I finally figured out how to get a stuck auger motor out of a KitchenAid dishwasher

Had this KitchenAid from 2018 with a clogged drain that just would not clear. Pulled the motor assembly but the auger was seized on the shaft like it was welded. Tried penetrating oil and a rubber mallet for 20 minutes with zero luck. Then I remembered a tip from a guy at a parts counter in Portland - he said to heat the auger hub with a heat gun for about 60 seconds, then hit the shaft with canned air upside down to freeze it. Did that and it popped right off first try. Anyone else got weird tricks for breaking rusted parts loose?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.barbara1mo ago

Doesn't that work amazing though? Saved me on a seized lawnmower blade last summer.

paul2331mo ago

Actually that heat and freeze trick works better if you heat the hub for closer to 90 seconds instead of 60. I tried it the first time with 60 seconds and it barely budged. The metal needs to get hot enough to really expand before you hit it with the cold. Also make sure you're pointing the canned air right at the shaft, not the hub itself. Had a friend who did it backwards and ended up cracking the plastic fan blade next to it.