kelvinator D&M dishwasher rebuild- part 1

[rollermatic]

top impeller

has 6 water jets. on older machines these were slit shaped. newer machines used spray arms with round holes.

 

[rollermatic]

lower

impeller.

 

[rollermatic]

bottom impeller

also has 6 water jets. i like these old spray arms with the slit shaped jets much better than the later ones which simply had holes drilled in them.

these old style spray arms remind me of the similiar stainless spray arms on the old g.e. mobile maids.

 

[rollermatic]

that's it for now

next thing on the list is to paint the sump, reinstall the pump and motor with it's new seal kit and then take it for a test ride.

hope to have it all back together in about 2 weeks or so. will do a post of the actual rebuilding of the pump and assembly.

thanks for lookin. this is a great old classic D&M machine!

 

[rollermatic]

dave i had forgotton

that kelvinator is from michigan! grand rapids, right? i remember matt telling me about that when i was up there that day. at first he didn't want to part with this machine but it was part of a package deal i made with him. got my first rollermatic that day also!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Yes, Rollermatic!

Gramps worked for Kelvy, for Ford, for Chrysler, for GM--and even Kelsey Hayes making airplane parts during WWII...!

so,--Yes!--Kelvinator was such a formidable brand, and too bad, along w/ Greenville, Michigan's own GIBSON brand, with Beton Harbor's WHIRLPOOL company, it could never compete!

(An example was just how many mistrusted that brand w/ their laundry equipment, while that name was at least seen on one appliance in the kitchen or would at least own a Gibson or Kelvinator freezer!)

Sure would be nice to see a resurrection, (though it's unfortunately due to its demise, really) if it were to keep Michigan working!

--Dave (Thanks, and hope I didn't spoil the continuity of your photos of "your work in progress"...)

 

[combo52]

D&M PUMP REBUILDING

Peter thanks for taking the time to show the pump rebuilding process of these machines. Unfortunately I have easily rebuilt more than a couple a hundred of these in the home when things went wrong. The easy way to remove the old pot-metal drain impeller is to just heat it with a propane torch till the rubber seal starts to smoke a little and then give it a sideways whack and it always comes off very easily. Yes I was the one that said that the round black plastic guard was designed to hide the enviable rust that often showed up in the first year of use. The problem with the guard is that people would not see all sorts of small objects and broken glass etc laying in the sump area and then the items would just stay there with a much greater chance that they would work themselves into the grinder and do damage the the pump etc. I always threw them away when I had to remove them to reduce the chance of a callback and another ruined pump.

 

[turquoisedude]

Wow, Pete, this is a fun 'how-to' chronicle! I gave up on no less than 3 vintage D&M machines with pumps like these because I figured they would be impossible to fix... You sure proved me wrong - great job!!

 

[rollermatic]

thanks for the tip

combo52. i have never used a torch on these before but the next one i get (and i'm sure there will be another some day) i will try the heat method.

paul, these are not hard to rebuild at all and pump seals are plentiful and cheap. i have done about 10 of them over the last 35 years and there are still lots of
D&M dishwashers out there.