Tornado Brush Plate Weldment and Brush Motor Base 30973

This weldment is the platform the brush motor bolts to and the plate the brush assembly hangs from. It fixes the relationship between motor, pulley and brush — which is to say it sets the belt alignment and the brush height in one piece of steel. Part number 30973 is the genuine Tacony brush plate weldment and motor base for the Marathon 800, Marathon 1200 and Marathon 2000 extractors.

Compatible Models for the Brush Plate Weldment and Brush Motor Base

This part fits the following Tornado machines:

• Tornado 98166 20″ Marathon 800 Carpet Extractor (8 Gallon, 115V)
• Tornado 98167 20″ Marathon 800 Carpet Extractor (8 Gallon, 115V)
• Tornado 98168 12 Gallon Self Contained Carpet Extractor
• Tornado 98168 20″ Marathon 1200 Carpet Extractor (12 Gallon, 115V) — all series
• Tornado 98169 20″ Marathon 1200 Carpet Extractor (12 Gallon, 115V)
• Tornado 98190 22″ Marathon 2000 Carpet Extractor (20 Gallon)

When this part goes out of true, the symptom appears somewhere else. A motor base that has bent lets the drive pulley sit out of line with the brush pulley, and a timing belt that is not running square walks to one side and sheds its teeth. Operators go through two or three belts before anyone suspects the plate. If you are replacing belts far more often than you should be, put a straight edge across the two pulley faces before you buy another one.

The second symptom is brush height. The plate is what holds the brush at the right distance from the floor, so a distorted one lets the brush sit high at one end. The carpet is then agitated properly on one side of the path and barely touched on the other, and the operator compensates by slowing down.

Check it on a flat floor with the belt off. Sight across the pulley faces: they should be in the same plane. Then turn the brush by hand through a full revolution and watch the gap at each end — a plate that is true holds that gap constant. Any variation that follows the plate rather than the brush points here.

Damage comes from below and from leverage. A machine dropped onto its brush housing, or one whose shroud has been forced shut repeatedly over a jammed brush, puts load into this weldment in directions it was not designed for. Because it is welded rather than formed, straightening moves the geometry elsewhere rather than restoring it.

Fit it as a bench job. Photograph the motor, pulley and brush positions before anything comes off, transfer them to the new weldment in the same relationship, and check pulley alignment with a straight edge before the belt goes back on. Replace the belt and the brush bearings at the same time — both have been running misaligned and both are only accessible now.

Browse every assembly for this machine on the Tornado 98168 Marathon 1200 parts hub, and see the manufacturer’s range at tornadovac.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Tornado machines does the brush plate weldment 30973 fit?

It is used on the Tornado 98166 and 98167 20″ Marathon 800 carpet extractors, the Tornado 98168 12 Gallon Self Contained extractor, the 98168 20″ Marathon 1200 in all series, the 98169 20″ Marathon 1200 and the 98190 22″ Marathon 2000. Call 763-535-0770 with your model number if you are not sure.

I keep shedding brush belts — could this be the cause?

Yes, and it is commonly missed. A bent motor base lets the drive pulley sit out of line with the brush pulley, and a timing belt that is not running square walks to one side and sheds its teeth. Put a straight edge across the two pulley faces with the belt off before buying another belt.

Can a bent brush plate be straightened?

Not reliably. It is a welded assembly rather than a formed bracket, so straightening tends to move the geometry somewhere else instead of restoring it. Check it by sighting across the pulley faces and by turning the brush through a full revolution watching the gap at each end.

How do I order the Brush Plate Weldment and Brush Motor Base (part# 30973) or get help?

You can add the Brush Plate Weldment and Brush Motor Base (part# 30973) directly to your cart on this page, or call us at 763-535-0770. Our staff at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428 has been servicing Tornado equipment since 1956 and can help confirm the right part for your machine.

Questions? Call us at 763-535-0770 or visit us at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428.