Thread Number: 26514
The Avocado Bomber: making me work for it 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 296978   9/4/2014 at 00:25 (3,515 days old) by DesertTortoise ()        

So I put the motor back into the Avocado Bomber last week. You might recall the high/low speed switch was lost, so I had to make an equivalent switch from a DPDT ON/ON switch. I did that tonight, installed it in the vac and wired it together. I was so stoked, thinking I would finally screw the bottom halves together after all this time being apart and hear the old war horse run again. The stinking axle has to go through supports in the upper half and the wheels have to fit through holes in the lower half. The cord and wiring have to be routed just so, and the order of assembly is critical. Lots of two steps forward, one and a half back, action.

Well I got half my wish. She runs on both speeds and sounds absolutely wonderful. But the switch I chose creates interference with the axle that runs across the rear of the vac to carry the two rear wheels. The arrangement back there is pretty ridiculous as the photos reveal. It looks like it should fit,just barely, but it should fit, but no matter how I route wires off the back of that switch they interfere with the axle (or maybe something else, hard to see in there) and I cannot get the two halves to close nicely. I don't want to force anything, that is just inviting future arc welding.

But I was that far, with the motor all wired in, I had to hear it run. I laid a piece of wood on the patio, laid it on the wood upside down, plugged it in, the dogs wisely decided to go to the other side of the patio, I had the fire extinguisher in hand and I pushed in the plunger of the on/off switch. Glorious healthy vacuum noises! Both speeds work too. I thought about letting it run on low speed for a half hour to burn the brushes in, but it was just too late in the evening and I had to get this report out.

Other dramas, the black wire to one brush fell out of it's connector and wasted a half hour refitting it so it would not fall out. With the brush back in, now the whole spade connector fell out of the brush housing. Out with the brush again so I could bend a bow in the spade to make it stay put. Like I said, this vac is making me work hard for everything.

Tomorrow the saga will continue, but I really need the proper switch to get the clearance I need. The lid hinge is still a temporary kludge, but folks, the Avocado Bomber makes nice sweet vacuum noises again. I despaired I would never figure out how to wire it together right. But I did! And it runs. It's progress and I'll take it.

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Post# 297014 , Reply# 1   9/4/2014 at 08:43 (3,515 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
well that is a mell of a hess! sorry to hear

Post# 297018 , Reply# 2   9/4/2014 at 09:19 (3,515 days old) by DesertTortoise ()        

I think the problem is the yellow wire coming off the switch. That one terminal has two wires attached to it, the yellow wire and the jumper that runs diagonally across the back of the switch. Tonight I may try flipping the switch the other direction and see if I can find the clearance I need. Failing that I may loosen all the connections and play around with having the wires exit the switch differently, see if I can find some clearance that way.

You can see I put this stuff called "Liquid Tape" on the terminals. Tight clearances and vibration make me worry. I also wrapped the axle with some electrical tape, just in case.

I also have an e-mail out to a vacuum shop in Pennsylvania that has a warehouse full of old Kenmore parts I am told. I bought a real live old style Kenmore retractable cord reel from them not long ago, they have someone making new ones ( ! ). It is a little different from the originals. The center shaft is retained by big screws instead of pressed in plastic inserts, so maybe those are rebuildable.

I squirted a little Tri-Flow lube into the pivots of the Bombers cord reel and that made it retract very smoothly. I am going to try that on a couple of other balky cord reels and see if it helps them operate better.

Post# 297099 , Reply# 3   9/4/2014 at 23:31 (3,514 days old) by DesertTortoise ()        

Well that wasn't much fun. Zip tied wires together to neaten up the spaghetti in the motor compartment, trying to make room for everything, but ultimately the switch I am using is just too big for the space available. Moving wires didn't solve the problem. Zip tying them into a neat bundle didn't help either. There is no way to wiggle the lower half of the body into place over the axle and wheels that doesn't involve some twisting of wires and wiggling of the switch. The switch housing finally broke while I was wiggling it.

Now I have to find an original switch to make the A-B work. Ha, lots a luck finding one of those! Man this vacuum just isn't cooperating. Not quite two steps forward and darn near a full step back. It's starting to feel more like work than a hobby.

Post# 297100 , Reply# 4   9/4/2014 at 23:39 (3,514 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture
It's frustrating at times. But I have to laugh a little, because you've written my story -- "Trial and Error Vacuum Adventures"! That is a mess of wires too! I look forward to seeing the finished product!

Post# 297101 , Reply# 5   9/4/2014 at 23:40 (3,514 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Good luck there! Sleep on it

Post# 297138 , Reply# 6   9/5/2014 at 08:33 (3,514 days old) by DesertTortoise ()        

I bought two of those switches from this old country hardware store out in glorious Inyokern California. It's one of those amazing emporiums you never find in a big city. The terminals have threaded posts with screws to attach spade fasteners to. You can see that is what I did. All those wires crimped to spade connectors exiting the switch straight up was a bad plan. I think the next plan is to remove the screws, twist and solder the wires directly to the posts and do it so the wires all trail off to one side of the switch rather than straight back. Shrink wrap all the soldered joints of course. No arc welding in the belly of the vacuum thank you.

Stay tuned kids, this cartoon isn't over yet.


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