Older vitamix

[Warren Lake]

Have an older Vitamix that is in excellent condition. Stopped doing its thing and took it apart and not sure what im looking at. These two surfaces were together in some fashion. What I dont get is the blob of black almost silicon like but stronger on each part. How were these two pieces attached together? If it rusted out and came apart I dont see it as there is a round surface on each and both match consistent Mirror image, then same time I cant see that it was originally attached with some high tech glue like F glue.

Asked about buying the part but got the send it back to the factory US cross border blah blah. Fine to replace this part if its available somewhere else but also like to know what the failure is here.



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Here is the other side that fits onto the motor

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[Jerry Bruette]

Looks like the shaft twisted off. Could you check the "blobs" with a magnet or scratch them with an awk to see if the shaft is steel in the center.

[Warren Lake]

will have to clean it wire wheel and check that

[Warren Lake]

Sent vitamix the photos above and "Senior Service Champion" has sent me they cant help me due to safety reasons. Ive emailed and again asked them to answer the question of how that is attached together or was.

Safety are you kidding me. Maybe they have a sawstop version. Safety wise it doesnt register on the map of unsafe stuff ive had to be around or do in my life. Will see the response. Was hoping someone here had done the repair or knew and understand how those things were fastened originally.

[Frank Pratt]

Can you not just buy a new jar c/w the blade mechanism?

[Warren Lake]

Sure for the price of a small car. It needs a part or maybe not even that if this was originally just glued. I asked for replacement part and a service place in canada and they dont have either yet can repair it if sent back to the US. Will see if they respond to how it was fastened together.

[Jim Becker]

Costco has a brand new VItamix on sale "as we speak"...a big stack of them near the entry of our local store when we were just there to pick up some stuff. :)

It's really nice to be able to keep an older appliance working, but unfortunately, sometimes things don't work out that way. So while I do hope you can fix what you have, at least you have options if it's an appliance you used frequently.

[Jerome Stanek]

What did Vitamix say about sending it in for repair.

[Warren Lake]

You can try all you want to convince me about new stuff its not my way, Ill take 60 year old italian and british woodworking machines over new stuff every day, I drive old cars 92 roadmaster wagon 72 pickup truck. I live in a 1960 bungalow when lots were 90 feet wide before the postage stamp new match box garage out front stuff people get now.

Its either toast or there is a simple answer. My last maytag washer was the final straw on new stuff, it broke from new after 6 years. My moms stuff that I have now maytag 40 years old and still working. Neighbours GE dryer just broke 59 years old, her new GE washing machine lasted three years before it was leaking. Its hard for me to believe in a lot of new stuff. Rockwell belt sander over 40 years old bought used works great, Senco Staplers over 40 years old still working I could go on but I have to go cut the lawn with the 15 year old Cub Cadet a neighbour gave me. Are you convinced yet Jim :)

[Adam Herman]

the shaft twisted off, probably because the bearing in the jar is seized up from the rust, or from decades of work hardening of the steel. This was once one piece of metal and it twisted itself into 2 pieces. there was no glue or weld or anything else. classic fatigue failure pattern in the center of the shaft. I would try to find a good looking jar and blade on ebay and go from there. there are several listings with broken blades, so it looks like its not an uncommon failure after many decades of use.

[Warren Lake]

the bearing is perfect. Its decades old with not decades of use. You are expecting me to believe that it was once a piece of metal that twisted itself apart into two matched pieces and did so to smooth consistent male and female matching mirror image surfaces? Ive never seen metal break that way in my life and im old.

[Jerry Bruette]

I've seen shafts way bigger than that twist off. Take the start torque and throw in some vibration and you can twist off some pretty big shafts.

[Malcolm McLeod]

the bearing is perfect. Its decades old with not decades of use. You are expecting me to believe that it was once a piece of metal that twisted itself apart into two matched pieces and did so to smooth consistent male and female matching mirror image surfaces? Ive never seen metal break that way in my life and im old.

I can't see your photo, but you can giggle search for images of fatigue fractures - - they are very distinctive. Maybe your photo matches? Fatigue is NOT a sign that a shaft 'twisted off'. Fatigue, especially in a rotating shaft, can be traced to very small bending motions, the number of cycles, and maybe a point of stress concentration (a shoulder, a collar, flange etc.). Certainly the high RPM's in a mixer shaft will factor into the cycle count; the rest would be pure speculation on my part, so will leave that to someone who can see the part.

Fatigue is a crack that very slowly spreads across a cross-section of a part. Only at the last 15-25% of remaining material will the part go thru ductile failure (aka 'twist off'). ...Hope this helps.

