Hoover Celebrity update

Hi all.

A little over a year ago, I posted that I had finally acquired a Hoover Celebrity.
A Celebrity IV Custom, to be exact, which I found free on Craigslist. I initially thought it was in a lot better shape than it is. But, hey...free is free.
Because I have severe anxiety, and zero mechanical inclination, I've been putting off one of the jobs that needed to be done; replacing the exhaust filter. As you probably know, a replacement is not available. So, I went the route of buying a sheet of foam air conditioner filter material, and figured I'd cut a piece to fit.
Problem is, that required a lot more disassembly of the machine than I ever do. And, I was stressing over not cutting the filter to the right size. This may seem ridiculous to those of you who do actual rebuilds/restorations. But, I was so nervous about it, that I put it off for over a year.
Well, after much sweating, and having to walk away a couple of times to just breathe, I finally did the job yesterday. Is it perfect? No. But, at least it's not hanging over my head any more. It's done.

For the first time since I got the vacuum, I was able to put everything together and try out the power nozzle; which I was told by the previous owner, didn't work.
Well, it does work...sort of. It definitely runs, and seems pretty quiet. But, it seemed like the brushroll wasn't spinning as fast as it should. Then came the burning rubber smell. So, I'll be replacing the belt. Maybe there's something binding up the brushroll, and preventing it from spinning properly. But, it seems to spin pretty freely by hand. I guess I'll find out.
The other problem that became immediately clear, is that the wand slips off the neck of the power nozzle when you pull it back toward you. I guess the plastic clip, that Hoover used on so many of their machines, has lost some of its tension, and no longer grips the little post securely enough. I would think, if I buy another wand of the same vintage, it's likely to have the same problem. Maybe Hoover made wands more recently that use the same system? They also need to have the little clips to hold the cord that goes to the power nozzle.

If my phone will let me take a picture, I'll try to add one at some point. This phone is on its last legs though. This is actually the second time I've had to write this novel, as it just disappeared the first time around.
Thanks, to anyone who read all of this!

Barry

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Post# 466529 10/1/2023 at 14:32 (228 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA)
Checkrate/Likes 2 Hi all. A little over a year ago, I posted that I had finally acquired a Hoover Celebrity. A Celebrity IV Custom, to be exact, which I found free on Craigslist. I initially thought it was in a lot better shape than it is. But, hey...free is free. Because I have severe anxiety, and zero mechanical inclination, I've been putting off one of the jobs that needed to be done; replacing the exhaust filter. As you probably know, a replacement is not available. So, I went the route of buying a sheet of foam air conditioner filter material, and figured I'd cut a piece to fit. Problem is, that required a lot more disassembly of the machine than I ever do. And, I was stressing over not cutting the filter to the right size. This may seem ridiculous to those of you who do actual rebuilds/restorations. But, I was so nervous about it, that I put it off for over a year. Well, after much sweating, and having to walk away a couple of times to just breathe, I finally did the job yesterday. Is it perfect? No. But, at least it's not hanging over my head any more. It's done. For the first time since I got the vacuum, I was able to put everything together and try out the power nozzle; which I was told by the previous owner, didn't work. Well, it does work...sort of. It definitely runs, and seems pretty quiet. But, it seemed like the brushroll wasn't spinning as fast as it should. Then came the burning rubber smell. So, I'll be replacing the belt. Maybe there's something binding up the brushroll, and preventing it from spinning properly. But, it seems to spin pretty freely by hand. I guess I'll find out. The other problem that became immediately clear, is that the wand slips off the neck of the power nozzle when you pull it back toward you. I guess the plastic clip, that Hoover used on so many of their machines, has lost some of its tension, and no longer grips the little post securely enough. I would think, if I buy another wand of the same vintage, it's likely to have the same problem. Maybe Hoover made wands more recently that use the same system? They also need to have the little clips to hold the cord that goes to the power nozzle. If my phone will let me take a picture, I'll try to add one at some point. This phone is on its last legs though. This is actually the second time I've had to write this novel, as it just disappeared the first time around. Thanks, to anyone who read all of this! Barry View Full Size This post was last edited 10/01/2023 at 15:23

Post# 466532 , Reply# 1 10/1/2023 at 16:19 (228 days old) by Gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Barry,* Nice. And, yes, hoover made wands.... with little clips. Perhaps I caN find one.

Post# 466662 , Reply# 2 10/8/2023 at 07:15 (221 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Hoover does still make wands with those plastic clips, for the Portapower Commercial. But, it would be chrome and wouldn�t have the power nozzle clips on it.

Post# 466666 , Reply# 3 10/8/2023 at 12:12 (221 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Yeah. I think I've seen those online. And, I actually have a commercial PortaPower that I've never taken out of the box. But, I want to find the wands with the clips.

Post# 466668 , Reply# 4 10/8/2023 at 15:38 (221 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Keep pushing the envelope!* First of all, congratulations on getting the filter done. I hope that accomplishment has been a confidence builder for you. You've pushed the envelope and enlarged your comfort zone in the process. On the power nozzle, it sounds like the belt is slipping. This is common as belts will stretch out over time. Now that you're more confident in your disassembly/reassembly skills, it's time to ride that wave and push the envelope a little bit more. Be aware that the replacement belt may look too small beside the original one, and it may be a little more of a challenge to put on. The proof will come when you turn the thing on and the brush roll spins like it should.

Post# 466671 , Reply# 5 10/8/2023 at 16:30 (221 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA)
Checkrate/Likes Thanks, Edgar! I'm actually okay with replacing belts. And, I practically rebuilt the power nozzle on my Hoover PowerMax canister. There was just something about the Celebrity filter (I've also seen it referred to as a muffler) that I found intimidating. I actually had the Celebrity power nozzle apart a year ago, when I first got it. But, I just gave it a cleaning; I didn't replace anything, nor did I try to run it. Like I said, I was waiting until I got the filter changed out first.

Post# 466674 , Reply# 6 10/8/2023 at 20:43 (221 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Congrats on the Celebrity find. They are great units! The exhaust filter to which you speak, really is a muffler. "Filtration" wasn't much of a thing at the time these units were made. They had a thin pre-motor filter around the motor shroud in the bag compartment and then the muffler was in the base. I have replaced a few mufflers at this point. None cut exactly perfectly but definitely functional. I bought a yard of 3/4" thick green breathable foam from Joann Fabrics and cut large donuts to size using the base of the machine as a rough template. In terms of your power head, the belt is very stretched causing it to barely turn when it hits resistance of the carpet. Since it is barely turning, that struggles the motor so it can't run like it should, thereby building up high friction and causing the burnt rubber smell you get. The original belt for that power nozzle is Hoover 38528-009. It is a smaller diameter and not as wide as the belt that came out following power heads which used the 38528-011 belt. You might try a Filter Queen belt but it will probably be too wide. Oddly enough you can often still find Celebrity belts on eBay. In terms of wands, the lower wand is a straight aluminum or chrome wand. Hoover used that same style from the Celebrity of the 70s up through the last of the PowerMax and Windtunnel first generation series respective of about 2007. They are very easy to find all over eBay and you may also find some vac shops with some used in good shape or new. The brush roll on your power head also has a bearing on each end that is most likely due to be greased. Best of luck and keep us posted!