Has anyone done a motor "transplant"?

A word of advice....DO NOT try to modify the motor itself to make it fit & work properly in your Vorwerk!! Chances are pretty high you will wind up causing permanent damage to the motor that would be irreversible. Even if it could be modified, it's better to take it to a professional motor rebuilder or a vac shop technician who knows what they are doing, & it would be more cost effective to just buy a motor that doesn't need modifying in the first place.

However, having said that, it is very easy to modify mounting plates on the new motor, or use the existing mounting plate on the old motor to make it work & fit well. It may also be necessary to modify the plastic inside the motor compartment to make it work, especially if the new motor is slightly longer than the old one.

One final word of advice....be VERY careful that the new motor doesn't draw a signifigant amount more amp's than the old one. On some vacuums, such as the Canadian Electrolux AP & 86/88/89 models, this can be an issue, as the motors in them were only 5 amps, & the maximum they can handle is 8 amps, or else you will fry the internal wiring, switch & cordwinder. Therefore, this limits what type of motors these units can handle.

Good luck getting your Vorwerk working again....Rob


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Post# 234455 5/29/2013 at 11:43 (3,984 days old) by mathew ()
Checkrate/Likes Hello everyone. I have enjoyed looking through all the posts in the vintage forum (very informative, great site) so I think this is the best place to seek the advice of everyone. I have all but given up on finding a replacement motor for my 1950s Vorwerk Kobold, so I plan on doing a “motor transplant” from another vacuum. Have any of you transplanted a motor from another brand/model into a vintage vacuum? Are there any special “tips or tricks” or things to watch out for. I want to save the “patient.” I would really like to hear your stories before I undertake this. I have repaired appliances before but not with different manufacture parts. I am not afraid to make some modifications to make it work but I plan to keep the original plastic housing. Perhaps modify the mounting plate and fan blades…. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks, Matt.

Post# 234463 , Reply# 1 5/29/2013 at 13:29 (3,984 days old) by crock ()
Checkrate/Likes Your best bet is to find an electric motor repair shop near you. They can rewind the armarure and field stator and fix any orher issue you are having. Do a google search for "electric motor rewind or repair".

Post# 234476 , Reply# 2 5/29/2013 at 14:57 (3,984 days old) by kenkart ()
Checkrate/Likes *I Have...* Put new Lamb motors in all kinds of old vacuums, Hoover tanks, Constellations, Lewyts ETC, GEs ,Sunbeams Apex Strato, would be next to impossible, just because how the motor is installed.

Post# 234501 , Reply# 3 5/29/2013 at 19:07 (3,983 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes *Matt* A word of advice....DO NOT try to modify the motor itself to make it fit & work properly in your Vorwerk!! Chances are pretty high you will wind up causing permanent damage to the motor that would be irreversible. Even if it could be modified, it's better to take it to a professional motor rebuilder or a vac shop technician who knows what they are doing, & it would be more cost effective to just buy a motor that doesn't need modifying in the first place. However, having said that, it is very easy to modify mounting plates on the new motor, or use the existing mounting plate on the old motor to make it work & fit well. It may also be necessary to modify the plastic inside the motor compartment to make it work, especially if the new motor is slightly longer than the old one. One final word of advice....be VERY careful that the new motor doesn't draw a signifigant amount more amp's than the old one. On some vacuums, such as the Canadian Electrolux AP & 86/88/89 models, this can be an issue, as the motors in them were only 5 amps, & the maximum they can handle is 8 amps, or else you will fry the internal wiring, switch & cordwinder. Therefore, this limits what type of motors these units can handle. Good luck getting your Vorwerk working again....Rob