Vacuum Motor "Upgrade" for strongest suck

[Kevin James]

We used to use the Lamb VAL6336 vacuum motor until they got too expensive. We switched over to the Kleen-rite VMK19 motor and have been very satisfied with the performance. We change our vacuum motors brushes yearly, normally in August. Someone here on the Forum years ago, I think it was Randy suggested using a mercury relay to control the vacuum motors to take the load off of the timer. We haven’t had to replace a timer since installing the mercury relay in each vacuum.

 

[Sparkleclean]

We use 2 different kinds of dilling harris vacs at one site that we have been rehabbing recently. I noticed a drop in suction and set out to solve the problem. I replaced all the door seals and gaskets under the motors. I bought new filter bags and new hoses. I still had a problem with suction. I cleaned the entire vac out on the inside and discovered a few things. First, even though the shell was stainless steel, i have learned recently that not all stainless is equal, this stainless had rotted through causing tiny little pin holes where the sides curved into the bottom. When you look at it from the outside the holes were basically where the vac meets the base it is mounted on.

I also noticed that looking from the inside, the mounting holes in the bottom where you bolt the actual vac down to the base or stand it is on, had some bolts that were broken causing most of my vacs to not be fully secured to the stands they are on. Some bolt holes didnt even have bolts in them. That was causing a huge loss of suction. I used lexel sealant to caulk around the outside bottom edge of the vacs sealing up those pin holes, then i filled in all of the mounting holes in the bottom, after resecuring the vacs, with sealant also. After all of that i got an increase of about 15 inches of water lift on most of the vacs.

 

[6t7gto]

How do you measure the inches of water lift?
thx
david

 

[Randy]

How do you measure the inches of water lift?
thx
david

With a vacuum test gauge or vacuum gauge https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-29439-vacuum-cleaner-test-gauge.aspx

 

[6t7gto]

Thank you Randy.

 

[Ultra Shine]

Newbie here..
I have owned my wash for less than a year. How do I tell what Vac I have?

I see NO label or tag anywhere.
I use the 2 KR motors, my unit has a KR dip switch timer and a mercury relay, Has 1 door and the 2 bags have a large spring in them.


PITA to change the bags as both motors must come out.

I am tight on cash flow at this point but thought I would buy a door from KR and cut out housing so I could ad a clean out spot. Just concerned the door will not match the circumference of the existing housing.

any idea how to identify them?

on a 2nd note.. they work great. just a pain to reach up shake them out. I only clean them weekly, but have to where a mask and i get covered with ......

 

[Main Street Carwash]

Sounds like you have Adams 8200 vacs. I just replaced all mine. A two door vac with 3 or 4 bags(no springs) is a much better set up, especially if they get a lot of use. I am not sure converting those would be cost effective.

 

[Ultra Shine]

Sounds like you have Adams 8200 vacs. I just replaced all mine. A two door vac with 3 or 4 bags(no springs) is a much better set up, especially if they get a lot of use. I am not sure converting those would be cost effective.

I can put new doors on for @60 bucks a vac. that is alot cheaper than new units at this point . Believe me if i could buy new ones I would

 

[MEP001]

Some Adams 2-bag vacuums have an H-bracket that hold down both motors. IMO that would be a better and easier conversion than adding a second door. With the H-bracket motor hold-down, you just loosen a thumbscrew and slip the motors out. Then you can lift out the bags and shake them in a trash can or change and wash them.

 

[Randy]

Use a toilet brush on the end of a stiff rubber hose so you don't have to stick you arm up inside. We used that when we had Monorail G-2 vacuums.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I have vacs with the spring in the bag (D&S). They collapse when the vac is running and fall back down when it shuts off, essentially shaking them every time used. If I’m in the notion when I have the door open (almost never), I swat them back and forth against the inside of the canister. As far as taking them out and cleaning them...that never happens.

 

[Ultra Shine]

turns out they are D&S units.
no upgrades offered and the Adams H bracket will not work from what Adams told me.

Looks like i just suck it up.. NO pun intended. THANKS ALL!

 

[MEP001]

The older Adams "H" bracket was nothing more than flat steel bar welded into an "H" with a threaded rod in the middle to hold it down with a wing nut. If the motors are close enough together (I think they won't be on a D&S oval unit) you could make or have someone make something similar. At least that would make taking the bags out a quick process for changing or just brushing/shaking.

If there's room you could add a third motor, but I doubt that would make a lot of difference as bad as the bags work.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

From my experience just reaching up and whacking those bags around with a brush or stick or whatever just doesn't get them cleaned off very well and is a messy affair. I would just pull the bayonettes with the bags and springs still attached and beat them against the grass to knock all the crap off of them. Not really a huge PITA with the 2 motor round Adams vacs that have the H bracket, but I did used to have some D&S 3 motor ovals that I remember I hated too. I don't know if it is the filter bag material or what but the spring bag style would start to restrict suction in a few days time. My old Doyles and my current round Colemans require exponentially less attention to the filter bags than those old D&S ovals and the single door Adams. If your vacs are busy, an upgrade may be worthwhile. There are plenty of used vacs for sale all over the country. Refurb some for a fraction of the cost of new. On this very forum there are some used Doyles right now and I know those are great vacuums.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

For what its worth, I was having trouble with one of my Coleman vacs having low suction even after new door gaskets, making sure there were no leaks anywhere, cleaning filter bags, and both motors working correctly. The problem turned out to be dirt caked on the inlet screens on the base of the motors. I seem to have a lot of customers that suck water up in the vacs so I assume thats the cause of the clogged screens. Cleaned those and it works great. I also have a ball type brush on a stick that fits up into the bags to brush them out and works quite well.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

For what its worth, I was having trouble with one of my Coleman vacs having low suction even after new door gaskets, making sure there were no leaks anywhere, cleaning filter bags, and both motors working correctly. The problem turned out to be dirt caked on the inlet screens on the base of the motors. I seem to have a lot of customers that suck water up in the vacs so I assume thats the cause of the clogged screens. Cleaned those and it works great. I also have a ball type brush on a stick that fits up into the bags to brush them out and works quite well.

Yep. That'll do it. I instruct my attendant when changing the filters as per our schedule, to make sure the screens are free of debris. I've seen them completely covered.