Easy Shop Vac Fix for noisy bearings (WnW #43)
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- It sounded like it was about to self-destruct, but the fix turned out to be simple.
⇊ Click below for more information! ⇊
My shopvac was making a nasty rattle during use, which turned into a nasty squeal as it was turned off. Rather than throw it away I disassembled it to remove the motor. I added several drops of machine oil to the top bearing (couldn't easily access the bottom bearing) and tested it, and then reassembled it.
It now works fine again. Not bad for a free shopvac that I picked up off the curb on trash day. At least now I know why the previous owner threw it out. But it was such an easy fix! When you have nothing to lose, why not try taking it apart and fixing it yourself!?
More details are on the project web page at
www.wordsnwood....
UPDATE SIX MONTHS LATER: Got a bit noisy again, but it was easy enough to pop it open and add more oil
Another more in-depth look at shop vac repair is by Matthias Wandel: woodgears.ca/m...
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My shopvac was making a nasty rattle during use, which turned into a nasty squeal as it was turned off. Rather than throw it away I disassembled it to remove the motor. I added several drops of machine oil to the top bearing (couldn't easily access the bottom bearing) and tested it, and then reassembled it.
It now works fine again. Not bad for a free shopvac that I picked up off the curb on trash day. At least now I know why the previous owner threw it out. But it was such an easy fix! When you have nothing to lose, why not try taking it apart and fixing it yourself!?
More details are on the project web page at
www.wordsnwood.com/2016/shopvacfix/
UPDATE SIX MONTHS LATER: Got a bit noisy again, but it was easy enough to pop it open and add more oil
Another more in-depth look at shop vac repair is by Matthias Wandel: woodgears.ca/motors/shopvac.html
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Many more Woodworking Projects at: www.wordsnwood.com/
Must of been before CRAFTSMAN went cheap. I bought a brand new one that you attach to a 5 gallon bucket from Ace Hardware and the vac stopped working no warning mid use and would 't even turn on. Used it for maybe an hour total.
Quit oiling bearings and grease them 👍
5 years later and this video is still helping people. Thanks boss!
5 years later and I still have the free trash-picked vacuum!
@@Wordsnwood did your oil job hold up for long? Im about to do exactly this, to mine, today.
@@finbah5706 I drilled a hole in the top, covered with some duct tape, so that I can easily drip in a bit more oil as needed, and I've done that maybe every other year? Best guess. It still sits in the corner of my shop and is used by the drillpress.
Thanks for the vid! I have almost the exact same vac with the same problem. The simple way to fix it without opening it up is to drill a hole at the top of the "L" where it says ROTO-LOC, with an 1/8 or 1/4 in bit. Then you can drop in your 3in1 oil and put a piece of tape over the hole. Anytime the bearing squeal comes back just lift the tape and drop in more oil and you're good! If your label doesn't say ROTO-LOC, then you should feel around center of the sticker for a dimple, then drill about a 1/4" down from there (towards the switch) and you will be right above the bearing.
Thanks..gonna try that for first!
Thanks for all the great tips! I have (3) Shop-Vacs of various sizes and (2) of them made this awful noise on shutdown. All of my vacs have a small dimple in the plastic upper housing underneath the carry handle. I simply drilled through this dimple and the bearing needing lubrication is directly underneath. How simple, no more noise! Have to wonder if the manufacturer deals with warranty complaints by doing what I just did. If I was the designer, I would have pre-drilled this hole for the user and provided maintenance instructions. But I suppose that would reduce revenue selling replacements. Wouldn't surprise me a bit, spent 37 years in Product Reliability Quality Assurance before retiring.
Thank you from the Cayman Islands. Our shop vac sounded like it was about to go boom. It has been used without a bag, quickly emptied but left in crazy heat for a long time.
I stripped it down, oiled it and refitted the end nut.
I tested it out and, so far so good!
Thank you for your great video.
You are a star!
There’s a number of videos here on RUclips that show how to replace that top bronze bushing/ bearing with a 608 ball bearing. But if you get good use out of it by simply lubing it frequently, that’s great. Once that bushing wallows out, you have to change it for a ball bearing. You can’t get the replacement sintered bronze bushing/ bearing.