[Adam Herman]

I can't see your photo, but you can giggle search for images of fatigue fractures - - they are very distinctive. Maybe your photo matches? Fatigue is NOT a sign that a shaft 'twisted off'. Fatigue, especially in a rotating shaft, can be traced to very small bending motions, the number of cycles, and maybe a point of stress concentration (a shoulder, a collar, flange etc.). Certainly the high RPM's in a mixer shaft will factor into the cycle count; the rest would be pure speculation on my part, so will leave that to someone who can see the part.

Fatigue is a crack that very slowly spreads across a cross-section of a part. Only at the last 15-25% of remaining material will the part go thru ductile failure (aka 'twist off'). ...Hope this helps.

and this is exactly what it looks like. if the OP does not want to believe us, that's their issue.

the crack propagated, rust in the cracked section, radial/spiral fracture pattern in the center.

failures class during my mechanical engineering education was one of my fav's.

[Warren Lake]

so far Im not convinced.

Ttwo matched surfaces one male one female ??

secondly did the put the blob of black stuff on both the male and female part when it was manufactured and if so how did they do that ? drill a hole squirt it in and the hole is gone.

[Kev Williams]

I'm on Warren's side :)

pic of a newer Vitamix drive socket:
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Notice the metal parts are encased within molded plastic or hard rubber. My guess is the casing acts as the same way as a woodruff key, shear pin or the rubber hub inside boat props, to absorb the shock of a sudden stop. His original looks to be made the same way, but a much older design obviously, with less plastic used. The 'blob' is simply part of what's left of the original plastic casing, and if it WAS intended to absorb a sudden shock, it looks like it did it's job. I'm assuming what looks to be rust IS rust on the parts, so if not caused by a sudden shock, corrosion could have compromised the bond between the plastic and metal...

Warren- just drill into the 'blob', it's not like you're going to hurt it any more.. my money's on you finding it's plastic or hard rubber...

[Warren Lake]

Kev im worried about you if you are on my side. :) Whats next you start driving old cars.

Since took a break from cutting the lawn and here is after wire wheel. The drive thing with the splines looks like aluminun but maybe under the wire wheel it will clean up this other metal. Would have been nice if the company just answered my questions.


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[Jerry Bruette]

So if the spline hub/coupling was fixed to the blade set with hard rubber or plastic did it shear off(side ways force) get pulled apart or did it twist off? My money id on twisted off. Can't imagine the other two forces in a blender.

[Warren Lake]

Kev yes the rubber or whatever felt like a car tire. I cant see my post as this thing does at times but forgot to answer your question there. I used a wire wheel better I tihnk than drilling as I do damage with power fools.

[Warren Lake]

I just started using it as normal and in several seconds it was running but not chopping stuff up. I hae this original thought that the splined part that broke off could be drilled and the other part threaded and a screw put in. Still dont know yet what this was originally.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Warren, in this litigious society we live in today, the company is protecting itself from a potential law suit by not answering your question. If they provide a possible solution, you try it and it results in you becoming injured, they don't want to be responsible or liable for any injuries you might incur.

[Warren Lake]

You mean like Kramer spilling his coffee on himself.

[Frank Pratt]

FWIW, I've seen more than 1 shaft that twisted off, looking very similar to that.

[Warren Lake]

thats fine I can accept that and if my german tool and die maker friend was still around id hve a for sure answer by now. Old school trained he could do anthing to .0005 with simple machines. They learned to make stuff square with a file.

Tell me about the rubber stuff what it is and why its there. I said no way to get it in if one piece but once wire wheel clear that some amount is hollow down the center. If it was all one piece why would they do that and inject rubber in and how could it fill a space like it did both ln the male a female part, you can see that but I bet yo ucant explain it., whats next they machined that space somehow into there? Id say that is impossible. so far to me it looks like it was two pieces some how fastened. I still have to check both with a magnet, for sure if it doesnt stick to the gear side then its two pieces.

I dont go in for the liability thing cause I dont want to at some point its nonsense and this would be that case, its blender not a shaper jointer table saw or a machine that can be a weapon.

Maybe cause tooling companies with dangerous stuff have been generous with their time based on my past experience. he conversation went im not talking about that stuff to being very helpful and even send me original drawings for parts from the heads.

If the magnet doesnt stick ot the gear part that will answer two parts, if it does i still dont see it was one part based on the black rubber stuff inside on both mirror image parts. They did not get that way by rubbing together and wearing that shape into them and I cant see it failing like it was machined that way but more important how did the rubber get in there. I dont see anyone addressing that and im going on logic so have to point that out.

the lawyer stuff went too far past logical long ago by judges that allowed suits to go on and sometime settle that never should have been.

[Warren Lake]

stuck a few magnets on the main spindle and they almost lept out of my fingers. On the other part nothing, I thought it looked like aluminum and guess it is. Looking like there was a conspiracy to stick two different metals together in some fashion and ill still go with glue of some sort of glue. F glue on aluminum parts on air planes. This is more like Rubber.

