Thread Number: 43186  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
My new (to me) Hoover U4363-045
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Post# 451447   4/10/2022 at 19:51 (717 days old) by mjhoshaw (Western PA)        

Hello all,

 

I just acquired this vacuum from eBay. This is my first Convertible since the late 1970s, so I wasn't aware that at some point Hoover switched to plastic bases. Actually that worked in my favor, because the paint scuffs came off more easily than from painted metal. The vacuum arrived with the handle disassembled in the middle, and the cord was cut there. The cut was clean so I can't help thinking that whomever packed it did so to make it easier to pack. The seller said it was shipping damage and offered a full refund but I wrote that the vacuum would be repairable, I just didn't want to jeopardize getting a refund if I found hidden damage after I got it running. The seller really appreciated my honesty and he's standing by giving me a full refund if I can't get it working, or a partial if I can. I added about 4" of cord so I could splice the original cord, and I'm happy to report that the vacuum works fine. For some reason I love the sound of the old Hoover uprights. This one sounds like I remember, pretty rough around the edges compared to my Royal upright, but that's the way I like them. I'm very happy with how well this cleaned up.

 

This model hardly qualifies as a convertible, which is marked on the outer bag, because it has no attachment port. The agitator has only bristles. That surprised me! What happened to "It beats, as it sweeps, as it cleans"? The motor is rated 4.5 amps, and the fan is plastic. I popped the hood so I could oil the top bearing, and I could see where corners definitely were cut over the years compared to the pink 1960s one I had as a kid. On the other hand, I noticed that the top bearing plate has locating nubs to get it positioned exactly right. And I love how lightweight this is! It's a featherweight compared to my Sanitaire S688B.

 

Four questions:

 

Does 1985 sound right for its year of manufacture? That's what an archive search turned up.

Can I substitute an agitator with a beater bar, or will that not make a lot of difference in cleaning ability?

Where can I find the rubber ring that holds the paper bag in place? An eBay search turned up nothing, but it has to be a very common part.

The outer bag is tearing apart near the bellows. Does anyone have an intact outer bag that would go with this vacuum that you are willing to sell? If so, please email at the address in my profile.

 

I wonder how many millions of Convertibles Hoover made. Just the number of models is mind-boggling.

 

Joel

 


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Post# 451458 , Reply# 1   4/10/2022 at 22:45 (717 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
Nice little cleaner.

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
It IS a Convertible, because it takes the "front conversion" tools.


Post# 451490 , Reply# 2   4/11/2022 at 23:24 (716 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL)        

You can absolutely use an agitator with beaters. This is what's known as a plastic-base Convertible and like John said, it uses a pan converter for the tools. For the bag retainer, I believe the Eureka 48410 spring will work. As for the outer bag, they're all NLA as far as I know. Even the generic ones from DVC are hard to find.

Post# 451505 , Reply# 3   4/12/2022 at 09:29 (716 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)        
Bag retainer

If you don't find a spring retainer right away you can use either a Eureka or Hoover round belt instead. I've seen a couple examples of that being done.

Post# 451526 , Reply# 4   4/12/2022 at 16:58 (715 days old) by mjhoshaw (Western PA)        
Bag retainer

I found in the forum archives where the Hoover Lark belt works as a bag retainer. I ordered one from eBay.

 

Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

Joel


Post# 451551 , Reply# 5   4/13/2022 at 10:27 (715 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
Yes, the Lark belt works.

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
I wasn't sure you could still get those. But, now, you're all set to go!

Post# 451601 , Reply# 6   4/14/2022 at 11:54 (714 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
That motor sounds very different from

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
the ones on the metal base vacuums. Powerful little machine, though. No frills.


Post# 451673 , Reply# 7   4/15/2022 at 22:13 (712 days old) by mjhoshaw (Western PA)        
Motor sound

Yes, the motor sound is very different from that of the metal-based vacuums. I run mine at around 100 volts in order to get the RPM I want. Even then the agitator spins faster than I remember. I can live with the difference though.

 

Joel

 


Post# 451676 , Reply# 8   4/15/2022 at 23:44 (712 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
A guy on YouTube told me that the first plastic chassis Hoover Convertible was the U4127 in 1979. As far as I am aware the "Convertible" namesake was used all the way through the 1980's until the Decade series was introduced.

Post# 451749 , Reply# 9   4/18/2022 at 11:24 (710 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
I also have the orange one...........

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
as well as the brown one from the "vault".


Post# 452723 , Reply# 10   5/17/2022 at 19:32 (680 days old) by Paul (USA)        

I have a U4363-042 that is factory-equipped with a 4.8A motor; so I'm guessing that the U4363 wih no suffix has a motor rated at 4 amps.

Btw, the colors were named Olympic Blue and Oyster White.


Post# 452726 , Reply# 11   5/17/2022 at 20:19 (680 days old) by Paul (USA)        

As for 1985 that's about right. I had read in another thread "1986", so '85-'86 was probably its production run. I think the plastic bottom plates were first used in 1988.

Post# 452764 , Reply# 12   5/18/2022 at 20:21 (679 days old) by Paul (USA)        

I saw the spec sheet for the U4363, which did not list or show a nozzle adjuster but did specify a 4.8 amp motor; so the -042 suffix indicates the adjuster, and the -045 indicates the adjuster and 4.5 amp motor.

So does someone know how they were originally marketed - either all three versions sold side by side as options or each sold as part of a separate product line such as catalog, premium store, and warehouse?



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