I received a DC14 that sort of worked. By sort of, I mean it turned on, and vacuumed a bit, but the plug and prongs would get really, really hot. Being new to the vacuum cleaner world, I google possible causes, and loose connections at the motor seemed high on the list. So I took the whole thing apart. The existing motor had a rusty housing, and the bearings made scraping noises if I spun it by hand, but since they were slide on connections, they weren't really loose. I figured a new motor would do the trick, since the old one was a mess.
I got the new motor, put it in, put the vacuum all back together, and unfortunately the plug is still pretty hot. The prongs were a bit bent, so I straightened them with pliers, and tried to remove any corrosion with a scratch pad. Darn it if it doesn't still get hot. It's better, yes, but I can't touch the prongs with my fingers for more than a couple of seconds after powering down and unplugging. The cord gets warm about 10cm down from the wall plug. I'm thinking there may be some sort of damage in the plug/cord right there at the end.
The question: Can I just replace the plug only, and not the whole cord? Also, the seals are pretty shot on this old girl, does anyone sell a kit with all? I was looking to get a bit cheaper price by buying all at once, perhaps.