I have three vacuum cleaners in my garage, all thanks to our throw away society. Each needed only a simple repair and are all working good as new. 1) The small rocker switch was bad. I replaced it with one from my work supply. 2) The motor power wire that simply presses into a slot had burned. I cut 1/4” off and pressed it back into place. 3) Noisy bearings. I applied oil to both ends as you did and have not had a problem since.
Yes, Time WILL tell. I think you found the problem right away. It seems to be that top brass bushing that you first oiled. That will quiet it for a short while, but you can expect that noise back again very soon. Perhaps you can find a way to replace that bushing? If you figure that out, let us know. If somebody makes a trip over to China, where they assemble them, perhaps they can bring back a bunch of those top pieces where the bushing is mounted. That's all we need to replace, to solve that noise problem. The Shop Vac people might not be too happy with that, as they are ready and hoping to sell you a new motor for about $50. Thanks for the video. You're teaching people to disassemble things to discover how to fix them.
Same noise on my shop vac 14 gallon which i have had for 30 years. I opened up as you did, and sprayed the whole motor assembly with silicone spray lube several times and added it to the top. Noise which was prevalent when the motor would shut down is now gone completely. These things last forever (at least the old ones!)
My wife just grabbed a Shop Vac out of someones garbage, it was so dusty inside that the switch was no longer functioning. It's working now, and we'll be doing this repair to sort out the bearings. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks to this video my shop vac is back up and running again and my lungs will be grateful . Thanks so much for taking the time to do this video.
Did this before watching the video lol amazing how many people don’t do this without seeing this video. Mine didn’t last a week though I going to do again but thought I’d look if anybody was doing something different
THANK YOU SIR!!! THAT AWFUL SOUND JUST STARTED LIKE A SWITCH FLIPPED. AND A FAINT ELECTRIC KIND OF SMELL, NOT BURNING OR SMOKING, BUT.... THIS DID THE TRICK!!
Thanks for the video. I have basically the same model Vac ( case looks identical ) and was making the bearing noise on spin-down. I had stopped using it and stuffed it under the bench but I needed a smaller vac than my dust collection setup so I could do some work in the house. A very quick search found your video. I didn't even bother going after the lower bearing, I just tried oil on the top bearing and the noise went away. I did pack in some moly grease.
Thank you! My husband and I just fixed our shop vac because of this good video.
Glad to hear it! It is a very satisfying feeling when you fix something that was headed for the trash!
Great vid. I have several free, 2 and 2.5 shop vacs that needed a touch of lube - something to do on a rainy day. I've been using large Walmart special microfiber shop towels instead of paying for fresh filter after wet work, shake em and wash em, good for go. Cheap cable ties if rubber band rots. Thanks for vid.
Nothing beats free stuff with easy repairs! Only thing I find in the garbage is...garbage. Thanks for the vid
+Kev C. The grass is always greener, eh? I'm jealous of all the free wood that Matthias Wandel (woodgears.ca) finds for his shop projects
+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) HAH! You typed eh...where I'm from we type y'all
I love watching people fixin' stuff. Nice one.
Keep on trucking ! (from France)
+MakeFix Merci!
This video made my day. I've owned my Ridgid for 15ish years. It's just been sounding worse over time (partly my own fault for not taking care of it)... Today, restored! Thanks for the tips and the boost of confidence to get it done!
An impact driver with nut driver on the end of it works best for the nut on the end. But sometimes when you put it back together, the balance isn't quite right.
Pretty much all my shopvacs come from the garbage. The problem is almost always trivial.
+Matthias Wandel Thanks, Matthias, for the impact suggestion. Hadn't thought of that. Given that the motor sounded much better with just oiling the one side, I figured that there was no need to take the risk.
In terms of trash freebies... I shouldn't be, but I still am continually surprised at how many people have no clue how to fix anything.
+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) Amazing what you find in the "throw out" piles. Well done on reviving that beast and reducing the planet's landfill. I'd reckon replacing the bearings will give you better performance and less noise. The oil may give you a free pass for a while (I'd doubt it will last 3 years as you commented below, but, great if it does). All the best. Cheers, David.
