At the back end where the cord rewind is, top end of the vac about two inches in from the sides is a plastic tab with a hole in it. You MUST press down hard on the inside of the cap to release the tab from a round plastic nubby that is moulded into the upper half of the vac. Do this on the other side as well. Then the bottom part of the cap will slide up and out. (You'll see the nubs) To remove the slides, on the opposite end pull back the rubber and use a 1/4 inch wide screwdriver, place it on the T shaped piece of plastic and rap it with your hand towards the back of the vac. If need be rap it further back with a bigger screwdriver about halfway then you can pull it off. Do this with the other side. Pry apart the vac halves one side at a time. The piston part snaps onto two plastic ears which you will see. Rotate the tubing out of the grip and upwards. To remove the rewind, use a screwdriver and pry up between its housing and the vac bottom a little on each side. The rewind, blue plastic and motor will want to move upwards. There are two slide disconnects that need be disconnected from the motor. The cord going through the side, there's a plastic piece that's wedged through the opening from the inside. You'll need to pry the top and bottom and this slides out so the plug can be removed from the vacuum.
Tom M - North Country Tool Repair, February 2007
