Dyson & Sebo Vacuum Cleaner Repair & Advice Forums

Dyson Models => Dyson DC14, DC17, DC27, DC28 and DC33 => Topic started by: Raven on October 04, 2012, 02:27:16 pm

Title: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 04, 2012, 02:27:16 pm
I Received my new motor from Manchester Vacs and as promised here is my step by step guide on how I did it with pictures included.

I have removed the filters, bin and brush bar..note, it was easier to remove the shaft from the bar by pulling one of the ends off,( I have no spreader for the belt only some beefy screwdrivers and my fingers)this gave a bit less stretch than if the ends were left on.

These first two pictures show a view into where the motor fan is situated, the nut came off the shaft and stopped the fan causing the motor to overheat and burn out.

You can click all these little thumbnail photos to make the photo full size.

[attach=1]

[attach=2]
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 04, 2012, 03:17:59 pm
Remove the brush housing (I am just using terminology as I see the parts, they will obviously have technical names that elude me so please be patient) this is described as "rocking it to and fro whilst pulling" I thought that the clear plastic would shatter if I gave it any more pulling and found that heating up the area with a hair drier very carefully worked with little effort involved.
Now short flexible pipe can be carefully pulled off.
Now remove the screw that holds the "cam plate actuator arm"?...its a black cup that is held in place with a short screw..remove it and slide out the shaft...the next two photo's.

[attach=1]

[attach=2]

Just for interest, I put an old cushion cover on the floor and stood the Dyson upside down on it so that I didn't damage the handle and it was at the right height for me to work on.
Next we can remove the screws that hold the "clutch cover" ? in place....next three pics, remove them they are all the same length.

[attach=3]

[attach=4]

[attach=5]

Wiggle the cover off, it will give you some stick but it will come off...note that it has a long thin guide rod on the under part of its casing, mine was bent 90 degrees, straighten it otherwise you will forget to do it later, I could not see any locating hole for it but it must just support the casing.
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 08, 2012, 01:16:32 pm
Sorry for the delay, duty called.
The next picture is showing the actuating arm, having removed the pin previously it is now loose and able to be moved out of the way of removing the clutch housing.

[attach=1]

Next, remove those two plastic clips and remove the brush head assy.

[attach=2]

Start removing the screws as pictured starting with the next pic.

[attach=3]

As a note, see this little clear plastic inspection cover in the next screw removing pic...remove that too as it is a little pig during reassembly..it keeps flapping around and snapping the back of the fingers.

[attach=4]

Two more pics of more screws to remove..note they are all of similar length.

[attach=5]

[attach=6]
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 08, 2012, 01:24:22 pm
Two more screw removing pics.
[attach=1]

[attach=2]

This next pic shows the cover top half now being removed, looks straight forward but it is a wrestle to get it to seperate..note the annoying clear cover...also note the position of the cover where it sits in one of two grooves that are moulded onto the front part of the motor cover. The clutch housing sit in the outermost grooce and this cover about to be removed sits in the rear groove.
[attach=3]

Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 08, 2012, 01:46:12 pm
This picture shows the removal of the screw which is longer than all the others.
[attach=1]

This picture shows a catch that will be pressed forward during the removal of the motor housing.
[attach=2]

Next remove this smaller screw, I found out during reassembly that with a wiggle here and there the large part under that screw came away and would have made life a lot easier.
Note too the two grooves on the front of the motor housing and that the large part sits in the back part just as the top cover sat in it too.
[attach=3]

Ease the rubber grommet out of the motor hosing.
[attach=4]

Remove this plunger by turning it slightly, WARNING a spring flies out of the cavity if you are not aware of it.
[attach=5]

Now with a wiggle here or there you can pull out the motor housing...remember to pull the wires out a bit to give you more freedom, with the grommet removed they will come out quite a bit.
[attach=6]
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 08, 2012, 01:58:10 pm
Now looking in through the top, cut the tape that hold the two connectors together and seperate the brown and blue wire connectors, you can now pull the wires free from the motor housing and put the unit on the bench as per the following picture.
[attach=1]

