Source for cord reel

Tony, you're welcome for the information. Sounds like you already did some research before posting, so you know what to look for. Just so you know, the older Kenmore canisters from the 70's & early 80's that had no speed control & used the 5033 bags have the same identical cordreel & Ametek single speed motor your Kenmore 3.2 uses. You might have to attach a little bit more wire to the 2 wires coming from the cordreel to hook it up, but otherwise it will work the same. So keep an eye out for those older models at yard sales & repair shops that are good for parts machines.

One thing you were probably not aware of though - your Kenmore was made by Whirlpool, NOT Panasonic. Sears forced Birtman Electric out in the late 1950's & had Whirlpool take over their vacuum & appliance manufacturing. Take a look at Kenmore & comparable Whirlpool models from the 60's, 70's & 80's, & it's easy to see their lineage comes from the same company. The 116 model prefix was used by all 3 companies, so that isn't a accurate way of determining the manufacturer, in this case the date code on the motor or other parts would be more accurate. Panasonic bought out Whirlpool's manufacturing business & took over making Kenmore vacuums in 1992 if I remember correctly.

As for your neighbor's assertion that the 116 prefix was used for ALL Kenmore vacuums, that is also incorrect. It's a well known fact that Sears contracted to many manufacturers for their vacuums. Birtman/Whirlpool/Panasonic may have made their most common lines - especially their canisters - but they also contracted to LG, Electrolux AB, Sanyo, PhoneMate & Ryobi (Singer) for their other lines they carried from time to time. In fact, they used so many manufacturers there really should be a thread devoted specifically to Kenmore vacuums showing pictures of the models & the date & manufacturer so that history is documented for future collectors to know.

By the way, one other way you could keep the cord from retracting is to use a plastic clip for chip bags. They are easy to find at most dollar stores, & would save having to knot the cord & unknot it when done using the vacuum. Also, considering your vacuum is from 1985, one thing you should STRONGLY consider doing is to install a new set of carbon brushes & run a armature seating stone on the motor. Chances are, with the age of the vacuum & normal usage, those carbon brushes in the motor now are worn down to nearly nothing. If they wear down too much, it could cause permanent damage to the motor. So if you want to keep this vacuum running a long time, this would be good preventative maintenance to perform.

Rob


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Post# 408051 4/13/2019 at 21:47 (1,836 days old) by AZTonyB63 (Phoenix AZ)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Guys: About eight years ago you guys were able to help me find a replacement motor for my beloved Kenmore canister vacuum. I now need your help finding a replacement cord reel. Sears parts direct says the cord reel is no longer available. My vacuum is a Kenmore model 116.2432680. The cord reel is part number 700871. I have searched every way I can and can not find either a replacement or a substitute. Any ideas would bee deeply appreciated. Thank you. Tony Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 408053 , Reply# 1 4/13/2019 at 23:02 (1,836 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes *Hey* They have Panasonic and tti sister vacuums. I'd imagine a Panasonic around same year would have the same part. Les

Post# 408079 , Reply# 2 4/14/2019 at 12:50 (1,836 days old) by aztonyb63 (Phoenix AZ)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Les: Thanks for your response. I was aware that my model of Kenmore was actually made by Panasonic. I tried looking for a model cross reference, but can't seem to find one. Evidently my internet searching skills are not all that good. Tony

Post# 408091 , Reply# 3 4/14/2019 at 19:30 (1,835 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Tony, does your Kenmore have a pedal you press to rewind the cord, or is it a pull-type cord rewinder like Electrolux used? Can you post a picture of the vacuum? Unless you can find a Panasonic reference, you might be out of luck finding a new one. At that point, you would have to find a parts machine, scrap it & save the parts from it. Or, a much better idea - if you're willing to live without the cord rewinder, hard wire a cord directly to the canister. That way it's fixed, never to break again. Rob

Post# 408101 , Reply# 4 4/14/2019 at 20:48 (1,835 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)
Checkrate/Likes Hmm, the 116 in the model name should mean Matsushita. I wonder if Panasonics are actually manufactured by them as well. (Interestingly, I have a small hand vac bearing the same 116 number, but it's obviously made by Birtman.) According to this dump: CLICK HERE TO GO TO MadMan's LINK

