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Ok, with me asking about oiling stuff... LOL.. when I would move the arms freely they had a lot of drag.. The bushings were dry... Even in water they were dry...

I remembered seeing a post somewhere about a wash with olive oil in the water... I now can't find it and don't recall what it was for.. I ran 3 cycles with some random stuff, a stainless tea kettle, a fryer basket, a plastic lid and some other random stuff that was sitting in my furnace room and were coated with dust in and out... Nothing was getting clean.. water wasn't reaching stuff.. this proved the arms weren't moving... I was thinking there has to be oil or something in these bushings.. That post came to mind yet again so I grabbed some cooking oil and dumped a third of a cup in the wash water, let it run and I sat next to it reading the service manual and all of a sudden i hear a woooooosh and a whirr and you could hear the alternating sound of water as the arms spun... Now everything slides in and out smooth, the trays don't drag and the arms spin freely...

On that note, I have to replace either the guard on the middle arm or the entire basket... Also, my flow-thru fan doesn't seem to work.. Theres no air movement at the bottom of the door above the service plate and I don't hear anything kick on... I'll take it apart and see if it just needs to be oiled..

I do want to take the pump motor out and go have it serviced just for good measure.. I am going to get rid of the cord winder and put a heavier duty cord on because that cord gets too warm for my personal comfort. And I'll probably put new hoses on the inlet and drain.
 
The bakelite hub

On the Hydrosweep lower arm could be worn out or broke.  The thudding you heard was likely the wash arm jumping up and hitting the lower rack. When this happens the majority of the water is deflected back into the wash tank never reaching the arms.   Also any water spraying from the lower arm cleans only part of the rack as it won't turn.  My mother's KDP 20 developed this issue.  A new lower wash arm should fix it, it did in her machine.

WK78 
 
As far as the middle arm goes, all I really need is a new support.. ... I took the rack out, and figured out that with the parts that are broken on it, it makes it bind up with the arm... I broke the other leg free and the middle arm spins freely... I don't need the whole rack just the support.. I've got the constant rinse arm on order but I'm gonna have him hold that until I find out whats wrong with the dryer.. I'm gonna take that off tonight if I can hoist up the machine and take the part with me to work tomorrow to test it... I should find a ceiling crane for this machine...

I am absolutely in love with this machine... The more I monkey with it the better it seems to work... It sounds like the one mom had when I was a kid.. I could lay down on that cement floor and fall asleep listening to it... It brings me such a calm to sit there and listen to it work.. I love hearing the timer advance :-)

Oh, the detergent doors all work, I haven't taken the panel off yet to see whats back there but they open on their own.. The RA dispenser works too.. I filled her up with some jet dry.

The one thing I truly am in love with on this machine is the cast iron tub.. They don't make them anymore and its a shame... The tub retains a lot of heat so as the cycle progresses it only gets hotter... The tub also gives the machine a nice warmth too..

This was totally worth the trip yesterday... I hope I get many many years out of this machine...

Oh, Check my photo library again, I put more pics in.

With my working at a vacuum store, I hear bearings starting to go all the time and have gotten used to the way motors should sound... This motor doesn't sound bad, but I think it needs a bearing service in the next year... Is this a serviceable motor?
 
Whirlykenmore, I think you are right.. I should replace the hydrosweep and the post it sits on... :/. Does that thing just sit in that hole or what does it do? What is the barbed part for?



You may want to turn the sound down... but... from watching other videos, I can't hear their timer as loud as mine... Is that normal ? LOL
 
Flo-Thru Drying unit

I suspect that the motor bushings on the drying unit haven't been cared for. This was often over-looked and the motor would seize. If memory serves, the bushings are surrounded by wicking that holds oil to keep the bushings oiled. It dries up over the years and the fan can get noisy and may stop. The wicking needs to be re-saturated with a non-detergent motor oil commonly referred to as turbine oil. Zoom Spout oil is a good choice and the bottle has an extendable spout to reach into tight spaces. Don't know if you're familiar with turbine oil or not. Don't ever use detergent oil, such as your basic 3 in 1 oil, on fans or other devices with high speed spinning rotors. The detergent will varnish on the shaft and cause binding in the bushing.

After the Flo-Thru dryer is operating again it may be noisy because of worn bushings but at least you will know it's running.
 
There are even more pics now... (https://plus.google.com/photos/1125...ms/5915566306275734625?authkey=CKiBydi_2LOoQA)

Anyone know how that stupid air diffuser is supposed to be set up? I don't get which side of the round disc is supposed to be up... Since the dome of the disc was down, I decided to flip it over and see what happens... Doesn't work right now anyways...

I was monkeying around with the blower motor and decided to check the switches because I noticed the Energy Saver one pushed easier than the others... The Service manual said to start at that then go to the motor.. I took the panels off and was playing with the switch and noticed how there was no resistance... I took the switch apart and the copper part that completes the blower heater circuit was bent past functioning.. I bent it all back together and it works.. As far as the blower, I dunno I was messing with stuff and put all back together and it started working. It is out of balanced and grinding but at lest I know its on. I'll 'borrow' a zoomspout from work tomorrow. :-)

I found a leak.. The valve on the drain leaks.. not a large leak but a few drips every time it opens and shuts the valve. Nothing major..
 