Now with the unit on the bench you can see the two coloured halves of the housing unit, note the grey front part is held together wit "hook and tang" type integral clips as I've highlighted with the small screwdiver on the following pic.
[attach=2]

And again here..
[attach=3]

With a large flat bladed screwdriver carefully work it in between the hook and ease it forward, repeat this action for all the hooks, three if I remember correctly and ease off the front cover.
[attach=4]

After you remove the front cover you will see a rubber sleeve covering the motor (you can also see what caused my misery, no nut and the large washer was jammed in the fan, I have just pulled it out).
[attach=5]

There it is on the bench.
[attach=6]
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Raven on October 08, 2012, 02:06:56 pm
Working from inside, use your trusty large flat bladed screwdriver and gently push the motor out of the housing, dont worry about the rubber sleeve, it only covers part of the motor.
[attach=1]

This picture shows it removed and the full extent of the rubber sleeve.
[attach=2]

Simply run your fingers around the top edge and "peel" off the rubber sleeve...be careful you'll need to put it on your new motor, the picture shows the blown motor now completely removed.
[attach=3]

I will in the next few days publish the refitting which is the reverse of the above, but some of the pictures are better and a little clearer and it doesn't hurt to have too much information.
I still have to resize all those photo's so please be patient. In all including the photographing, the whole process from start to rebuilt working machine took 90 minutes and apart from some light wrestling and some uttered oaths wasn't too bad at all.
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: MVacs on October 08, 2012, 06:57:12 pm
That is an awesome guide Raven!  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: scrambled on December 17, 2012, 11:32:31 am
Yea I have done one of these I found the removal of the clutch cover a real pig, can't understand why they designed the thing like this  >:(
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: MV Claire on December 18, 2012, 12:19:18 pm
Yea I have done one of these I found the removal of the clutch cover a real pig, can't understand why they designed the thing like this  >:(

To dissuade you from doing it yourself most probably.  :chuckle:

Welcome to the site Scrambled.  :tiphat:
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: scrambled on December 18, 2012, 11:48:39 pm
LOL I've been repairing vacuum cleaners for best part of 36 years, it always surprises me when you look at the design of the more modern vacuum cleaner. Take for interest the present range of Vax cleaners how do they expect an old lady to change a belt on them 5 screws and one of them hidden under the hight adjustment mechanism.  :'( They don't think of the extra engineers time they will be paying for when these DC27 motors burn out under the 5 year guarantee completely over engineered.  Changed a Vax motor on one of their new models the other day took all of 5 minutes  ;) 
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: MVacs on December 19, 2012, 09:42:40 pm
Changed a Vax motor on one of their new models the other day took all of 5 minutes  ;)

Vax are so crap that they need to be engineered like that.  :biglaugh:

Sorry....... couldn't help that one. :tiphat:
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Sleaford White on September 08, 2014, 03:15:36 pm
Just stripped down my first ever DC27 and I must say I'd have probably struggled a bit without this guide. Well, perhaps not struggled, but there would have been a lot of bad language and shouting at the cats!
I think Stuart is right though, they are more trouble than they are worth.

Top tip; don't take one of these to bits if you have a 5 month kitten about. They think VRV springs are a mouse!
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Sleaford White on September 09, 2014, 03:08:40 pm
Just spent 3 hours putting the bar steward back together  :'(. I've got another one that needs a clutch change. After that, never again!
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: __russ__ on September 09, 2014, 09:47:22 pm
Just spent 3 hours putting the bar steward back together  :'(. I've got another one that needs a clutch change. After that, never again!

I think my first one took a similar time  :))

Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: VacMine on September 26, 2014, 07:19:06 pm
Are the DC27's any good? Never had any experience with them and we've got two just sitting here ready to be looked at :boggleeye:
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: MVacs on September 26, 2014, 07:46:49 pm
Are the DC27's any good?

You might want to read this (https://manchestervacs.co.uk/DysonForum/index.php/topic,1205.msg5149.html#msg5149).
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: VacMine on September 26, 2014, 09:42:01 pm
That's a no then lol :))
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: beko1987 on January 20, 2015, 12:29:42 pm
Excellent read!