Post# 408179 , Reply# 5 4/16/2019 at 07:57 (1,834 days old) by aztonyb63 (Phoenix AZ)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Rob: Thanks for sharing your input. Per your request I've attached a couple of pictures of my Kenmore canister vacuum. It was purchased new in 1985 for $199.00, and it has been with me ever since. Right now, the unit is functional. The issue with the cord reel is that the centrifugal brake contained within it has quit working and so the cord always wants to retract back into the vacuum. When I removed the cord reel from the vacuum and shook the reel you can hear pieces rattling around inside the hub which I assume is parts of the brake which have broken apart. In doing some research on the web I found the following models of Panasonic vacuums which are almost identical (MC-V9626, MC-V9640 & MC-V9634) however, all of these units have an external cord brake so even though the cord reel (part # P-30784) for them is similar in form factor to the one in my unit, that cord reel appears to NOT have the internal centrifugal brake and would functionally be exactly what I have with my broken reel today. I can continue to use my vacuum in its current condition. When I need to use it I just pull the cord out, make a loop in it near the base and the loop prevents the cord from retracting back into the vacuum. But, I'm the kind of person who likes to keep their stuff in 100% working order so I would like to find a replacement reel at some point just to keep everything in my little universe in order. ;-) I like your idea of looking for a "parts machine". That is my backup plan. Then again, I'm also hoping that maybe someone on this site has one of these laying around in their scavenged parts bins and would be willing to part with it. I do appreciate your input. Thanks! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 2 View Full Size

Post# 408180 , Reply# 6 4/16/2019 at 08:39 (1,834 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Madman, I believe Matsushita Electric Co. is the parent company of Panasonic, so they're essentially one and the same.

Post# 408184 , Reply# 7 4/16/2019 at 08:50 (1,834 days old) by aztonyb63 (Phoenix AZ)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Madman: Thanks for proving the link to the list of model prefixes.. for what this is worth, my neighbor is a former Sears employee and he used to work in the repair shop of one of our local Sears stores. According to him, the model prefix of 116 was used for all vacuums and in his experience did not designate a specific manufacturer. I did find a few models of Panasonic vacuums which appear to be almost identical to mine, so I am fairly confident that mine was probably made by Panasonic. But who knows. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. Tony

Post# 408188 , Reply# 8 4/16/2019 at 11:32 (1,834 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Tony, you're welcome for the information. Sounds like you already did some research before posting, so you know what to look for. Just so you know, the older Kenmore canisters from the 70's & early 80's that had no speed control & used the 5033 bags have the same identical cordreel & Ametek single speed motor your Kenmore 3.2 uses. You might have to attach a little bit more wire to the 2 wires coming from the cordreel to hook it up, but otherwise it will work the same. So keep an eye out for those older models at yard sales & repair shops that are good for parts machines. One thing you were probably not aware of though - your Kenmore was made by Whirlpool, NOT Panasonic. Sears forced Birtman Electric out in the late 1950's & had Whirlpool take over their vacuum & appliance manufacturing. Take a look at Kenmore & comparable Whirlpool models from the 60's, 70's & 80's, & it's easy to see their lineage comes from the same company. The 116 model prefix was used by all 3 companies, so that isn't a accurate way of determining the manufacturer, in this case the date code on the motor or other parts would be more accurate. Panasonic bought out Whirlpool's manufacturing business & took over making Kenmore vacuums in 1992 if I remember correctly. As for your neighbor's assertion that the 116 prefix was used for ALL Kenmore vacuums, that is also incorrect. It's a well known fact that Sears contracted to many manufacturers for their vacuums. Birtman/Whirlpool/Panasonic may have made their most common lines - especially their canisters - but they also contracted to LG, Electrolux AB, Sanyo, PhoneMate & Ryobi (Singer) for their other lines they carried from time to time. In fact, they used so many manufacturers there really should be a thread devoted specifically to Kenmore vacuums showing pictures of the models & the date & manufacturer so that history is documented for future collectors to know. By the way, one other way you could keep the cord from retracting is to use a plastic clip for chip bags. They are easy to find at most dollar stores, & would save having to knot the cord & unknot it when done using the vacuum. Also, considering your vacuum is from 1985, one thing you should STRONGLY consider doing is to install a new set of carbon brushes & run a armature seating stone on the motor. Chances are, with the age of the vacuum & normal usage, those carbon brushes in the motor now are worn down to nearly nothing. If they wear down too much, it could cause permanent damage to the motor. So if you want to keep this vacuum running a long time, this would be good preventative maintenance to perform. Rob

Post# 408194 , Reply# 9 4/16/2019 at 14:04 (1,833 days old) by aztonyb63 (Phoenix AZ)
Checkrate/Likes 2 Hi Rob: Thanks for the follow up and clarification on the issues. I like the chip clip idea for the cord. I'll give it a try. I appreciate the tip on the motor brushes. The good news there is that I had to replace the motor unit about five years ago when the impeller on the original just shattered. As a matter of fact, it was someone out here who provided me with the part number from Granger for the replacement because Sears Parts Direct was showing that part was discontinued at that time. I'm sure I'll run across a replacement reel sometime. The one I have now is the second one in the unit. I wish I would have had the forethought to order two when I replaced the original one about 10 years ago. Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20. I'll update this thread if/when I find a replacement. Again, thanks to you and everyone else who have shared their expertise with me. You guys and this site are all very much appreciated. Tony