How to replace a Baracuda MX8 Pool Cleaner Side Panel

During the lifespan of your Baracuda MX8 Pool Cleaner there may come a time where you will need repair the body panels of your for aesthetic or functionality reason

Step 1

Tools you will need: 1) Phillips screwdriver - small 2) A cup to place removed screws. The screws taken out in this operation are all the same size.

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Step 2

The following link is the parts breakdown page for the Baracuda MX8 Cleaner. This will provide an exploded diagram of all the parts mentioned in this guide.

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Step 3

Turn off your pool pump and disconnect the suction hose from your cleaner.

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Step 4

Depress the yellow tab on the front of the cleaner to pop the hood of the cleaner.

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Step 5

The inside of the cleaner should look as pictured. The MX8 Cleaner Engine also called the turbine creates the forward momentum and bottom scrubbers.

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Step 6

The MX8 Pool Cleaner Side Cover is attached to the unit with three screws; these must be removed before it can be extracted.

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Step 7

We will be removing the screw on the inside of the cleaner first. This is located at the top of the panel. After removing this screw put it in a cup marking where in the cleaner you removed it from. This particular screw is of a different length and thread type than the other screws on the cleaner.

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Step 8

The other screws we are to remove are located on the exterior of the cleaner. One black pulley wheel and the other in the middle of the track assembly. Before this takes place we must first remove the MX8 Pool Cleaner Track.

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Step 9

Popping an MX8 Cleaner Track off the guide wheels is simple. Slide your thumb or finger under the track in between it and a gray wheel, then peel it up and off.

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Step 10

Now that the track is out of the way we can remove the screw on the black pulley wheel. Use a small screwdriver to extract screw. The black pulley will spin as you turn it so either hold using your hand or a pair of pliers.

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Step 11

After the screw is removed slide the pulley off its shaft. Also remove the plastic pulley washer.

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Step 12

The last screw to remove is this one located in the middle of the track pulley system. Remove and place to side for later.

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Step 13

To pop out the side panel you will want to grip the top inside of the panel with your left hand and with your right hand pull out the bottom tab from which you had removed the last screw. This step's picture displays how your hands should be positioned. As you are pulling out the tab lift the panel up and out.

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Step 14

Now that we have the side panel out of the cleaner we can see that it is broken into two separate pieces. There is the outer gray plastic shell that is for the looks of the cleaner Then there is the inner drive pulley mechanism for the operation of the cleaner.

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Step 15

If you are discarding the entire assembly you can do that at this point. Or if you are replacing one of the two, pull apart the two items pieces, as pictured and discard the damaged part.

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Step 16

To assemble the new pieces of the side panel you will need to align the two screw supports on the gearbox with the screw holes on the outer gray shell. These two parts should pop snugly into place, if done right there should no wiggle of shift between the pieces.

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Step 17

This is screw support on the inside of the MX8 Pool Cleaner should look when in place.

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Step 18

The outer screw support.

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Step 19

The new Baracuda MX8 Cleaner Side Panel is now ready to be installed onto the cleaner.

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Step 20

When beginning installation first, open the lid of the MX8 cleaner, this gives you more room to work and better line of sight when installing the MX8 Side Panel.

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Step 21

Set the side panel assembly into place.

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Step 22

Attach the long inner body screw.

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Step 23

Replace the outer side screw.

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Step 24

The last screw to replace is the pulley wheel. Place the black plastic washer on the shaft then the pulley wheel. Secure with screw.

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Step 25

Re-attach track to the cleaner by wrapping it around the big gray wheels then sliding it up and over the pulley wheel. Before moving on check the track so that it is sitting snugly in the guide slot of the gray and black wheels.

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Step 26

Check for any missing screw or other loose part in the machine and if everything checks out you can attach your vacuum hose and resume operation of your Baracuda MX8 Pool Cleaner.

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