Thread Number: 38119  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Kenmore Power Plus (heavy duty plus) and Eureka The Boss
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Post# 406119   2/28/2019 at 22:21 (1,855 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        

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Hello i have acquired some great machines today one being a kenmore heavy duty plus and eureka the boss 1934 a (the classic one) ill upload pictures tomorrow but both of them have to problems that need resolving, Firstly, the eureka's brush roll is siezed and the kenmores motor sounds like it has been water damaged, because when i turned it one it has a really rusty whine when it starts up and when you spin the brush the motor squeaks loads, also on a side note, the eurekas outer bag had no paper bag what so ever so i had to empty the whole god awuful mess and vacuum it out, but the bag lookes yellowed a bit, i cant tell if its from dog piss or thier awful use of hemp oil was everywhere, its makes it smell nice but thats probably the reason why the bag is yellow in a few places, including the plasic guard on the bag that prevents the handle from wearing into it, can i wash these eureka outer bags? if so tell me the process to it please! any tips or suggestions would be more than helpful right now

Post# 406121 , Reply# 1   2/28/2019 at 23:24 (1,854 days old) by bissell3510W (Idaho)        
Pictures

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Looks like there was a bit of melting where the motor exhaust is, I hope I can help this fella, this is my second heavy duty plus, both I received ran like shit, so I hope I can at least save this one, also anyone know where to and how to install new brush strips on these ?

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Post# 406124 , Reply# 2   3/1/2019 at 01:41 (1,854 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

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Hi there,

Nice finds. I may have some answers to your questions.

If your Eureka has its original black wooden brushroll, it should be an easy fix. The end caps should pull off, revealing sleeve bearings. Clean these out thoroughly and apply non-detergent oil to the sleeve bearings. Be careful to not damage the surfaces of the shafts on the brush roll, otherwise they can tear up the brush roll end cap sleeve bearings in which they ride.

As for the Eureka’s bag: you should be able to wash it, even in the washing machine on gentle. You run the risk of losing the lettering, but that’s about it.

The Kenmore: I see the “melting” you speak of. It is an indication of an overheating event in the machine’s history, but it doesn’t actually seem all that bad. At least it’s not in an obviously visible location.

The same overheating which deformed the vent is actually likely what destroyed the grease in the motor bearings. When grease gets overheated, its volatile components can evaporate, leaving behind an inadequate lubricant and potentially making the motor sound terrible. The solution to this is either replacing the motor bearings with appropriate electric motor grade replacements of the same size or relubricating the original bearings. If you choose the relubrication route, be sure to clean the bearings out after you remove the seals. Traces of old grease or dirt can cause problems. After cleaning, apply a high-temp rated synthetic grease inside the bearing. I use Mobil 1 Polyrex EM, which is commonly chosen as the factory grease by bearing OEMs. After that, snap the seals back on and you should be good to go!

Hope you enjoy your new vacs!


Post# 406125 , Reply# 3   3/1/2019 at 02:00 (1,854 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
thank you so much

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its going to take me a long time to fix but in the end itll be worth it, ill take photos too and post the restoration when i get around to it, last thing id want is for both of these lovely machines to bite the dust, and i hope i can put them back together just aswell, good learning experience for me too thank you very much and ill post some updates

Post# 406148 , Reply# 4   3/1/2019 at 13:19 (1,854 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)        

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Cool! I wanted to get one of those 1934B units when they were still being made, but I never did. It was a great vacuum for the price, which was around $100. Truly the last good Eureka.

Post# 406165 , Reply# 5   3/1/2019 at 17:29 (1,854 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
amen to that !

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yes, all vacs now are shit, just flimsy plastic and incapable of working on im quite sure, ill always be using these machines until i die, i refuse to buy anything new, 80's 90's is the way to go !

Post# 406166 , Reply# 6   3/1/2019 at 17:33 (1,854 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
and

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i have the power plus sitting in the basement at the moment until i get the essentials to work on it, in the meantime i took the vibra groomer II from my other Eureka, slapped it on and i have a fully functional boss, of course the brushroll is temporary and is going back on my other eureka but for right im loving the shit out of it, i also prefer the sound of the motor over my 5.5 amp eurekas, i belive this is the plastic motor as ive heard a few people call it but the sound is so smooth, and very unique, this thing has been though some hell, im glad i could help it out, ill post more pics soon

Post# 406179 , Reply# 7   3/1/2019 at 21:24 (1,854 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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I have that same Eureka. I washed the bag in the washing machine, turned inside out and it turned out well. It didn't cause any issues with the lettering on mine. Those Eurekas clean very well and will stick to the carpet even on the low pile setting. I use the Arm & Hammer Eureka bags in mine and they don't seem to smell and they filter well with the outer cloth bag.

I've never had one of those Kenmores so I can't tell you much. It is cool looking though, and if you didn't know it was made by Singer/Ryobi.


