And another PowerClean makes its way into my home...

Now for the work on the DUL140, or the "Imperial", so far. I've decided to clean this one up really well and give it to my boyfriend's dad and step-mom. They have a KitchenAid Custom 21 that runs every day packed with dishes, but it's on its last leg. It's a gorgeous machine, but the heating element has gone out, among a plethora of other things, including the safety door switch, which he had to plug with a glue cap to let it run, and base plate that won't stay on, and racks that are falling apart. They're at the point of washing dishes before loading them simply because there is no heat to the water, even with pre-running the faucet. I checked out parts for it, but the only logical reason to fix everything would be if they were like anyone here on AW, which they aren't. The parts are costly and hard to find to say the least.
I won't let them buy anything new while I have anything to say about it, so a good PowerClean they will be receiving. For the free. They've taken me in as family and treat me as though I've been a close relative for years, so I feel it's the least I can do. Plus, I got everything I've been needing for mine in one fell swoop, and why let a perfectly good machine otherwise go to waste.

I made the mistake last time of not documenting my work at all, so at least I grabbed a few photos this go around.

First off, the impeller bolt was a B@#$%. I didn't have an issue at all with the GU940, but this one was not coming loose after only 8 short years. I finally had to make the executive decision to pull the entire motor assembly out and do surgery on the kitchen counter just to get leverage. You can see how the wrench gashed it simply from holding it and slipping off. It took an act of God and a plethora of profanity to finally muscle it loose.

The pump system as a whole was horrendous. I've never seen one this bad. The GU940 was spotless in comparison. I worked for almost an hour just soaking, shaking, and flushing the filter module just to get the endless crud out of it.

As I scrubbed, polished, and dried each piece, I laid it all out nicely to take a picture to send to the father in law. He's not mechanically inclined at all, so of course it amazed him that there's that many pieces to a dishwasher.

The final picture is the motor, pump base, and drain assembly back together. The seals went on nicely with a nice rub down of dish soap. After this I got down and dirty with the bottom of the tub, which was also disgusting, and didn't have a chance to grab pictures. I reassembled everything, and filled it with water to check for leaks. Not a drop. Upon turning it on the first time, it's of course a hurricane in a box, albeit a louder motor without the sound absorber. Right this minute, it's soaking with a Finish Quantum tab, with which I let it wash for a few minutes to coat the inside, and then let sit, and repeat, so I can attack any remaining scale and buildup with CLR.

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size


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Post# 775273 8/3/2014 at 22:22 (3,550 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes I lucked out and found another one! And this time it's a 2006, which means it has every part that I've been wanting to replace and upgrade in the black one I have installed in my kitchen. Through searching far and wide for replacement racks, which meant replacing upper wash arm mounts and brackets, plus replacing little things like exchanging the ugly yellowish white track deflectors with the black ones, and the silverware basket with the sleek grey and blue one, I would have racked up over $400 worth of parts if bought new. I figured why not just find another one and harvest its good parts and build one ultimate WP PowerClean without breaking the bank? So I did. I paid $90 for it. It's a DUL140PPQ2, the panel says "Imperial Series" though you can tell by the build quality and lack of insulation on either kick panels and a skimpy polyester blanket that they were pushing the tall-tub designs by that time. The GU940 I have in the kitchen was in beautiful condition compared to this, despite being a 2000 year model. The story was the same from the guy -- the wife wanted new stainless appliances. He actually seemed reluctant to sell this one. He said they have a Frigidaire that won't clean a thing. It's in okay shape, but needed a ton of TLC, which I spent all day doing. It had every piece that I've wanted for mine though which was perfect. Here are some pictures of it before any work. Note a few things: 1. I had already cleaned and exchanged a couple of things already, the track bumpers, and the racks, from the GU940. 2. Certain components, while identical in shape and molding to all other PCs, seem to be made from cheaper, less substantial materials. The water supply manifold and the filter module themselves are a different color and texture, and feel not so sturdy, although still built like a tank compared to dishwashers today. 3. The disgusting grime under the door lip. Why does no one think to take a cloth to that area now and then? The vent was just as bad. 4. Notice the motor does not have the sound-absorbing tuner attached. With the tall-tubs being the new little sister, WP was already phasing out the prominent features that used to be standard on these machines. It's amazing the difference it makes while running. The motor sounds much louder than the GU940 did in the same garage with no insulation. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 9 View Full Size

