The vacuum cleaner (Dyson DC14) didn't seem to be picking up very well (hasn't been for some time), so consulted the interweb and YouTube and determined that the brushes were probably worn. Searched around a bit and determined that it was also best to change the 2 belts - the one from the motor to the clutch, and the other from the clutch to the brush bar, along with the brush bar. The clutch shuts off the drive to the brush bar when you stand the machine handle upright.
So, ordered a new clutch assembly at £16, which comes complete with the belts fitted as the clutch (including ball bearings and springs) has to be dismantled to fit new belts, and a brush bar. Total about £37. I was confident I could disassemble and reassemble the clutch, but at £16 it seemed like a better plan than the inevitable hunting in the dust under the garage bench for the spring that pinged off whilst the clutch was in bits.
Bargain if the machine is as good as new once fitted. Ordering was the easy bit............
New clutch c/w belts and the other bits arrived Monday morning (which is good since I'd only ordered on Saturday afternoon), checked the part numbers, all good. But...... (and there's always a but)....... the new belts were about 50% of the length of the old ones. Which, along with the old brushes being about 2mm shorter than the new ones probably explains why the Dyson was not picking up as well as it did - despite plenty of vacuum.
Getting the clutch belt onto the motor spindle appeared to need the belt to go through a non-existent gap, whilst being stretched to about twice as long as it was at rest. Consulted YT and various people said it's a struggle, but it does go on without tools but with the use of strong fingers.
So I struggled a bit, but did get it on. But I had to have a coffee and a lie down afterwards.
Now for the brush bar. Well that belt was so new and short it went into hiding and had to be 'persuaded' even to show its face - let alone stretch enough to be able to get the new brush bar to fit behind it.
Back to YT. Without YT I'd have been convinced it was the wrong belt. Now here's the catch. All of the videos I went to for the first 15 minutes said that you need the Dyson tool (whatever number, which we happen to supply.....) to be able to stretch the brush bar belt and open up a gap so that you can insert the brush bar. Oh b0gger.
Anyway, after a bit more searching found a couple of videos that show how to bodge it with a large screwdriver (and probably lots of swearing). After a deep breath and more coffee.
And that's how I did it - but I didn't need the Anglo-Saxon. So that was a result.
I'd also taken the cyclone to bits over the weekend and flushed that all out so there was no crud anywhere, and changed the filters, so there was no excuse for any lack of suction. So, having put it all back together, tried it.
Well, I'm now finding muck in the carpets that's not seen the light of day since the Pre-Cambrian. Amazing. It actually picks up, and the bin was full of fluff and hairs after only 10 minutes hoovering (Dysoning??). And I thought the carpets were fairly clean.
But without YT I'd have been wondering just how to get it back together when the belts were clearly far too short - even though the part numbers matched the old belts.. How did we mange without it?