Post# 406181 , Reply# 8   3/1/2019 at 22:10 (1,854 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
fan of fans

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thank you, i found out the brush roll is just too used and shot, so i decided to buy a new orginal roller for 17 dollars, what detergent should i use to wash the bag or should i use no detergent at all? other than that both of these vacuums will see a new life, hopefully i can tear into the kenmore, relubericate the motor bearings and be good to go, hoping i can put back together, you shoulda seen the mess in the outer bag when i first bought it, no paper bag, and nearly filled to the brim with dirt, vacuumed it out, put a VG II in from my 5.5 amp Eureka as temporary brushroll til i get a new one, the boss has honestly been a dream machine ive wanted for years, and i aquired it when i least expected it, life is too crazy sometimes

Post# 406188 , Reply# 9   3/1/2019 at 22:28 (1,854 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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I used some liquid detergent but I don't remember, it's been a few years. One thing is make sure the spring is turned inside the bag so it doesn't catch on anything and zip it closed inside out. I'm not sure what the best detergent would be. I wouldn't use fabric softener since it could cause dust to stick to the bag or clog it.

A Vibragroomer would be a nice upgrade, but the original single brush, single beater bar brushroll works fine to me.

Mine could probably use a new brush roll too, but all I did was take it apart, washed everything and put a new bag and belt and it works good!

I know what it's like to find a dream machine when least expecting it. It's happened to me a few times!


Post# 406220 , Reply# 10   3/2/2019 at 15:13 (1,853 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
thanks guys! also i think i have a method that might work

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im just too skeptical of washing it in the washing machine, would it be possible to beat the dust out of it manually, wash it in the bathtub with dishsoap til theres no more dirty water then let it drip dry, im going to have to dry the spring real quick though so it doesnt rust, same with the zipper, but could that work? because im about to do it

Post# 406221 , Reply# 11   3/2/2019 at 15:29 (1,853 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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You could do that. I'd just turn it inside out, and vacuum it on both sides with another vacuum upholstery tool. Then wash and rinse well. Hang to dry.

Post# 406222 , Reply# 12   3/2/2019 at 15:46 (1,853 days old) by bissell3510W (Idaho)        
Almost ready to wash !!

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Is this the correct way and is it also ok to wash with the wooden dowel holding the bag, I really don’t want to ruin anything

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Post# 406223 , Reply# 13   3/2/2019 at 16:19 (1,853 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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That should be fine. Just wash and then rinse both sides. I ran the spring, dowel, etc through the washer with no problem so hand washing should be fine.

Post# 406224 , Reply# 14   3/2/2019 at 16:53 (1,853 days old) by bissell3510W (Idaho)        
Awesome!!

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Bag is drying right now, the yellow didn’t come out but that’s ok none of my machines are perfect

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Post# 406233 , Reply# 15   3/2/2019 at 20:33 (1,853 days old) by bissell3510W (Idaho)        

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Nice and dry, a little damp at the bellow but it’ll be completely rid of moisture tomorrow, cleaned up very nicely for the most part now I’m getting somewhere in my f&g collection, ones in order on the last photo 1934A, 1903A, and 2320A !

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Post# 406237 , Reply# 16   3/2/2019 at 22:59 (1,853 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)        
That little Eureka Boss was one of the best values ever,

they had 6 of them at the apts. where I used to live for vacuuming before the rug cleaning people came to steam the rugs. They bought them from a catalog store called Best General Merchandise Catalog. Here are the details listed for your vac in their 1991/92 catalog. Eureka model #2034 6.5 amps, no attachments,6 heights,20'cord,no headlight,edge cleaning yes,F&G bag style, shipping weight 16lbs.SRT 129.95, their price 98.88. They were worth every penny.I remember giving away a Singer/Kenmore just like yours to a friend who still uses it as her go to vac and that was 15 years ago.(should have kept it!) I know by now your outer bag is dry, but as a tip for drying I have used a hair dryer on med setting to get the areas where folds are and stitching to speed up or finish off the drying process in those areas. Of course you have to use common sense on how hot and how close you hold the dryer,definitely helps when your concerned about rust forming on medal parts. Enjoy, great posts! Billy

Post# 406239 , Reply# 17   3/3/2019 at 00:59 (1,852 days old) by Bissell3510W (Idaho)        
Thanks for the feedback Billy

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Im very pleased you shared that info with me, helps me to get to know my vac more, like all of them. The boss is a vac i have wanted for a very long time ever since i saw my aunts in California. It is a very, very good machine, light, and gives a very good deep clean, it has become one of my new favorites all it needs now is a new roller! and im set! next guy on my list is the kenmore, i just hope its easy to dissasemble to the motor, of course its dissasemling any vacuum isnt easy but i hope i have success with the kenmore, cross your fingers everyone for a running kenmore, if i get it up and running ill make a channel and a video, well ill prob make a channel anyway. I had an old vacuum channel but i deleted it because of insecurites, but now i dont give a damn, anyone who wants to see my machines run let me know if i should make a new channel, my last channel i deleted was years and years ago, i want to see what everyone thinks of i making a new channel for vacuum videos. Glad to get back into the community! NOTE its been like 8 years ive been away from the vacuum commuinty, my oldest account on here is "automaticwasher", second is "ilikefantoms" since i was a huge huge fantom geek back then and still am now, just not as much, heres a link to my oldest post www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bi... these were the days, i just felt like clearing that out of the way since i actually am somewhat of an old member. Also, the upright is in my basement good and safe =) some of my machines over the year though ive just lost intrest to take care of, mostly time, and depression is the cause, and it makes me very very sad, but thats why im starting a new collection, and making new memories as i go along! Theres just some background info for you all !, besides all that heres to a happy 2019 of vacuum collecting !!! I appreciate all yall fellow collectors! and God bless!


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