The impact is indeed great for that, but you have to watch out for the reverse-threaded ones. I've yet to play with Shop-Vacs, but the ubiquitous older Bissell bagless uprights have reverse threads on the turbine nut. Ask me how I know. :-|
You're so resourceful like my son and I are. People throw out things that can easily be lubricated of fixed in some way.
I purchased a 2.5 gal wet/dry shop vac at a thrift store recently, it made an awful sound, so I disassembled it to see what was wrong. I then found a couple of mud wasp nests In the vent for the motor, and cleaned them out. I suppose now all I need to do is lubricate the bearing. Thanks for the video!
Great video. I went with the hole drilling method. Used small hole saw to cut out plastic circle. Motor was right there. Used some good oil on end of motor and noise was immediately gone. Taped over hole with heavy duty tape.
I have that exact shop vac - 3.5 Gallon Craftsman. It's one of the smallest, and cheapest (< $30 as I recall) shop vacs. Great for light duty in a small shop (250 sqft). But it's very powerful for it's size and price, it has an optional HEPA filter and it will even (safely) vacuum up water (although it only takes a few minutes for the tank to fill up - so you spend a lot of time emptying it). It's just a great little vac. It's doing much better than Sears is. I haven't had any issues with mine (now I jinxed it) - it has to be 15 years old, at least. Thanks for the video - I'll keep this in mind if it starts making that noise. Oh - and I second the recommendation on the bit set - not sure if mine is from Lee Valley (I don't recall where I got it) - but its been helpful many times.
I paid $2 and now I got some more life for it. Great pre-cycling
Well I also have to thank you. I recently picked up a 14 gal Shop Vac that made an awful noise when shut off. After watching your video it no longer makes that noise. Two drops of 3in1 oil and it is good as new. thanks again for the video.
That was my shop vac that you stole! I want it back! ;)
mossyTV lol
Haha my handy neighbor used to take my trash mowers, vacs sno blowers and fix them all then use them for years 😂😂😂 I was so mad I learned how to fix em all myself
Thank you sir! Opened mine up, lubricated, and took out stuck material from wheel that spins inside. Works good now.
Glad it helped
I use alot of shop vacs in my trade. From my experience when a shop vac makes that sound its not to long before it dies. Next time i hear that sound I will try a couple drops of a 3 in 1 oil. Great video!
Check out Matthias's article which he wrote a few months after mine: woodgears.ca/motors/shopvac.html
Mine needed re-oiling after six months and this time I made sure to saturate the sleeve bearing/felt pad on the backside. Still running smooth since then!
Don't use 3-in-1.It will dry out and gum up.Use motor oil.3-in-1 ruined too many sewing machines at Eaton's back in the day.
Tried it, worked great (and simple), and extended my Sears shop vac (yet again). Much thanks
Great job! That Craftsman looks very similar to my Shop Vac model 2010A. I put a bearing in where you oiled the bushing. Here are the bearing specs to help in case anyone is interested: 608-2RS-8-22-7mm. That breaks down to 8mm (.315in), 22mm ( .866in), 7mm (.276in.) You'll need a bit of fine sand paper to clean up the shaft. Other tools include Torx T15, T20, Phillip's screwdriver. I used a hammer and small flat blade screwdriver to pry out the retaining ring that holds the original bushing. Wrap the new bearing with electrical tape twice on the outer diameter for a snug fit. $3.49 including shipping from qualitybearingsbeltsandchains on Ebay. Someone else has another video showing this procedure. This bearing seems to fit several different sizes of Shop Vac. The uploader of another video also found that applying grease or oil to the top bearing does not last too long. The bottom uses a long lasting bearing. So, no need to worry about that one in most cases.
Thanks for the bearing info (and thanks to Art for the video). I have a very old Craftsman shop vac that I have been thinking about replacing the bearings. Thanks to the video and you info I may just do that.
Thank you for this tutorial! I had the same issue and the drops of oil solved the problem. I appreciate the assist!
I have a basic Shop Vac purchased around 2005. Probably $35 back then. It's seen a lot of use but has been making this noise for at least 3 years now. Hopefully I can take it apart as easy as yours!! It probably needs a good cleaning in addition to some oil.