My Energy Saver dry button also pushes in much easier than the rest of the buttons... I'm thinking that is normal. However, the blower motor should run in the dry cycle regardless of whether or not the button is pressed; the button only controls whether the heating element comes on or not during drying.

Glad you like your machine. I love mine too since I got it. They are heavy, aren't they? The last dishwasher I installed I was able to wrap my arms around and carry it into the house by myself... not this one! Even with a furniture dolly I barely made it up the three steps into my kitchen by myself.

I love the sound of the sani heater when it kicks in during the last rinse... sounds like somebody put the kettle on for some coffee or tea!
 
The KD 18 series service manual in the Automatic Ephemera section might be of help to you. The dome of the round disc is supposed to be down. The air diffuser assembly is quite simple but since I can't see what's causing the problem it's hard to advise.
 
The service manual doesn't have the diffuser listed in it... The disk goes dome side down? it makes the fan whine louder and doesn't move to let air pass.. I don't get how this thing functions ... I mean there is the cover, the round disk a support bracket and the tube it mounts to... but its like someone squished this stuff... I'll have to take more pics of it.. And I'm taking a zoom spout home tonight cause I know for a fact the fan didn't run last night so I'll try oiling it.

The place where I was hoping to get my parts from doesn't have the hydrosweep... Is there a way to service this one so it works properly? are the surfaces supposed to have grit or be smooth? ... What is the crisscross cuts in the shaft for? Does something grab a hold of that or whats its purpose?

There has got to be a way to service the arms.
 
In my album, photos 47-51 are of a KDI-58 I found for $100.00... I didn't think to take pics of the inside, but the china guard is in tact and he said the machine was restored and in great condition... (the bottom shows a leak of some kind) I figure for $100 it'd be worth it just for parts... What do you guys think? I'll go back later today and get some more pics. He's gonna hold it for me till I get paid. He is also closing his store so he said he'd go through his stuff and find all the parts for that era kitchenaid dishwasher and give them to me if I bought that machine. The top is in great condition.. Just needs a bit of TLC but isn't warped.

This was the store I wanted to go to when I first started my quest but he broke his hip and was out of commission for a while... They just had their 65th year in business anniversary.

He also has a F&P DishDrawer set that hes gonna sell to me reasonably so I can give that to mom for her birthday!

(https://plus.google.com/photos/1125...ms/5915566306275734625?authkey=CKiBydi_2LOoQA)
 
52-54 are pics of the interior.. Not as pristine as I was thinking now that I took a second look.. Maybe I'll offer 75 lol.

I've got a Wash Arm support on order, and maybe one of the machines I'll convert to the current hobart arm system...

I just wonder what KA stuff he is hiding in his storage.
 
Well, lol I jumped the gun and bought the KDI, took the wash arm support, the wash arm and the heated dry unit off the machine today and put the support on and cleaned the blower up and put that on.. My KDS is in so much better shape... the two compared mine looks brand new... I'm gonna see if I can fix my blower unit and align the fan as my unit is spotless on the inside...

The wash arm from the KDI is cracked and has a washer or something flinging around in one of the arms.. :/ So I am using my arm on that support... Oh, and this support must have been a replacement or something because it has a circular clip holding the stem in place and the two screws on the crown of the support are security screws with head I have never seen before.. Hopefully this lasts a while..

You can tell its really getting after it when there is enough water being pumped... I'm gonna change the china guard this weekend and hopefully my constant rinse arm gets here this week and this machine will be good to go...

I may take the front wheel bar off the KDI and put it on mine because its not dented

I understand what you meant, barcoboy, about the dry cycle sounding like a tea kettle... Its a nice sound.

It's gonna take me a bit to get used to loading this machine but I'm already on my 3rd load of random stuff :)
 
You're making excellent progress, and it's clear you're energized over restoring your Superba to proper working order.

 

I have always found loading a two-armed KA to be fairly intuitive.  On the lower rack, large plates will only fit in the front-to-rear formation on the left side and everything else can go pretty much wherever.

 

I'm still having a time of it with getting a loading routine down for my recently acquired Miele.  I suppose if I just start to approach it like a well-disciplined German, it will come to me.

 

Here's a shot of the results in my ISE series 22 clone that was loaded down after having guests for dinner:

rp2813++8-30-2013-01-38-55.jpg
 
I've completely fallen in love with this machine LOL... I'm single, live in a studio apartment and have managed to use this guy over 3 times a day since I fixed the wash arm. Just trying to figure out how to fill the racks with all my stuff.

It holds all the sizes of my cutting boards.

 

From AutomaticWasher.org

 

Curious question: How many of you wash your enameled cast iron in the dishwasher?

 

From AutomaticWasher.org

 

I really like how deep the Top rack can get :-)

 

From AutomaticWasher.org

 

I'm trying to decide what cleans better, cascade powder or my melaleuca detergent.