They made me a nice offer and I said thanks but I still want to know whats going on here and im still shut out of the loop. Next will remove the rubber sleeve on this. Reminds me of the rubber things they sell from Stilletto you put over your wood hammer handles only thinner rubber.

now im thinking this was stuck with whatever and in time the blade part started to get corrosion on it under the glue so eventually the glue didnt have enough to hold onto.

The saga continues.

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[Ronald Blue]

Looks like parts are not readily available. This is on fleabay.

ebay.com/itm/174823427075?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item28b449cc03:g:j6gAAOSwSNBg3jZm&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACoPYe5NmHp%252B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkP rKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSDAeS9EQtjPGVfKXTxF0%252Bjmn4L2L wcPDvxyea40bZe4kIEs%252BqUcpEkxJbhuD1CqfV61ojebAvR xQ2bgPqgTUdP7L%252BeaYs%252BxT7FUVTPP%252Fs8Deeef% 252BiX9rzNEfQSr8untDB%252BIQh%252B0R28lSvnZUEAtMtW JNRqp9w1EKecR89jwljlFKHRw4oZVRLgxfyEe9QFoZINr7dusU OweU56mRxnDk%252BRMbgpGEWWSnNfBExSKxRy3u2eGCS5QXfP hFWUq5IDKm382XHtVCGDhR%252FdRfAWXeRI3lVsRwinwMFeBj a9aaDRoDBvhe3oNX25mZf7R5qxi0AnCZ4B3LLa5%252BG%252B QhGXZoxE48UmCeZ2GXgA7vBhRC134GQadU6Br7W83JAv2SxmAk 8GQUWz8alvPbwllebUBAfV4mFYgzFsiGAnNqmojRL02ieCIppM lh6TzWvmxkwPylHUEuy5BqRv%252B9qHvJAXVtNUFHU9XngE2T ayfC%252FAZLNpXNwndAkiCrGnh7fdnCOIw4w8UYW7s2oKB%25 2B0nDSS9PNcXmFOOVPgMG1Lkz%252FM9067xBrGLROnKd2NaFt %252FhBoP9uLDaYwIFXZ3uGGrjP21GMgjQvi6HwZhmF%252FqS Q6TbKdU%252BYDq1ljkYT0vdOYOAIsM6KPRkYzCndZKEnZHRPS s4U99EJS8%252FI%252BrrAbcBE6u5HSi280EkPXfIbiEUJxUc Exooo%252B8RvmOGLzG8iebIImyx2e3f26UAmOxRbtfTfzqb7Q K8P4AL0Z7Cr0dYO9zPUXJHdRKpcGY3pY4RBqP7ypeLB8ff1V0V Xot1%252BOjIN5%252BG1xTq5VKAaoHnsn6CoTcn%252Bvq1Xn 9A%252BfisEblAJzJUrDw58eGwA%253D%253D%7Campid%3APL _CLK%7Cclp%3A2334524

[Warren Lake]

I tend to forget about Ebay for parts but should pay more attention to it. looks like from what I see they have changed the system and not likely to find parts for this older model.

I just went at the broken off part with an exacto knife so here is the rubber removed and cleaned on a wire wheel. Clear is this was not one part, clear is that they were not mirror image parts as I thought but rather two male convex parts that were joined together by rubber of some sort. Im thinking now it was injected in through the hole in the spindle part. I guess its sort of like rubber body mounts in a car though also different as its active in motion and under torque loads and likely some pretty heavy with frozen stuff going in.

Id say this failed cause of corrosion, the pitted area which is about half was rusted again and first photo is after the wire wheel. Second as i was cutting it apart and also shows the rust after two days. Phosphoric acid would shut that down.



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[Malcolm McLeod]

stuck a few magnets on the main spindle and they almost lept out of my fingers. On the other part nothing, I thought it looked like aluminum and guess it is. ...464582

Many grades of Stainless Steel are non-magnetic (see 'austenitic'), others are magnetic (ferritic), and some are very weakly magnetic. 304SS is austenitic, and due to its relatively low cost is very commonly used in consumer-grade food-contact applications. Based on a number of factors - from chemical composition, to welding, to forging - 304SS can be either magnetic or non-magnetic. It can even spontaneously change from non-magnetic to magnetic at low (below heat-treat) temperatures.

No clue what you have, but a simple pass with a file will tell you if steel or aluminum.

[Warren Lake]

the only stainless part is the blender jar, its not a concern and likely stainless is better than plastic that will haze in time or glass that is not safe around me. Its clear what the parts are, its clear why it failed and clear it was not one shaft that twisted apart. Ive sent them what ive found so far.

[Michael Schuch]

I just looked at my Vitamix 3600 which is vintage like yours and looks near identical. There appears to be a cap head screw holding those two pieces together on mine. The black dot in the center of your cleaned up blade assemble should be the sheared off screw if I am correct.

Sorry I don't have a camera handy for a quick picture.