Well, for build quality, it absolutely is --far superior -- but otherwise it's a very straight-forward, tried and true design.

The issue is more about parts availability than the machine's age or design.  A lazy repairman who lacks any sense of dedication will be quick to advise you it's not worth fixing and to replace the machine. 

"Pay no attention to the man behind the access panel!"

You either have an inlet valve that is sticking open [ does water ever still keep flowing into the DW from half way up the left side of the tank when you open the door when the machine is running and overflowing ? ] and or an overfill protector pressure switch that is clogged or broken. KD-16 DWs do not have a turquoise drain valve that can be activated manually, your drain valve is the nylon thing in the middle underneath with the black coil on top with two wires attached.

Other things that may be causing the flooding are, Timer not advancing [ the DW should only fill for about one minute ] and you could in addition to the bad over fill pressure switch problem have a restricted drain [ partial clog ] or a bad drain impeller in the pump.

The best way to get something like this fixed is to call an independent appliance repair company that has been in business for at 25 years or more. Be sure to tell them how old the DW is and supply the model# and ask them if they are experienced and willing to fix an older DW. Many parts are no longer available for this DW, but with the help of this group we can help you most anything you will need to fix the DW, but sure to tell the repair company that you will be willing to track down any parts if they either do not have them or can not get them. Good Luck   John.

Were an ok design at the time but had MANY problems, because their Bi-Metal actuators were wired in series with the main motor they would not always open reliably if the wash filter was dirty, the water level was a little low, if the machine was foaming from certain protean foods etc. This dispenser design had lots of leaks into the inside of the door and because of the placement of the BM opener it could cause shorts, burned connections and sometimes even FIRES. The lids on these dispensers also did not seal their contents very well and they sometimes washed out too soon.

While NO manufacturer has made a perfect Det Dispenser for their DWs, the various dispenser designs that WP has built and used since the mid 1970s have been without all the above mentioned problems.

Keep an eye out on ebay.  New-in-box parts like this have been known to surface there.

I also think you have the right idea about starting a new thread with a heading about what you're looking for.  Someone here may have exactly what you need.

Anne glad you are on the way to getting your DW fixed, be sure when you get a timer and are having it installed that the service guy fixes the overfill control switch, usually the metal tube in the sump is just clogged with rust, but in some cases the pressure switch is bad. If the overfill control is working these DWs should never flood unless the inlet valve mechanically sticks open.

I checked my parts inventory and found a new timer for the KDI-16 Non Soak cycle model. I suspect that the non soak timer would work but you would lose the soak feature and a wire may have to be jumped so the DW would not stall near the beginning of the cycle.