under the rubber moldings that run the length of the vacuum is a plastic strip that joins the top and bottom. with the vac bag cover open, push the plastic strips, one at a time toward the open end... they will go about 1/8th inch, at that point take a good sized screwdriver place it agaist the motor end of the plastic strip and bump it agressively toward the open end... the strip should slide off and release the top and bottom. note: look at the strip when you get it off, the bag end has a slight tapered section that catches against the housing when it is installed. This wedge section has to be bumped over to remove the closing strip.
john_edgar@shaw.ca, August 2006