Update: done!! A few drops of oil and there's NO more squealing sound. Thanks!
Mark B is it still quiet? What oil did you use?
Nice and quiet after a few uses. The only thing I had handy was some bike chain oil, so we'll see how long it lasts.
Great job Art. Nice to see that you were able to fix this one! Where there is a will there is a way.
I just found one that looks like that, about a 2002 or so I'd guess. Mine came with that outer filter missing, and they used just the foam one apparently, so I will probably need to clean out the motor. Helpful video for how to get it apart! Good on using the proper blue can oil for electric motors too!
Worked great for us; Thanks! I was going to toss it in the trash, but forgot too; glad I saw the video before tossing.
Thank you so much for these videos, my ShopRite back was making that noise I did everything that you told us to do and it's working. You just saved me a nice bit of money
nice fix my father has that same shop vac..- if he ever throws it out , ill try this 1st to fix it for him but his is fine so far..thanks for the tip..i have the 12 and 16gallon shop vacs and one is suuuper noisy..time to tinker
That series is a decent vac. I don't use light oil, I'd use gear lube or a dab of synthetic grease. My experience with several vacs like yours is the rear bushing is worn and will need to be oiled again in not too long, and with increasing frequency as time goes on, especially if you use your vac for water suction (which is harder and builds up more heat). But if you don't use it very much, you might be able to go years as it is. If it starts acting up more, I've epoxied a 1603 ball bearing in place of the bushing and that works great.
As mentioned in the video description, six months later I had to oil it some more, and this time I made sure to saturate the rear bushing, as Matthias demonstrated in his article: woodgears.ca/motors/shopvac.html
And it's still running smooth since then.
the vac is ok but the rocker switches have a tendency to break and be a major pain in the ass to fix and in the amount of time it takes to do that I could have taken apart my whole craftsman vac, and on the craftsman every 6 months I take it apart and use gear oil
I agree with mark about using light oil. Light oil is meant for things like a squeaky hinge, rusty or sticking tools such as pliers, etc. But this is a motor spinning as high speeds and will burn off the oil in just a few uses. You need something that will stick and tolerate the speeds. If it uses a bushing its gonna need to be replaced and bearings are cheap. Plus it'll make it that much quieter. But you might as well spit on the motor using light oil. There's an intended application for tools but that isn't one of them lol. But props for a quality curb find and also not having fear to trying to and fix something. I see alot of people are afraid of taking things apart and actually learning.
ive just watched your video then i jumped up and fixed mine . so a big thank you from me . keep up the great work .
Brian Clarke is it still quiet? Mine got loud after 10 min but I used wd40.
Thanks! I used Motorkote. Worked like a charm! Thanks again.
That's really cool that your wife would grab a vacuum from the curb.Smart woman
You just saved my shopvac, thank you!
Thanks Art! You just saved me $50
I was going to order a replacement motor. Sort of spendy and shop vac doesn’t recommend replacing it. Going to oil it and reassemble. Thanks
Worked!
Thanks that works great. Just a sidenote though I used spray lubricant and sprayed a healthy amount inside the unit and then I turned it on and I got a very large flame blowing out. Just a word of caution!
great now i can fix my wet dry vac...thank you for sharing knowledge
Your a G. Great video! Was about to buy a new one. Thanks to you I'm now up two shop vacs and more money in my pocket. 😁
Thanks for the video. Ill try the same in my Rigid shop vac. Get a new filter through! 😉
Same thing was wrong with my shop vac too. Not anymore ! Thanks a bunch Art. 👍
thanks for the vid from what i have seen the bearing at the impellor is a ballbearing and wont need lub as much as the bush brg at the top.
Nice video. I'll have to give the same method a try with my bissell garage pro. It's been sounding like a freight train lately. PS...maybe some heavier grease would last longer than the oil? Like maybe some silicone grease that you'd use in door hinges?
Worked on mine👍
high whining&loss of suction...tried breaking in to it today but good advice and tips on pieces I think my lower assembly blade has oil soaked cat litter in it again lol
My shop vac was making that kind of noise, 3 or 4 years ago and I took it apart and cleaned and lub it and it has work fine since. It started making the noise again just recently so I guess it time to clean it again.
