Dishwasher retainer nut spins but won't come out

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I an trying to take apart my dishwasher and clean it, but I can't get the nut out of the bottom. I got it out partway--you know, just enough that I can't use the dishwasher--but now it is just spinning. Not loosely--there is resistance. Apparently it's a right-hand bolt, but it will not come out further from turning in either direction. I have been turning it for like an hour in between watching YouTube videos and calling my dad. I've tried pulling up on it; I've tried pushing down on the assembly and pulling up on the nut. I have tried turning the nut; I have tried turning the arms.

It's a Whirlpool Quiet Partner I if that helps, but it seems to be a pretty standard part. All the videos make it look like I should have had the damn thing out 55 minutes ago. Help!

[zolotiyeruki]

You've got it backward.  Hold the plastic bolt thing stationary, and spin the wash arm counterclockwise. The plastic bolt is held from underneath by a piece that you'll see when you remove the wash arm.

(and feel free to ask if you have any other questions--our model is very similar, and I've taken it apart probably a dozen times to clean it)

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

You've got it backward.  Hold the plastic bolt thing stationary, and spin the wash arm counterclockwise.

Yes, that's what I was doing. Well, after the first twenty minutes anyway! It just spins and spins and never comes any further out.

It kind of looks like I've reached the end of the threads. I wonder if it the bolt is out as far as it goes and now it's just a matter of yanking? I don't wanna break anything... but my father has a saying, "You already need a plumber."

Was yours easy to pull out?

[zolotiyeruki]

The bolt in the middle stays put.  You have to take the wash arm off the bolt first.  Think of the wash arm as a giant nut on that plastic bolt.  Or am I misunderstanding what you're doing?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Thanks for helping! No, I am definitely trying to remove the retainer nut, which is what I'm seeing on various websites.. I don't see any way that the spray arm could come off with it in place! Maybe yours was a different design? Here is another picture from the top.

[zolotiyeruki]

Sure looks like the same design--ours is a Quiet Partner as well. You just need to hold the middle thing still, and spin the wash arm around it like a propeller counterclockwise.  It should walk up the threads on the plastic bolt, and eventually it should come loose and simply lift off.  I suppose it's possible that you've stripped the threads, but I went through the same process the first time I took it apart, trying to spin the bolt one way or another, and it still comes off fine for me.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

So--I spun it in the wrong direction for like half an hour. Maybe it walked DOWN the bolt and is now stuck? At any rate, the bolt is sticking way up over the arms. I think I'm going to wait for Mr. FP to come home and take a crack at it!

[zolotiyeruki]

So--I spun it in the wrong direction for like half an hour. Maybe it walked DOWN the bolt and is now stuck? At any rate, the bolt is sticking way up over the arms. I think I'm going to wait for Mr. FP to come home and take a crack at it!

I suppose that's possible. The antidote would be to screw the plastic bolt in the middle DOWN into the wash arm, and apply some pressure until the threads bite again.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Damn it, he can't budge the thing either. It turns either way, with some resistance, but it won't go up or down.

Is there any chance that using a dremel or hacksaw to cut off the threaded part (which is now sticking up over the spray arm as shown in the picture) would work? I'm guessing I could replace the nut a lot cheaper than I could call a plumber. Or would I just wind up with it slice doff but still stuck?

[zolotiyeruki]

It shouldn't be too hard to cut it off, and once that's done, the spray arm should come off easily.  Of course, then you'll be out of a dishwasher until you get the part, but if that's the price you pay for a working DW...

[zolotiyeruki]

Any updates on this?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Any updates on this?

Thanks for asking! I don't own any cutting tools, so I thought I would pick up a mini hacksaw at Walmart when I go tomorrow. So I have not tried cutting it off yet. If that doesn't work, I'll call a plumber Monday. My father used to say, "You already need a plumber." Meaning I might as well give it a try.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Mini hacksaw was only $3 and I was able to get the nut off. I don't think I totally believed you that it wasn't meant to come off until I got under there and saw how big it is :-).

Already owned a set of those star-shaped screwdrivers, so no delay there.

Holy shit, the underside of my dishwasher is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen even though I both have attended a home birth and delivered children by caesarean section. I actually haven't finished cleaning it yet--no rush, since I had to order the replacement part.

Bad news: It's an $18 part. Good news: It's available from Amazon Prime and will be here Wednesday!

On the one hand, I wish I hadn't blown the $21 dollars. On the other hand, my mom told me she paid $135 to have her dishwasher cleaned. And that's even though my dad is a retired auto mechanic who used to be pretty handy. I was very keen to avoid paying a plumber--we're not exactly rolling in spare money and my car needs a new axle this month--and I am cautiously optimistic now.

And I think it's going to make for a pretty funny blog post.

Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement! I'll check in one more time when I'm up and running again :-).

[zolotiyeruki]

Bad news: It's an $18 part. Good news: It's available from Amazon Prime and will be here Wednesday!

On the one hand, I wish I hadn't blown the $21 dollars. On the other hand, my mom told me she paid $135 to have her dishwasher cleaned. And that's even though my dad is a retired auto mechanic who used to be pretty handy. I was very keen to avoid paying a plumber--we're not exactly rolling in spare money and my car needs a new axle this month--and I am cautiously optimistic now.

I've found eBay is a good source for used appliance parts.  Yeah, that's apparently a thing.  That little piece you paid $18 for on amazon would probably be <$5 on eBay.  On the plus side, now you know how to do it properly next time, so it won't cost you anything! :)

[Greg]

Holy shit, the underside of my dishwasher is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen even though I both have attended a home birth and delivered children by caesarean section. I actually haven't finished cleaning it yet--no rush, since I had to order the replacement part.

