Need to replace motor brushes on Kenmore canister vacuum 116.25914503 - Getting lots of arcing at brush ends. Need tear-down steps to get at the brushes.

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There should be 4-5 screws on the bottom of the brush assembly, remove them and you will see the brush and belt, remove each end of the brush assembly they should lift up and out of the housing,and either replace or reailine the belt on the motor side of the housing.

The belt is broken.First while looking at the brushes,find the screws that hold that bottom plate on.Remove the screws and the plate comes off.This will allow you to lift the brush out of the vacuum.It is important to make note of how the brush fits in the vacuum.The new belt will fit on a groove on the brush.The other end fits on a small wheel about six inches back from the brush.


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A lot of times the reset button is tripping because there is a problem. The problem could be with the brush roller in this case. A lot of times I see this unit for repair and the end of the brush is so compacted with hair and debris that it has also started to melt. This will also "fool" the reset and trip off. If you are near a service depot try there, or try sears parts if you need to have the brush roller replaced.

Bypassing the reset button is not advisable on any machine.

Hello,

Here's what you'll need to replace a belt on a Kenmore canister vacuum:

- Phillips Head Screw Driver
- Flat Head Screw Driver

Here's how you can replace the belt on your Kenmore Canister vacuum cleaner. First, before taking apart the power nozzle to change the belt, try pressing the overload protection system reset switch. This overload protection feature is designed to shut off the power nozzle if something gets stuck in the brushes, to prevent the belt from breaking. On most Kenmore models it's either a grey switch cover to the right of the neck for your power nozzle, or it could also be a little red colored pole. The reset switch will turn all power off to the power nozzle. If you turn on the vacuum, and try turning on the power nozzle and you hear absolutely no noise, then it's possible it may just need to be reset. It also could mean that your hose may have a short circuit in it (pretty common on Kenmore), and the hose is not getting power down to the power nozzle. If however you turn on the power nozzle, and you can hear the motor in the power nozzle come on when you switch it to carpets, then mostly likely your belt needs to be changed. On the model that I was fixing, the reset switch is a grey color, and I highlighted the reset switch in red:



So we'll just say for this repair that you are able to hear some noise come on in the power nozzle, but the brush is still not turning. This indicates a bad belt. Here's how you can fix it:

Step 1. If you're power nozzle is a square shaped nozzle like the nozzle that I took a picture of above, then you'll need to first remove the headlight cover before you can access the roller brush and belt. Simply squeeze both sides of the headlight housing, and while squeezing, lift upwards with your fingers exactly where my fingers are located in this picture:



Step 2. After the headlight cover has been removed, you'll see two screws underneath of the headlight cover, directly in front of the neck of the power nozzle. You'll need to remove both of these screws. I have circled these screws in red:



Step 3. After both of these screws have been removed, turn the power head upside down, so the roller brush is facing upwards. Look on the both the left and the right sides of the power nozzle. You should see writing that points to an area to put your flat head screw driver. You'll need to put the flat head screw driver down inside of the nozzle, and pry the top blue housing from the black bottom housing. Here's where the screw driver should go on the left side:

Here's a picture of the screwdriver prying off the right side:



Step 4. Now turn the power nozzle back over on top, and remove the top housing of the nozzle. You may have to push the handle release pedal in order to take the top housing off.

Step 5. Once the top housing has been removed you should now either see a white semi-circle shaped housing over top of the brush, or your model may not have this part (some did and others didn't). If yours has a long white part over top of the power nozzle, look at the back corners of this white colored housing, and you'll see two clips, one on each side. You need to push these clips in, and pull backwards at the same time.

Step 6. Once this white colored housing has been removed, or if you model didn't have this housing, you'll now have full access to the roller brush and belt. You should instantly be able to see the belt if it's broken, as it won't be connected to the roller brush. Simply pull straight up on the roller brush to remove it from the vacuum cleaner:


Step 7. Wrap one end of the belt around the metal motor shaft in the back of the nozzle. Wrap the other end through the roller brush, and stretch the brush back into the housing where it belongs. Simply reassemble the parts, and test the vacuum to make sure the brush spins!

If you don't hear the power nozzle motor come on when you change the hose from Floors to Carpeting, this either means the reset switch needs to be pushed, or that you have a bad hose that needs to be replaced.

If you would like help on how to diagnosis the electric hose to see if it's bad, please just use the Clarification Request here on Fixya. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me, I'm always more then happy to answer follow up questions. If this repair was helpful to you, please be sure to rate it as helpful by clicking the thumbs up icons at the top of the repair.

Thank you very much,

Chris J.
GoVacuum.com

Hello,

Here's what you'll need to replace a belt on a Kenmore canister vacuum:

- Phillips Head Screw Driver
- Flat Head Screw Driver

There are two different types of belts that are used on a Kenmore Canister. One of them is called a cogged belt, which has little teeth on the inside of the belt. The other is called a serpantine belt, which looks like a car belt, and has little grooves on the inside of the. You'll be able to tell which on yours takes after opening up the power nozzle.

