Shop-Vac Blower Vac Motor Clip Repair

You may find that the clips that hold the motor on Shop-Vac Blower Vac no longer clip the motor in like they're suppose to. This may be the same on other model Shop-Vac Blower Vac's with similar motor clip designs, in this case I'll be making the repair to a Shop-Vac Blower Vac model LB625 seen above and below.

If you caught it in time and didn't blow the parts out the exhaust or you didn't toss them out with the trash, the repair itself is rather simple. Though you will need some patients in putting the spring clip back in place. Once you get the first of two done, the second is easier.

What motor clips? The two that hold the Blower/Vacuum motor on. Right here...

Tools you'll need are limited to a few and can vary as many are just what ever you can find that'll help you put the spring clip back in it's little cubby hole such as these...

A pair of bent nose hemostats or jewelers bent needle nose pliers. A 1/8" inch slotted screwdriver will help.

You'll need a 1/8" inch Allen Key or bit to remove the screws.

I'm going to walk you through the steps rather quickly as this is pretty much a no brainier.

Step 1) Remove the motor from the lid and set it aside. You should be looking at this from the top.

Step 2) Remove the whole cover from the vacuum. Flip it over, remove the pleated filler. It'll just spare it damage and make it easier to work on.

You'll be left with this...

Step 3) I presume you have a table or floor spot to work on that you won't lose parts. Put the lid there. Get your tools.

Step 4) On the underside of the lid there are 8 Allen head screws. Use the 1/8" Allen key or bit you have and remove all eight of them. The image only shows 3 of the 8, but you can see, I've already removed mine...

Put them all together in a cup or somewhere you won't lose them while you work on the rest.

Step 5) Flip the lid over, separate the top section from the bottom section of the lid. In doing so, look for loose parts. We need those parts! See, isn't this easy...?

Step 6) Put the bottom of the two sections aside, we only need the very top section. Flip it over so you're looking at the inside. On each side is where the motor clips are located.

Hopefully, if you didn't find any loose parts you'll find the spring clips still loedgd in the little cubby hole that houses them like you see below.

The clips have simply popped out for whatever reason and need to be put back. If they are still lodged in there, don't remove them just yet. Let me show you what they look like.

There's two sides to them. Whether it makes a difference when installing them, I don't know. So note which side is up on yours before taking them out all the way and put them back the same way.

Notice there's a spring on a center guide post.  The guide post goes in the little hole down in the bottom of that cubby hole. And your thinking, "How the heck am I going to get that post in that little hole and keep the spring on?"

I did say you're going to need patients.
I did it, so can you.
If you get frustrated, walk away, have a cookie or two, come back and try again. It took me 30 minutes to get the first one put back, less than 5 minutes for the second one. And I'm going to try and help you here.

Start with the clip and spring looking like this. The spring goes in the guide in the cubby hole. Have it at a slant like you see below to start.

You need to line up the spring end so it's centered over the little hole. Hold your finger on the wide part of the clip on the top to hold it in place while you look on the other side of the lid to see if the spring is lined up and centered over the hole. Use the little screwdriver to help line it up and Carter it if needed. It'll want to catch on the bottom most lip of the hole most likey. Don't mess up the hole with the screwdriver. It's just plastic, take your time, you'll get it.

Once it's lined up, coming back to the top side where your working. Use the hemostats or jewelers needle nose to grip the spring guide post towards the center of the clip and lift the guide postp end so it too lines up with the hole as you push down with your finger on the other end of the clip. Don't push too hard on the clip till you feel it line up and go through the hole.

Again, the action is this...
You're going to push on the top of the clip compressing the spring while lifting the guide post end from the center of the clip in-between the spring leafs to guide the end into the hole.

It's tricky no doubt. If and when you're successful, the spring guide post will go in the hole. It'll look like the image below when it does and your home free. See it sticking out...

And I'll have you know in taking that image above, trying to hold the camera, clip and top steady, my finger slipped just enough the spring guide came back out the hole and I had to start over. And it just didn't want to go back in again. Lol I had to walk away and come back and it obviously did.

Once it does go in the little hole, just push the front part of the clip down and it'll go right into the front hole without issue. Below shows it correctly seated.

And this is what it looks like correctly seated from the top.

Do the same to the other clip if it too has come dislodged.

Step 7) Reassemble the two sections of the lid. Don't over tighten the screws. Tight but not too tight.

Step 8) Put the pleated filter back on. Put the lid on the vacuum. Put the motor back in place.

Step 9) Your done. Go have a cookie, you did well.

That's it for today.

Till next time....

Stay creative, stay Happy!
Cheers...