Hobart KitchenAid Superba KDS 16 motor?

[SuperbaLover]

Hello! We moved into a home that has a wonderful KitchenAid Superba by Hobart dishwasher from 1969, I believe. After 13 years of our using it, it seems the motor has gone kaput. Is there any way to locate the part number and/or a source for NOS/refurbished parts? I love this dishwasher and do not want to replace it!

 

[combo52]

The motor for this dishwasher is the same motor that was used on the KD 15 through 17 series machines, you should be able to find a good used one if needed.

What happened to yours? They very seldom fail.

John L

 

[SuperbaLover]

To be honest, I'm not sure! The dishes weren't getting clean, and it didn't seem as though water was circulating. Plumber said that he thought it might be the solenoid, then referred us to the appliance repair folks. I pulled out the 98-page service manual prior to the visit. That guy came, examined the spray arms, etc., for clogs, then determined it was a problem with the motor, and that a replacement, if available anywhere (such as on eBay) would be $450, but if we did manage to get a replacement, they wouldn't install a part they hadn't sourced themselves. Sad, because I love this machine.

 

[davidrysk]

Did it sound like the motor was running? It makes a humming sound when it’s running dry, and as water fills there should be a hiss of water, and the sound changes to a sort of whirring as the wash arm starts to rotate. It’s safe to open the door at any time to see what’s going on, to resume just press the same push button again.

I ended up having similar issues with my KDC-17 — more specifically, unreliable fill and drain — and it ended up being dirty contacts in the pushbutton switch and timer. I verified this by measuring voltage at the fill and drain solenoid valves at different points in the cycle. The timer and switch can be disassembled and cleaned but it’s quite messy and time consuming to get them back together correctly.

 

[phillymatt53]

To be honest, I'm not sure! The dishes weren't getting clean, and it didn't seem as though water was circulating. Plumber said that he thought it might be the solenoid, then referred us to the appliance repair folks. I pulled out the 98-page service manual prior to the visit. That guy came, examined the spray arms, etc., for clogs, then determined it was a problem with the motor, and that a replacement, if available anywhere (such as on eBay) would be $450, but if we did manage to get a replacement, they wouldn't install a part they hadn't sourced themselves. Sad, because I love this machine.

When initially started, does the motor sound quiet, and if the door is opened, do you hear it wind down and make a click noise??
If so, the motor is good, so maybe a clog in the pump area, filter screen, or hoses.

 

[phillymatt53]

Did it sound like the motor was running? It makes a humming sound when it’s running dry, and as water fills there should be a hiss of water, and the sound changes to a sort of whirring as the wash arm starts to rotate. It’s safe to open the door at any time to see what’s going on, to resume just press the same push button again.

I ended up having similar issues with my KDC-17 — more specifically, unreliable fill and drain — and it ended up being dirty contacts in the pushbutton switch and timer. I verified this by measuring voltage at the fill and drain solenoid valves at different points in the cycle. The timer and switch can be disassembled and cleaned but it’s quite messy and time consuming to get them back together correctly.

Even though my KDC-19 was running fine back when I moved in years ago, I went over the timer contacts to insure reliability.
And YES, it's a royal bitch getting it back together!