 

I just need the constant rinse arm to arrive and this machine will be complete.

 

I do appreciate all the help, information and support you guys gave. I wouldn't have found this one or tried this if it weren't for the wealth of knowledge on this forum! :-) On a side note, SteveT, if you happen to see this, I sent an email your way (the one listed on your profile), I had a few questions for ya if you have a moment.

 

The next on my find list is a Miele Futura Diamond. I'm hoping to build a house soon when Lot prices come down and after looking at my storage unit the other day, it seems I am building my house from the inside out.
 
I wash enameled cast iron in the dishwasher without any hesitation.

 

Three loads a day for a single guy?  You sound like a normal, healthy male to me.  ;-)
 
Heh you should see what I can accomplish when I'm on a day off :P

 

How do you keep the cast iron rims from rusting?

 

Oh, and I just learned something... I can't use liquid detergent in this machine because it leaks out of the cups when you close the door... :/ I was looking at the differences between my machines and noticed the cup on the edgestar had a seal on it.. Then I noticed I hadn't started the KA yet and opened the door and saw that all the soap leaked out ... :/ Oh well lol... Guess that solves the questions I had about what detergent to use.
 
I don't own any cast iron cookware that has lids, if that's what you meant.  I have a Copco enameled casserole dish that belonged to my mom.  Putting it through the dishwasher hasn't harmed it at all.
 
I put the china guard on the middle arm today. I stole it off my donor machine.

Also stole the basket :-)

I've noticed if I don't close this guy right in the middle on the top of the door, he doesn't seem to latch all the way and I have a flood. Thankfully I have it near a floor drain...

Now I just need to get my constant rinse arm, and I guess I need to find something to 'dop' onto the racks because I noticed pin sized spots of rust starting on the bottoms.

OH! I also learned today that I can raise the rack to the very top hole on the adjustable part. That makes it way more convenient now! I do wish I could run the machine without the top arm, there are a few... *items* I wanna run through but they are too tall...

... Something I was wondering though, and don't have the means to find out anymore, but would a standard tray from a commercial washer fit in this? Like say a tray without tines? :-)
 
Well, I figure if I'm gonna pull a thread from the dead it should be this one :-)

I have been using my samsung front loader lately... While waiting on the fill so I can shut the hot water off to the cold inlet, my KDS58 looked so abandoned and alone so I started feeling sappy...

Some of you know I've been trying to give him away to reclaim some space...

Well anyways, I gave in and took the front panel off to see if my shorting culprit was what had been mentioned before --- I should have taken pics, but the soap dispenser has been leaking and the main wash bi-metal was getting wet and shorted out.

Any ideas where I can get a non-leaking dispenser? While I'm at it, is the top most spinner available as well?

Oddly, I think it'd be easier for me to give away my new Maytag Dishwasher than my KDS. I dunno why I get so attached to things.

I think I'm going to re-shuffle a few things... The Maytag can go out to the Furnace room where the Samsung is sitting and I'm gonna put the KDS in my kitchen again. I keep snooping through threads and I miss hearing him roar to life. I wished I had some pics of the Hotpoint SxS I was given that I took to work with me. There's just something about appliances from years ago...

I suppose if anything, I can justify keeping him as the KDS-58 File Cabinet. ;-) That Green beast of a machine that was posted is so dreamy!
 
Don't thank me... thank the other people on this site who helped me fix my dispenser. All I did was ask a question and gather some information, then write about my experience.

Hope your KDS-58 comes roaring back to life real soon!
 
Leaky Det Dispensers in KD17-21 DWs

Some folks have had luck rebuilding these DDs, they should also be mounted upside down to prevent short and fire hazards, this way if they ever leak in the future the detergent laden water will not leak on live electrical parts.

 

The KA DW for sale NH is a KDS-16, built between 1968 and 1970, these are my favorite one arm KA DWs, you have to watch your loading because of the lack of an upper wash arm.
 
DD Upside Down

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">That's a great idea!  I never would have thought of that.  I guess I always thought they had to go in exactly as they were designed.  When I read this post about the DD I wondered why they would design them that way but never thought about turning it around.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The other thing I always wondered is why they didn't just use a solenoid to control the DD doors like they did in the earlier models?  Wouldn't that be less complicated than the bimetal solution?</span>

 
 
KA DW DDs

WP turned them upside-down on the KD22 models after they reviewed how many fires and other problems KA had had in the past decade or so when they bought out KA, I have done the same thing on many machines that I have worked on or rebuilt and resold.

 

The bi-metal openers for the DDs are much cheaper and probably more reliable than a solenoid, also solenoids can be NOISY Buzz y etc. The DUMB thing that KA did with their bi-metal DD openers was wiring them in series with the main motor instead of the water heater element.

 

They did this because at the time KA started using BMO for their DDs they were building KD-17 series DWs and only the TOL DW had heaters. Using the main motor as a load dose not provide a constant load, so when the main wash filter was dirty the DD BMs would not open the dispenser doors and then cleaning performance really went to hell fast.

 

WP also corrected this design problem on the KD-23 series.

 

John L.
 

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