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Thread Number: 42910
/ Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
I just picked up a red TriStar CLX with high/low switch...questions |
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Post# 449298 , Reply# 1 1/17/2022 at 16:25 (827 days old) by Thevacomaticiec  (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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Post# 449303 , Reply# 3 1/17/2022 at 21:31 (826 days old) by Thevacomaticiec (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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for one speed tristar 2 speed should be similar cant find 2 Here's a simple way to remember one speed canister vacuum wiring.
There are two leads from motor. Two from cord. Two from switch. Two from power nozzle receptacle. Connect in this order: One cord to One motor and One receptacle One cord to one switch One motor to one receptacle to one switch In the end, there should be three wire nuts holding the eight leads in the above connections. | ||
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Post# 449307 , Reply# 5 1/17/2022 at 22:22 (826 days old) by Thevacomaticiec (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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| Post# 449308 , Reply# 6 1/17/2022 at 22:27 (826 days old) by Gvox (Georgia) | ||
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Just to be sure. Is this the motor that should be in the vacuum. www.amazon.com/Ametek-Mot... #117556-00 | ||
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Post# 449309 , Reply# 7 1/18/2022 at 00:06 (826 days old) by Thevacomaticiec (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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Post# 449311 , Reply# 8 1/18/2022 at 07:43 (826 days old) by luxlife (Under a Pecan Tree) |
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Don’t forget to fix the cord. The strain guard is worn on your cord, so you might want to consider replacing the whole cord, unless you’re comfortable trying to repair it from the inside. | ||
| Post# 449314 , Reply# 9 1/18/2022 at 09:06 (826 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
There were two different two-speed motors used in red Tri-Star machines. You'll have to open it up to see. Some use the five wire Ametek motor (just like a 2 speed Filter Queen in the mid 1980's). Then, Tri-Star changed to a four-wire motor and different two-speed switch. Again, you'll have to remove three screws to open it up and see. Will be interesting what you find. Motors have dates on them, which will be a great clue as to what happened. Also, the 'burn' around the switch is often caused by carbon dust as air from the motor compartment can escape if the switch nut is slightly loose. The black carbon dust discolors the red wrinkle finish paint.
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| Post# 449325 , Reply# 11 1/18/2022 at 11:32 (826 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada) | ||
Ed
I would restore the vacuum, but unless you really have a need for the high/low speed function, I would leave it alone.
These 4 and 5 wire Ametek 2 speed motors do work well and last a long time, but with one HUGE FLAW....the reason they need replacement is the speed that's used most often stops working first. Since most people use their vacuum in high speed on carpets and bare floors, that's the speed that stops working first. Then you are stuck with using the vacuum in low speed only, and the low speed is usually only good for furniture cleaning and dusting, so they have to take the motor in for replacement. That's the whole reason why you see circuit boards in vacuums with variable speed control, they allow the use of single speed 2 wire motors that are much more reliable. The other reason not to use a 2 speed motor is there is no way to upgrade to a more powerful motor in the future if desired. Those Ametek 4 and 5 wire motors pull about 90" waterlift, and while that was good for the 80s and 90s when these vacuums were made, new vacuums now have motors that produce at least 100" waterlift. If you do want to upgrade the performance in the future, there are 3 motors available that will fit and work perfectly in your TriStar. The first is a double stage Electro Motor motor, this is the motor used in the TriStar EXL, that pulls 100" waterlift. The second motor is a upgraded double stage version of this Electro Motor motor that pulls 116" waterlift, this motor will literally turnn your TriStar into a portable central vac. The third motor is a double stage Ametek motor from the Numatic Henry canisters that will pull 110" waterlift. All 3 of these motors will fit in the rubber motor mount and they are the same size as the motor you have now. I wouldn't worry about needing to reduce the suction for carpet or bare floors. If you use the TriStar powerhead or a floor brush, the powerhead has a sliding suction relief valve on it and most floor brushes are designed to allow air to flow through them and not stick to the floor, so that's not a worry. If you do need a way to reduce suction for dusting and other jobs, what you could do is buy a straight suction hose off Ebay, take it into a vac shop, have them take the hose handle off and put a rubber hose cuff on and generic metal hose handle with a bleeder valve to reduce suction. This solution will be much more simple and reliable in the end, which is what you want right? Also, to make the vacuum's suction last longer and improve filtration, I would open up and line the cloth support bag with a Kenmore Q/C HEPA Cloth bag. The TriStar single ply paper bags do clog quickly, reducing suction fast, and leak lots of dust. The Kenmore bags solve both these issues and can be bought in bulk generic bag packs dirt cheap on Amazon, Ebay and AliExpress. Just simply cut the bag open closest to the cardboard collar, rip the cardboard collar off, and then line the cloth support bag with it. Best of luck with the restoration Ed. You found a really good, high performance vacuum that's a favorite amongst collectors. Happy Vacuuming :). Rob | ||
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Post# 449328 , Reply# 13 1/18/2022 at 12:37 (826 days old) by Thevacomaticiec (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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Could be a bad switch so yes open her up 3 screws .2 in each wheel and one bellow bag door clamp and open it .If you plan on period correct restoration ebay for hose wants tools is you best bet but be prepaired to $$ for the golden tools and period correct parsts .But id think your best bet is replace cord and test swith. | ||
| Post# 449330 , Reply# 14 1/18/2022 at 13:03 (826 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada) | ||
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Ed, I would just leave the motor in there for the time being. The only thing I would suggest is, since the motor is now 21 years old and you have no idea of how often the previous owner used the vacuum, it would be wise to invest in a armature seating stone and to install a new set of carbon brushes. Once the brushes get too short, the metal holder can get close enough to the armature and cause irreversible damage. This will prevent that, clean up your armature and insure your motor lasts and is reliable for many years to come.
As for how much amps your original motor in this vacuum would have drawn - first of all, know that the next TriStar CXL single speed model used the Ametek 116311 motor which drew 7.5 amps. Both this motor and the 2 speed Ametek motor TriStar used would have both pulled 90" waterlift on their highest speed. So when you say you want to return the vacuum to original specs, don't worry about the amp draw! Amps only tell you how much power the motor uses, it is NOT a direct correlation to how much waterlift and airflow the motor produces or how efficiently therefore it is using that energy. As long as the vacuum is producing 90" waterlift with that motor, just worry about that and be happy if it is. Now, as to whether you should replace it with a new one and sell your current motor? Don't bother trying to sell yours. Used motors generally don't sell for much. Also, try your vacuum out first with the current motor....depending on the surfaces cleaned daily and the type of dirt you pick up in your home, the current motor may be more than sufficient for your needs. Also, if you use the Kenmore bags I suggested, that will help A LOT, as part of determining whether the motor produces enough suction and airflow for your needs is how well the vacuum maintains it's suction and airflow. If it does that well, you don't need to get a higher powered motor to compensate. So since the Kenmore cloth bags will allow the vacuum to perform better longer, that may be beneficial to you. I will send you links by email tonight to the 3 motors I mentioned in case you do decide to upgrade. And btw you are more than welcome for the advice I gave above. Rob | ||
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