Need KA 18 Series porcelain door liner... swap??

[firedome]

Need a porcelain door liner for a KDI-18.. Will any other KA Series door fit? Any model or must it be KDI-18? Does anyone have a good unchipped & unstained one that will fit? Will trade nice Harvest Gold KD-67 portable that is working perfectly or?

 

[stevet]

Oh boy...

What happened to your door? I thought it was in good shape!
Anyway, you can only use another 18 series door as it has to have the dual holes for the rinse aid dispenser and the 19 and up doors, while physically interchangeable, they only have the single opening in it for the dispenser. The 18's wewre the last of the solenoid type dispensers. The 19 and up used the dispenser with the bimetal delivery system and were wired in with the motor which you would not be able to do with any 18 series.

 

[firedome]

Thaks for replying Steve - It has a seriously large porcelai

right in the center-top where it's most visible... while it can be "repaired" with porcelain "paint" for now, being a perfectionist I want to find a mint door liner for it... and I want this 18 to be our faithful family member and dishwashing companion for the rest of my life, if I can keep it going... kinda nuts, I know...

 

[philr]

Does it have a rinse agent dispenser? I thought it was standard on the Superba and Patrician series and only available as an option(?) on the Imperial and Custom series. I recall seeing chrome filler dots on some KA dishwasers without the rinse agent dispenser.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Why not have the chip properly repaired? When I worked for a company back in California that restored classic ranges, we had a gentleman who repaired/refinished bathtubs and the like who would repair the porcelain properly. It didn't cost that much and you couldn't tell where the damage was in the first place when he was done. The repair also held up well.

RCD

 

[philr]

I'm wondering if someone who repairs bathtubs could replace the Plastisol coating inside a dishwasher with porcelain?!

 

[firedome]

"Repairs"

ie: painting with "Porc-A-Fix" paint, which in reality is enamel painted on with a brush, result in a band-aid repair imo that doesn't hold up long term... at least it hasn't on my ranges. True porcelain is fired at very high temp in an oven like a ceramic pot. The heat produces a super hard glaze. An entire panel can be done this way, and often is by range restorers, and a panel the size of this door runs about $200. I was quoted $300 for my 40" range top. The KA result would be all white, no blue specks. I'd prefer to find a good door panel to replace mine, I could put on the Band-Aid but prefer a more long term fix!

 

[firedome]

Door liner configuration:

it has the detergent dispenser, and also 2 plugged holes approx 1.5" in diameter, the plugs are white not chrome or stainless. Anyone have a good liner like this?

 

[stevet]

I have your door...

But it is not super pristine. It has one small chip in it and where the hinges go, the porcelain is not all that good. I will take some pics and post them just so you can see what may be out there. I really think you will more likely find a complete machine before you will find just a door panel. You have to remember how old these machines really are and if they have been used as true daily drivers, then you will find that the porcelain will be showing its age. There are always machines being offered on all the major sites but you are stuck with a door design that basically is a one of a kind!

I say that if you find a KDS18 that looks good, get it and use that as your daily driver and keep the Imperial as a parts donor. The cycle selections and their versatility are worth it. I still miss the 3 after rinses this machine offers in all but the short wash cycle and even that has 2 rinses.

 

[firedome]

That's a good idea...

and may well the the end result. Agree it may be easier to find a whole machine, and I can always swap the Coppertone panels. I'm pretty satisfied with how the lesser models wash, even my KD-67 and KDC-17s with the singe HydroSweep do just fine if loaded right. But KDS models do seem more comoon for some reason and I'm looking all the time - this Imp 18 was from a nice home just 2 blocks away, and free!!

 

[firedome]

BTW Steve - ... ?

do the motors interchange between KA-17 and KA 18 series?? any other major (read expensive or hard to find) parts? I a have a parts manual for 17s, and am looking for one for 18 series.

 

[stevet]

No dice, Firedome!

The motors will look alike to the untrained eye but they are completely different. The 15,16,17 motors are the same and were bolted to the tank. The 18,19,20 are the same. The 21 and 22 are the same. All the motors from the 18 up, including the later Whirlpool clones had the pumps clamped in thru the top of the tanks. That is, you unsnap or turn a set of clamps or levers that held the pump and motor in place and when released, the whole pump can be lifted up and out through the inside of the tank. This remains even today.

The 23 is the whirlpool powermodule pump design. The 24 series was the first Kitchenaid that was a pure clone of the Whirlpool machines and was a different setup than the 23 series was.

 

[firedome]

Thanks for that info Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mucho gracias!