This is the Cogged or Geared Belt with little teeth inside the belt:
Kenmore Canister Geared Belt for Canister Vacuums

This is the other Serpantine Belt that has little grooves on the inside of the belt:
Kenmore Canister Serpantine Belt for Canister Vacuums

Here's how you can replace the belt on your Kenmore Canister vacuum cleaner. First, before taking apart the power nozzle to change the belt, try pressing the overload protection system reset switch. This overload protection feature is designed to shut off the power nozzle if something gets stuck in the brushes, to prevent the belt from breaking. On most Kenmore models it's either a grey switch cover to the right of the neck for your power nozzle, or it could also be a little red colored pole. The reset switch will turn all power off to the power nozzle. If you turn on the vacuum, and try turning on the power nozzle and you hear absolutely no noise, then it's possible it may just need to be reset. It also could mean that your hose may have a short circuit in it (pretty common on Kenmore), and the hose is not getting power down to the power nozzle. If however you turn on the power nozzle, and you can hear the motor in the power nozzle come on when you switch it to carpets, then mostly likely your belt needs to be changed. On the model that I was fixing, the reset switch is a grey color, and I highlighted the reset switch in red:



So we'll just say for this repair that you are able to hear some noise come on in the power nozzle, but the brush is still not turning. This indicates a bad belt. Here's how you can fix it:

Step 1. If you're power nozzle is a square shaped nozzle like the nozzle that I took a picture of above, then you'll need to first remove the headlight cover before you can access the roller brush and belt. Simply squeeze both sides of the headlight housing, and while squeezing, lift upwards with your fingers exactly where my fingers are located in this picture:



Step 2. After the headlight cover has been removed, you'll see two screws underneath of the headlight cover, directly in front of the neck of the power nozzle. You'll need to remove both of these screws. I have circled these screws in red:



Step 3. After both of these screws have been removed, turn the power head upside down, so the roller brush is facing upwards. Look on the both the left and the right sides of the power nozzle. You should see writing that points to an area to put your flat head screw driver. You'll need to put the flat head screw driver down inside of the nozzle, and pry the top blue housing from the black bottom housing. Here's where the screw driver should go on the left side:

Here's a picture of the screwdriver prying off the right side:



Step 4. Now turn the power nozzle back over on top, and remove the top housing of the nozzle. You may have to push the handle release pedal in order to take the top housing off.

Step 5. Once the top housing has been removed you should now either see a white semi-circle shaped housing over top of the brush, or your model may not have this part (some did and others didn't). If yours has a long white part over top of the power nozzle, look at the back corners of this white colored housing, and you'll see two clips, one on each side. You need to push these clips in, and pull backwards at the same time.

Step 6. Once this white colored housing has been removed, or if you model didn't have this housing, you'll now have full access to the roller brush and belt. You should instantly be able to see the belt if it's broken, as it won't be connected to the roller brush. Simply pull straight up on the roller brush to remove it from the vacuum cleaner:




Step 7. Wrap one end of the belt around the metal motor shaft in the back of the nozzle. Wrap the other end through the roller brush, and stretch the brush back into the housing where it belongs. Simply reassemble the parts, and test the vacuum to make sure the brush spins!

If you don't hear the power nozzle motor come on when you change the hose from Floors to Carpeting, this either means the reset switch needs to be pushed, or that you have a bad hose that needs to be replaced.

If you would like help on how to diagnosis the electric hose to see if it's bad, please just use the Clarification Request here on Fixya. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me, I'm always more then happy to answer follow up questions. If this repair was helpful to you, please be sure to rate it as helpful by clicking the thumbs up icons at the top of the repair.

Thank you very much,

Chris J.
GoVacuum

The 6865 has a high rpm AMTEK Lamb motor, Brushes will seldom solve the problem at this stage.
Once the sparking and burning starts the conectiion between the brush and commutator is arcing and burning. If the sparks are blue, save your time.
A good service tech will run in brushes with a seating stone and a low voltage setup to allow new brushes to seat, but this is generally best accomplished on heavy duty , lower rpm motors.
IF YOUR ARMATURE IS SCRATCHY LOOKING OR WORN LIKE AN APPLE CORE,OR THE SEGMENTS ARE NOT PARALLEL IN THE SPACING YOU WILL NEED A NEW MOTOR.

It sounds like you have bad carbon brushes on the motor. Get replacement brushes from a local vac shop, and take the unit apart. On each side of the motor their is a retangular piece of plastic with what looks like magnets in them. In most cases they are simply held by 2 screws. Replace these brushes and reasemble the unit. If the problem persists you have burned out the comutator on the motor and the whole thing must be replaced.

I have a whispertone vacuum, different model #, but maybe instructions will be the same. Turns out I didn't need a new belt, just clean out the crud and reset overload protector. The instructions in the manual tell you to remove the light cover and bulb first. To do this, press in and lift both sides. Push in and turn bulb counterclockwise to remove. (you need to do this because the next step involves turning the unit over). This takes you to
Step 2. Unscrew the cover screws ( on either side of bulb).
Step 3. Turn unit over. To remove cover, insert screwdriver at cover tabs on both sides and twist to release tabs.
Step. 4 Turn unit right side up. Press handle release pedal and lower the swivel. Tilt cover forward from back until front snaps free.
Step 5. Carefully insert and twist screwdriver at each brush support to free brush from base.
Step 6. Remove worn belt.
Step 7. Slide brush supports off to check and clean brush support areas.

To replace belt: slide washers and brush supports onto brush assembly.
Install new belt over motor drive, then over brush sprocket.
Snap brush supports into place on base. Be sure brush supports are not upside down.
Line up front of cover and base. Rest cover on front edge of base. Tilt cover to back. Press cover firmly until side tabs snap into place. Replace cover screws, light bulb and light cover.

Another potential problem for the increase in difficulty in turning the beater bar (drum) could stem from extremely dirty bearings, located at each end of the beater bar. I've seen hair knotted up to the point it chokes the bar and significantly reduces its ability tpo turn.