Replacing the 3 Motor Bearings in the Rainbow D4, D4C, and D4-SE Vacuum Cleaners: PAGE 3

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Next, pull back the Brush Holder Clip wires that secure the brushes to the motor. Carefully remove the two brushes once they are loose.

With the brushes removed, use a 1/4" socket type wrench or driver to remove the two screws that secure the Rainbow vacuum's Bearing Assembly Bridge to the motor.


Hopefully the Bearing Assembly Bridge will slide freely off of the motor shaft. In this case, it has come free with the top motor bearing still in place (sometimes the bearing sticks to the motor shaft). If the bearing is stuck to the shaft, you might have to spend some time very lightly tapping on it to loosen it. Replace this bearing by putting a new one in the Bearing Bridge Assembly.

Next, remove the four metal plates that secure the Rainbow vacuum's motor to the lower plastic housing. At this stage, you can use a magic marker to mark these plates and their relative positions on the unit, prior to removing them. I also mark the motor unit components at all stages of disassembly, so that I can orient everything in the same way when I put it all back together again. I also often use a digital camera to document the disassembly of things I work on, as an aid to help get things put together like they were originally.


Removing the metal plates will allow the vacuum's motor assembly to come free from the upper housing, as shown above.

Using a small flat screwdriver, carefully pry up on the four retaining clips as seen in this image. Trying to pry these spring clips off from the clip's opposite end will cause permanent damage to the motor housing. Pry them up only in the manner shown.

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Copyright 2009 Thomas Penrose