If you mean the are under the screen etc., I know what you mean.  I have to clean mine yearly, not just to get rid of the pink slime but also to remove the olive pits and toothpics that clog the food chopper.  The slime interferes with the dishwasher's automatic cycle timing, which is based on how clean the water is.  If the optical sensor is covered with slime, it defaults to full-length cycles.

Here's a typical appearance:

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Bad news: It's an $18 part. Good news: It's available from Amazon Prime and will be here Wednesday!

On the one hand, I wish I hadn't blown the $21 dollars. On the other hand, my mom told me she paid $135 to have her dishwasher cleaned. And that's even though my dad is a retired auto mechanic who used to be pretty handy. I was very keen to avoid paying a plumber--we're not exactly rolling in spare money and my car needs a new axle this month--and I am cautiously optimistic now.

I've found eBay is a good source for used appliance parts.  Yeah, that's apparently a thing.  That little piece you paid $18 for on amazon would probably be <$5 on eBay.  On the plus side, now you know how to do it properly next time, so it won't cost you anything! :)

Thanks for the tip. I actually looked there, but did not see any used ones.

Plus I probably would have paid more anyway just to get it by Wednesday :-).

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

My new dishwasher has a filter that I can just pull out and clean. I do so weekly. The pink slime is revolting.

[zolotiyeruki]

Holy cow, I've never seen pink slime in our DW.  All I get is whitish ...stuff.  Where does the pink come from in your dishwashers?

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Any tips for getting the spray arm back on? It's not threaded inside and I can't get it to engage with the new retainer nut. It just pops right off.

[zolotiyeruki]

Any tips for getting the spray arm back on? It's not threaded inside and I can't get it to engage with the new retainer nut. It just pops right off.

LOL!  On ours, the thin metal that is the top layer of the spray arm is slightly not-flat where the nut goes through--the circular edge is helical, and engages on the threads of the plastic insert.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Yeah, it's slightly not-flat but it won't engage. All I'm doing is tearing up my new nut trying. There is a sort of gap and the helical part on either side, but I dunno--it's almost like the threads on the nut are too far down or something and I can't get there. The spray arm just goes around on top and maybe one side or the other will dip down, but it won't really engage, it just pops back up on the next go-round. I wonder if I damaged it while I was cutting off the nut, but it seems fine.

I'm beyond frustrated right now. I thought I was almost there! If I have to call a repairman after washing dishes in the sink for a week and doing all this work...

[zolotiyeruki]

Can you post a pic?  I'll see if I can open up mine and take a similar pic...
Edit: got a pic.  I took the arm off, and this picture is *just* before the threads engage while I'm putting it back on.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Can you post a pic?  I'll see if I can open up mine and take a similar pic...
Edit: got a pic.  I took the arm off, and this picture is *just* before the threads engage while I'm putting it back on.

Here are pics of the nut, the arm, and how they don't fit.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

Thank you for going to so much trouble! The problem I'm having is that the open part of the spray arm just passes right over the thread; I can't get it low enough. The opening does not seem to be large enough to allow the arm to start dropping over the threads.

Is your spray arm sort of curved all the way around? Mine is mostly flat. The part I am trying to engage with the threads is totally flat. The other side of the opening is curved downward a bit, but that part doesn't line up with the nut. Did that description make sense? I'm thinking maybe I did deform it when I turned it the wrong way? I may just order a new one in the morning if I don't hear or come up with another idea :-).

Thanks again!

[zolotiyeruki]

It looks like the metal isn't bent the right way.  Mine is a gentle helix, to match the threads on the plastic nut.  It's entirely possible that somewhere in the process (or maybe years ago, who knows), the metal got bent (or flattened) so that it doesn't work with the threads any more.  Er, actually, it looks like it got bent the wrong way.  That would certainly keep it from engaging the threads.  That second picture makes it look like the one side is bent inwards when it should be standing proud.

Looking at the second picture you posted, the lip at the 6 o'clock position should be bent inwards (towards the bottom of the dishwasher) and the lip at the 9 o'clock position should be protruding upwards.  Take a pair of pliers or a screwdriver, and you should be able to bend them enough to get the threads to engage.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

It looks like the metal isn't bent the right way.  Mine is a gentle helix, to match the threads on the plastic nut.  It's entirely possible that somewhere in the process (or maybe years ago, who knows), the metal got bent (or flattened) so that it doesn't work with the threads any more.  Er, actually, it looks like it got bent the wrong way.  That would certainly keep it from engaging the threads.  That second picture makes it look like the one side is bent inwards when it should be standing proud.

Looking at the second picture you posted, the lip at the 6 o'clock position should be bent inwards (towards the bottom of the dishwasher) and the lip at the 9 o'clock position should be protruding upwards.  Take a pair of pliers or a screwdriver, and you should be able to bend them enough to get the threads to engage.

IT WORKED! My dishwasher is running (vinegar load to finish cleaning) right now! I can't believe that worked! I feel like a magician!

You know, when I was trying to put it on before I was like, "This is so weird, it's like they're threaded backwards of each other." It's so nice to know I'm not crazy.

You are my new personal Internet hero! I don't know who you are or how your handle is pronounced, but you opened up your dishwasher and described the helix of the spray arm. That's really going above and beyond for an Internet stranger. Seriously, thank you!

I love this forum!

[zolotiyeruki]

Woohoo!  Congrats on getting it working!