Author Topic: Hoover Constellation 852 - Stripdown, refurb (breakage) and improvement! (Read 21932 times)

beko1987 · « **on:** May 21, 2016, 02:33:03 pm »

So, ages and ages and ages ago, I bought this from a fellow collector

It ran like crap, but was complete, which is all you can really hope for with a constellation

It sat in the shed for a while whilst I refurbished Dysons for proper cash, went on holiday, worked etc, but the other sunday, the sun was out and I got it all out

Unclipped the top

and removed the new genuine bag and filter

The lid is held on with a pivot bar, removed by removing a tiny circlip

With the top off, the 3 screws that hold the middle plate on can be removed

beko1987 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2016, 02:38:34 pm »

We can now see the motor

The wires start at the supressor, the black neutral wire comes straight from the cord, the red live comes from the switch. Both can be pulled out

and the motor lifts out, it's only held in with the top plate and a lower rubber mounting

I've not seen this part on all connies, but there is a white diffuser under the motor, with a kitchen scouring sponge as a post motor filter!

I won't replace the sponge

Let's remove the cord

The top plate is thin wood, and is removed with 1 screw

Cord clamp off

The wire block is held on with the single screw removed earlier, so with the clamp off it flops about a bit

and is all unscrewed

beko1987 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2016, 02:44:45 pm »

This was one of the main issues with the machine, the cord strain sleeve was broken, so most of the motor air escaped through the cable hole, rather than underneath where it should

This clear part is the lower motor mount, and just sits on the bottom

Switch now

It's held in with metal brackets, which seperate with a flick of a screwdriver

and the brackets remove easily

The switch is loose now, and the protective stiff paper is removed from the housing

Even the switch is made by Hoover

beko1987 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2016, 02:51:00 pm »

The wiring loom can come off the switch now

There's a wooden diffuser sat on the outlet port which comes off once the metal tabs are lifted

Whilst moving the bits around, I found the top motor seal stuck in the top housing

Onto the top now quickly

The rubber bumper pulls off the perimeter

The bag seal pulls off inside

and the handle is removed with 2 screws underneath.

Motor now, I'll point out where it goes wrong...

The lower motor rubber lifts off

beko1987 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2016, 03:02:10 pm »

The fancase is screwed on! No hitting it with hammers here!

Crack the top nut off, and the washer, top fan and washer come off

Then, lift off the fixed part that was unscrewed with the screws earlier, then there's anotehr washer, another fan and yet another washer

The lower fan was quite filthy

We can now see the base of the motor

which unscrews with 4 more screws from above. One of these screws has a nut and grippy washer attached, as this holds the supressor bracket to the motor

With this plate removed, the armature can be pulled out too, leaving you with this

Next, it's time to remove the carbon brushes, and it was at the stage I notices one wasn't plugged in...

beko1987 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2016, 03:11:42 pm »

The other side shows how it should be connected

The supressor can be removed completely now

The carbon brushes pull out once unplugged

Time to get the coil out, done by a flathead screwdriver and small spanner/pliers on the bolt the other side

I can't remove any of the top carbon brush holders as I would have to replace all the rivets, and the machine isn't quite concourse enough for that. And I won't remove the top bearing as I don't have another one.

The comm looks good.

This is the bit you MUST NOT DO. If anyone knows where I can get the correct rivets from, please let me know!

Drill out the rivet tops, and remove the plate and oil trap

Underneath, there is another plate, a cupped plate, another oil trap and the most lovely re-greasable bearing I have ever seen!

Next, I drilled the 3 rivets out holding the skirt on to the machine base

beko1987 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2016, 03:36:54 pm »

Floor tool now

Undo all 4 screws and remove the bottom plate

The front lint strip slides out of each end of the base plate

The brush strip lifts out

as do the front wheels

The swivel neck is held in with a wire and 2 screws

Everything is now apart! Everything was washed, dried and polished. The bottom skirt was sanded briefly back, then spray painted with poundland silver wheel paint, to keep the rust off the carpet!

beko1987 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2016, 03:48:54 pm »

The skirt was then riveted back onto the base. One day, I'll run a bead of silcone around this, as a bit of air leaks around the join

I then tried to re-assemble the motor, and even re-greased the bearing, however, when putting the fancase bearing back together realised my issues. I did try to bodge it with various bits, but they were no good, the head always caught on the first fan washer, locking the motor solid.

Annoyed, I had a beer and a rolly, then looked in the shed to see what other motors I had. I came upon one of these

Which fitted in with some cut up dc24 rubber motor housing at the bottom, and the Quаltex and hoover motor rubbers on top

I quickly lobbed it all together to see if it worked

Which it did, rather well. So I finished it off, upgrading the filter as I went

and gave it a quick test with all the tools

Then played with it for a few minutes

I then prettied it up, and cleaned the cable

And the hose, which was filthy, and a bit fragile/worn

It split on me whilst cleaning it

which made the job finished a bit earlier!

It's a bit shorter now, but tbh that makes it float around better as before the long hose pulled it down a bit, whereas now it keeps it lifted up.

beko1987 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2016, 03:51:49 pm »

And the afters!

I've kept the original motor, incase I can find the correct rivets to fix it, but for now, this sure is fun! With 1200w rather than 550w, it works really well! Wonder what a 2200w Miele motor would work like... It does run hot though, after 15 minutes it's very VERY warm, presumably because the exhaust air is being held back, but meh, it's a laugh!

MVacs · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2016, 04:11:17 pm »

Nice job you did there.

I like those old Connies. I had one a while back but was unable to find the floor tool for it you have there.

beko1987 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2016, 04:55:54 pm »

If your one had had the floor tool id have been more interested, but the problem with this age of Hoover are the tools, no one makes them anymore, and their so rare to find on their own! The hose on mine is perished, if you bend it you can see strain marks, thats where it split, luckily on a bit I hadn't cleaned yet!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2016, 06:50:08 pm »

Great job, shame about the motor. You certainly made the best of it though. Really would be fun to see a miele motor in it, wonder how hot it would get! Hope it doesn't melt the metal....

I guess we're lucky over here, constellations crop up fairly often (not usually in great shape admittedly). Yet tools and parts can still be found.

beko1987 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2016, 07:01:31 pm »

Yes, you get much more choice of them in the US! And celebrities, so many celebrity machines!

I have been told that the motor I broke isn't actually the original motor! Its a later one introduced with the 867a. So I'm not as upset about breaking it now.

Ive been on Google too, and need to borrow the micrometers from work and measure the rivet dimensions, must be something out there!

dysondc16 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2016, 07:12:08 pm »

We had a huge number of celebrity variants, we really are spoiled for choice!

Good to know the motor wasn't original. I imagine there is some way to replace those rivets. I can't believe hoover would have developed their own fittings for that.

beko1987 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2016, 07:13:36 pm »

I can! Someone would have probably designed a special machine for fitting thrn too... Maybe 4 tiny flat headed bolts and nuts... Its not urgent though, I've used the carbon brushes from it for our new lawnmower now...