1.3.0 - Attaching the nozzle and belt installation
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This is how the brush roll is engaged with the motor shaft when it is properly installed. (Just pretend that you can see through metal and this is how it would look inside the nozzle.)
2. This is how belt is positioned on the metal hook inside the nozzle before the nozzle is attached to the Kirby vacuum.
* If this is exactly how it looks in your Kirby vacuum nozzle, you can skip to Step #3
3. Step 1 - position knob on the Kirby nozzle so green arrows line up(Belt On). Check inside the nozzle and make sure that the belt is on the brush roll positioned right in the middle of it.
4. Step 2 - Twist the nozzle COUNTERCLOCKWISE
When twisting the knob, the metal hook inside the nozzle has to go THROUGH the belt and as you keep twisting it has to stretch the belt. You will feel some resistance, but keep going until the red arrows (Belt Off) line up.
5. Now it should look just like this.
6. Red arrows matching (Belt Off).
7. Step 3 - Raise front of the Kirby vacuum all the way up
8. The two hooks on the nozzle casting must go on the ends of the bar on the fan casing on the front of the Kirby vacuum.
9. Now press the nozzle to the unit
10. And lock it with the latch
11. Twist the knob back to line up green arrows (Belt On)
12. Now you are DONE. Nozzle is locked onto the unit. Knob and label green arrows are lined up.
13. Now lower headlight cap and you are ready to vacuum.
14. When vacuuming, green indicator light should glow green. That means that the brush roll is spinning.
If light is blinking while vacuuming, you may have to install a new belt. Over time, rubber stretches and the belt may start slipping when bristles meet resistance from carper fibers. Usually this is accompanied by the smell of burning rubber. Slipping may also be caused by something spilled on the carpet. Do not vacuum rugs if they are wet.
Light is NOT on = belt is broken. You also may have purchased the wrong brush roll or your Kirby vacuum nozzle is from another model and the indicator light is on the opposite side. In this case do not start swapping plastic brush ends so you can install brush roll reversed just to make the light work. Brush roll bristles are at a certain angle and have to brush the carpet towards the center of the nozzle. If you flip the brush roll it will be brushing carpet toward the edges of the nozzle and it will not perform its best.
15.
Light is NOT on - most likely the the belt is broken.
Magnet in the brush has to pass over the coil inside the nozzle and that produces just enough electricity in the coil to turn light on (a small power plant inside the nozzle, if you will :-).
Kirby brush roll is made to last for many years. More than likely it will last you 2-3 times longer than other brand vacuum brush rolls.
The down side is that brush roll installation is a bit more complicated and you MUST learn and how properly install the brush roll.
Sooner or later you will have to do it as you will have to remove brush roll to change the belt.
16. Unlock BOTH latches holding bottom nozzle plate in place. Sometimes they are corroded so you may have to use pliers.
17. Remove the rug plate.
Pull the brush roll out. If it does not come out pull it by the belt. Just slide the belt to one of the ends and pull. If the belt is broken - use a rope, rag or a sock - get it around the brush roll and PULL. If the brush end caps come off - install them back immediately so you don't accidentally swap them.
18. Now slide a new Kirby belt onto the brush roll.
19. From here it gets a bit tricky so read carefully: Brush roll axis is NOT at the center of the end cap and it makes a big difference how you position the end caps when installing the brush roll back into the nozzle.
20. Brush roll can be installed and used in 3 different positions. When the brush is new it is installed in the position NR1. This number can be found on the plastic end of each cap and has to be facing the bottom of the nozzle (it will face the carpet when vacuuming).
21. New brush roll installed in position "1" bristles will stick out of the nozzle by about 1/8 of an inch or 3 millimeters. If you install a new brush in position "2" or "3", bristles will be digging into the carpet too deep. Your Kirby will be jumping and excessively vibrating plus brush roll will wear out fairly quickly.
If you bought a used Kirby vacuum with a used brush roll you may have to play with the brush roll a bit until you get it installed correctly. Depending on how much the brush is worn it may have to be installed in positions 1; 2 or 3. Bristles should stick out between 1/8" and 1/32" (3 mm and 1mm ).
When bristles are too short they will not agitate the rug and vacuuming will not be as effective as it could be.
22. If you fail to match end cap numbers the brush roll nozzle will be tilted at an angle. Kirby will tend to jump and will keep going to the left or to the right all the time. Brush roll will wear out quickly and unevenly.
23. So now that you have BOTH end caps with same number facing you and belt through the middle of the brush you can install the rug plate - metal nozzle frame on the bottom.
24. To do that - first have rug plate edge go over 2 protrusions on the nozzle casting
25.
Now just lock it on the nozzle with 2 latches. If by now you forgot how to put the nozzle on the unit just go back to TOP of this page :-)