully removed the nozzle plate, brushroll and housing, at least that's the way I used to do them. There's also an elbow joint that needs to be removed.

It's also necessary to go through this procedure to replace the motor belt, the narrowest of the two clutch belts.

On the odd occasion when I completely stripped down a clutch I found an assembly with ball bearings making contact with a plate..and it is this that slips under certain conditions IIRC. The drive pulleys are usually plastic and I've seen these badly worn/melted on occasions in which case they're scrap. If in doubt, it's best to change the clutch assembly, which is a lot cheaper than a new machine!

A word of caution: ensure that the belt is correctly fitted to the brushroll; I once saw one twisted in a figure of eight, which would have made the brushroll rotate the wrong way round!

Stephen

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I replaced the one on my DC 14 over a year ago by watching the video on Youtube.... it was a very helpful video and I bought the clutch on Ebay from the same people who made the youtube video.... it also came with detailed instructions.... within 2 months the "new" clutch was "clickiing" again but it only does it every now and then and isn't crazy loud so I'm just living with it.... I figure if I replace it, it will just break again so there's no reason to if the machine is still working fine.... and it is... the clicking doesn't seem to affect the performance adversely.... the brushroll still spin strongly and cannot be stopped so I'm not going to worry.

Sometimes it just isn't worth the trouble! My Dyson has for the most part been relegated to a powder vacuum (I don't want to clog bagged vacuums with powder) or a bug vacuum (I can see that the spider is dead before I open the chamber)... or a vacuum to clean up other vacuums or clean up after working on them. If it breaks, I'll get a model I like better that doesn't have the silly clutch. I don't know how much research and development could have possibly gone into such a flawed system.

 

[atrac]

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I think I like Vacuumfreeeke's advice. Paraphrased "If it's not broken enough, don't fix it."

It's not like it's my only vacuum. I actually have 11 at the moment (LOL).

Gotta love Thrift Stores!