I've only just read it as I've got a DC27 in for repair now, the lady's just dropped it off to my office as it's closer to her than my house. From what she was describing I thought she had changeover valve issues, but she showed me the internal hose (the one that provides suction to the brush-roll housing) keeps coming off!

Not looked at it yet, will do that tomorrow, but from what you saw, do the internal hoses ever cause issues on these, or does it just need to be put back on properly?
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: MVacs on January 21, 2015, 10:43:24 pm
I don't recall many issues with the internal hose. We don't sell many of those, maybe one or two a month.

The changeover valve issue blights what is otherwise a decent machine. And we have never been able to identify what causes it. Its a shame, but that issue alone has made the DC27 for us a 'non-build' which means we break every one we get for spares. As we do with DC18's too (because we don't want to put warranty on a £40 undercarriage).

I regard the DC27 as one of Dyson's lemons.
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: beko1987 on January 21, 2015, 11:01:25 pm
Well I have the machine, and the changeover valve is fine! It was the internal hose, it kept popping off underneath on the machine end.

I flipped it round and refitted it, and after several runs around its not popped off yet!
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: asaddc33 on May 06, 2015, 04:10:40 pm
Great pictorial waiting for the reassemble pictorial very helpful
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: beko1987 on May 06, 2015, 04:55:22 pm
As Mr Haynes always says, reassembly is the reverse of disassembly...
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: PANIC on December 02, 2015, 09:46:54 pm
great write up and picture tutorial... 1st DC27 motor now changed
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: bluebumble485 on December 03, 2015, 08:55:59 pm
I don't buy  them anymore they take to long to change so much hard work and sore fingers ,
dc33 far quicker to do lol ,I can do a  motor on dc33 in 20 mins easy the dc27 75 mins ,that's why time I just ont have 
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Parwaz7862 on December 03, 2015, 10:36:41 pm
Want to have a play with a DC27 see what they are like to fiddle with and work on, one day...
DC33 etc motors are easy peasy, however a DC01 motor takes like 2 mins to access! ;D
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Madrat on December 21, 2015, 06:20:50 pm
Just stripped my first dc27  :D  Why make it so much more difficult,  what was wrong with the basic dc14 design?  :'(
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Parwaz7862 on December 21, 2015, 06:50:43 pm
I only used a DC27 once, lol. What's so bad about stripping them down?  What's it like to work on against a DC25?
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Madrat on December 21, 2015, 06:55:12 pm
Its about the same as a dc25 but compared to dc14 much more complicated, more screws, different sizes, much harder to get motor bucket out, and removing the brush housing is exhausting  :boggleeye:
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Parwaz7862 on December 21, 2015, 06:57:42 pm
Wow :| Sounds weird. Also, if the DC27 was complex enough to out refurbishers off, I don't know why Dyson discontinued wheeled vacuums? Even the DC28 was discontinued and was a pretty mechanical machine
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: bungz on December 31, 2015, 04:16:03 pm
I found one of these on a neighbours lawn for the scrap man so picked it up as I have repaired several DC07's.

The problem I figured was the motor brushes had worn out so I just ordered a replacement and I will refurb original the motor myself for another find.

I have just finished it and I can say if I find another DC27 it can stay put, took me bloody ages and it is a bugger to line up and put together again. Such a PITA. Why change so many things over the DC07   ::)

Also it was absolutely filthy, had to use a Stanley knife to cut the brush bar clean  :sick0012:

It is however like new now  8)
Title: Re: DC27 Motor Change Pictoral Guide
Post by: Andy_F on March 10, 2018, 04:40:05 pm
Many thanks for this topic. I would not have attempted to change the motor without this.

I must say, I thought it would be worse than it actually was, having read it a couple of times before even buying the motor. And especially as the lady at Manchester Vacs said not to worry, I could take in the DC27 in bits if I was unsuccessful!! I just took my time and followed this to the letter.  Prior to this, the most I’d ever done to any vacuum was to empty it 😂