+Built by Bill I'd be happy with 3-4 years out of this fix!
Funny... I just pulled apart my 20+ year old *Genie* shop vac for squealing bearings and it looks just the *same* inside... Yeah, I took off that silver wheel thing to get to other side of motor - 2:46 Note, I gooped on lots of mechanical *grease* and hand spun motor to work in the grease until the motor turned fairy easy, then wiped off the excess to keep it from melting down into motor as it heats up. I have slight rattling as motor winds down when you cut it off, which is expected from 20+ year old motor, but when you turn it on it runs pretty good.
Compressed Air is underrated in cleaning these vacs
Good video. Smart man. Thank you from canada
found your vid because after lubing my bearings a few weeks back under my own guess work , the noise came back in about 20min run time but even worse than before. Im guessing your noise has returned as well by now? your vid said something about a fix, not temporarily quiet down a time bomb. respectfully. thank you for the vid, im sure it will help other people. maybe a little more in depth next time ? types of oil and where and why the bearings are on your unit and discussion on build of several manufactures. just a respectful suggestion. I ended up using some standard 608 bearings (originally skateboard intended)to replace both bearings and threw some white lithium grease around them even though they are sealed because Ive had luck getting lube in sealed bearings in the past. maybe I should have left the bearing area dry after thinking about it. either way it should be a longer lasting repair.
I've replaced the motor twice in mine because of this, wish I'd seen this earlier. Not that expensive anyway but this is definitely cheaper!
I too saved one for free, works as far as I can see. But are they meant to be so loud?
Shop vacs are all loud. Wish they weren't.
Picking up any kind of salt water is what will kill a Shop Vac. Any time I use my ShopVac for water, I make sure to leave it in front of a fan, or outside on the patio in the sun for a few hours, to dry it out. Sadly, the plastic parts are not as durable on today's Shop Vacs. Mine already has a cracked handle and a busted wheel caster mount.
Oiling wont last long, you should take it apart further and clean and grease the top shaft
and inside of the bushing which is under the bracket on top side. you can oil the bottom one,
but it isnt the one making noise.
Appreciate the video. In my case it didn't quite work out but that's ok. My Shop Vac (10 gal. 4 HP) made same noise and burning smell. I did as suggested using WD40 spray. Maybe that's not enough oil. Regardless it was quiet for few minutes. Then the burning smell came back. I tried turning on a few more times and then the motor stopped altogether. So I'll be putting it on Freecycle and buying a new one. No complaints as it lasted for 10+ years. Keep up the good work Art!
Nice fix, but the fix was more trouble than it was worth by 1:12. Vacs need a little oil filler tube for the bearings, but if the Mfg's added that, your vac would last a lifetime and the Mfg would go out of business.
I opened my shopvac because there was something rattling inside and I found a black cylindrical cap 3 inches in diameter. What is it for? Earlier I was getting a burning smell. My Shopvac had not been used even 6 times - alas, bought it a few years ago and is out of warranty.
enjoyed the video. I have a like problem with one of my vacs. Will give it a try.
Thanks for the tips. Awesome what type of set is that driver? Jim
If you mean the green set, that is an older 12v Hitachi set. I'd likely look at the 12v Milwaukee set if I was buying now. I don't see many Hitachi's around.
Thanks, I have the same problem. This should do it.
Thank you so much, your video helped solve my problem!
God this is exactly what mines doing....my neighbors hate seeing me vacuum my car out. ! Lol
My pretty new, rarely used Shop Vac just started this high pitched whine on top of the regular sound. I took it apart to see if anything was stuck, but it looks good. I have some Liquid Wrench around, but I also have some Oster blade oil. Is any particular kind of oil better for this? Just curious. Don't want to ruin anything.
Not a petroleum lubricant expert here... I just used some "3-in-1" light machine oil.
You could affix the outer race of the vball bearing repllacement----by putting on a thin coating--both surfaces-- of ultimate gray RTV by jb weld
Thanks for the video, I’ll try it out
Had the same issue, added oil, lubricated the brass bearing assembly. Lasted a couple of hours. Dismounted again, measured the shaft and brass insert, there's a ~ 0.05mm difference. I think the brass is now too large for the shaft and vibrating. I added some bearing grease, will see if it will last. I am looking for this specific part, let me know if you know where to find those. Look for my video I made in 2013
I had to re-do my fix six months later. I guess I can't complain as it was free to begin with.
I recommend reading Matthias' article on fixing up his shop vac. He goes even further in depth than I did.
woodgears.ca/motors/shopvac.html
Yes, I saw it and did something simillar... I really think my brass/bronze bearing is too large now. Will see how it goes and maybe replace it with a ball bearing in a machine shop...
Thank you for solving my problem too
I think you should replace the baring next time
Thank you so much for this video my shop vac is like new.
I was gifted one from a house I bought and the previous owner left it. It worked for awhile but started making the noise. I mist have gotten to it too late because even after doing all this the noise persisted and eventually i started to smell hot metal. Bearings are probably done for. Maybe there is a replacement part on eBay 😢
Great, I want able to remove the last cover (can't reach) but a little bit of wd40 did the trick, thanks
Thanks I'm going to try this . I just hope you disconnected the power while u were touching the motor
Great!!! Mine had the same issue, thanks alot
Thank you! This worked for me. Added a little grease and that weird sound was gone instantly.
Is 608 bearing or a fidget spinner bearing can be used to fix the top sleeve bearing
This did not work for me, but replacing the brass bushing with a 608 bearing did. Search for the video on permanent bearing replacement of shop vac.
When your dripped oil becomes dried, will the noise come back ? I doubt it would.
It does, and then I drip some more in -- per a comment from Matthias Wandel I later drilled a little hole through the top of the case so I can drip in oil without disassembling.
Just worked for me. Thanks
The problem with mine is the metal fan (seen at 1:16). It's broken. I've been trying to see if such a part is replaceable, but haven't been able to locate one.
I will remember that when I needed to oil my shop vac bearings.
Thanks, helped my vacuum as well!
Today on overhaulin
New head gaskets on the shop vac.
my electric leaf blower has a clogged motor too
Great video. Thanks!
My reoiled shop started making noise again after a few weeks. Did your repair last. Used 3 in 1 oil
about six months and then I re-oiled. It's about due again... Sigh.
ps: Check out Matthias video, he dug in even further: ruclips.net/video/S9TAttJwEFI/видео.html
Thanks Art
Just use a heavier grease and be done with it
Awesome!! Thank you.
I know this video is old but does the vacuum usually shake when the bearing is the problem? My shop vac is making a loud rattle noise and is shaking and i was a afraid it was going to blow up so I turned it off. But I really need to use the shop vac 😩
Remember, I'm a hobby woodworker, not an electrical engineer!
My vac was just really noisy, not much extra shaking. I wonder if maybe your fan broke?
Merce Rene.... that is "Usually" a sign of the motor, or Fan.... being out of balance. It could also be caused by excessive lateral play between the motors armature shaft and bearing housing or between the bearing "cage" and the motor casing. Start with the easiest possibility and check for something lodged in the fan, or "possibly" the fan may be out of balance due to one or more of the fan "blades" either damaged, shifted or missing... all of which "can" cause an imbalance and shaking.
lubricant the top bushing works for a few weeks
Hello, I'm curious how long did that vacuum last after you lubricated the bearing?
I still have it. And it squeals on occasion. I drilled a hole in the top (comment from Matthias/Woodgears, IIRC, so I can more easily drop oil in the top.) Too cheap to throw it out...
ps: squeals, not rattles.
Hey we are having that same issue, how long did that fix last? Thanks!!
about six months. easy to fix again. This is explained in the video description. I recommend going to read an article by Matthias Wandel where he goes more in depth as to how these motors and bearings work.
Nice. Now let's see how many 'Easy fix for shop vac' videos will follow ;-)
+Robert Echten I'm still sad I missed the lawnmower series... :-)
+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) At least you were part of the 'fix the fan' movement ;-)
Thanks for sharing!