Post# 775274 , Reply# 1 8/3/2014 at 22:35 (3,550 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes And now for the enhancement of my already magnificent machine. 1. I had to decide on the wash arms, since you know, why not? I wanted everything to have the grey versions of the otherwise yellowish white parts. Mine had a lot more scratches on it as well, so in the grey one went. *There is also a little basket that came with it, to the left on the counter. I've never seen one of these on this model, but its cool nonetheless. 2. The white basket had to go. The grey with the blue latch looks much more modern, and makes the surrounding door interior seem not as yellowish. Plus, the silverware basket on the new models seems to be a different plastic that actually doesn't seem as flimsy, and doesn't stain as badly. 3. The upper rack, with the new grey wash arm. This was my biggest excitement. No more woes of a tall cup or glass having to only fit on one side. I can now load anything any way I want with no drama. Plus, theres no wasted "head space" in lower rack on one side. There's still plenty of clearance for tall plates and such. 4. A comparison between the new grey upper rack, and the old yellow lower rack. It's not as dramatic a difference in the picture as it is in reality. The kitchens cabinets and floors and lighting brought out the yellow even more, so the grey looks beautiful and clean. 5 and 6. The difference between the new grey tube and bracket vs. the old beige versions. 7. The new wash arm, now updated with an extra downward spray aimed directly at the silverware basket. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 7 View Full Size

Post# 775276 , Reply# 2 8/3/2014 at 22:44 (3,550 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes And finally the finished product. 1 and 2. At last, the PowerClean I've been wanting since falling in love with my aunt's machine, complete with the intense sound insulation and vibration control of the Quiet Wash Plus/Quiet Partner, the sleek control panel design of the Gold lineup of 98-2000, and the clean colored baskets and nylon racks of the 2006 and beyond models. 3. New wash arm, sans scratches and scuffs and beige colored guard. 4. Upper rack. 5. And the door. I'm so glad to not have yellow track deflectors now. It's the details that count. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 775278 , Reply# 3 8/3/2014 at 23:07 (3,550 days old) by murando531 (Augusta, Georgia - US)
Checkrate/Likes Now for the work on the DUL140, or the "Imperial", so far. I've decided to clean this one up really well and give it to my boyfriend's dad and step-mom. They have a KitchenAid Custom 21 that runs every day packed with dishes, but it's on its last leg. It's a gorgeous machine, but the heating element has gone out, among a plethora of other things, including the safety door switch, which he had to plug with a glue cap to let it run, and base plate that won't stay on, and racks that are falling apart. They're at the point of washing dishes before loading them simply because there is no heat to the water, even with pre-running the faucet. I checked out parts for it, but the only logical reason to fix everything would be if they were like anyone here on AW, which they aren't. The parts are costly and hard to find to say the least. I won't let them buy anything new while I have anything to say about it, so a good PowerClean they will be receiving. For the free. They've taken me in as family and treat me as though I've been a close relative for years, so I feel it's the least I can do. Plus, I got everything I've been needing for mine in one fell swoop, and why let a perfectly good machine otherwise go to waste. I made the mistake last time of not documenting my work at all, so at least I grabbed a few photos this go around. First off, the impeller bolt was a B@#$%. I didn't have an issue at all with the GU940, but this one was not coming loose after only 8 short years. I finally had to make the executive decision to pull the entire motor assembly out and do surgery on the kitchen counter just to get leverage. You can see how the wrench gashed it simply from holding it and slipping off. It took an act of God and a plethora of profanity to finally muscle it loose. The pump system as a whole was horrendous. I've never seen one this bad. The GU940 was spotless in comparison. I worked for almost an hour just soaking, shaking, and flushing the filter module just to get the endless crud out of it. As I scrubbed, polished, and dried each piece, I laid it all out nicely to take a picture to send to the father in law. He's not mechanically inclined at all, so of course it amazed him that there's that many pieces to a dishwasher. The final picture is the motor, pump base, and drain assembly back together. The seals went on nicely with a nice rub down of dish soap. After this I got down and dirty with the bottom of the tub, which was also disgusting, and didn't have a chance to grab pictures. I reassembled everything, and filled it with water to check for leaks. Not a drop. Upon turning it on the first time, it's of course a hurricane in a box, albeit a louder motor without the sound absorber. Right this minute, it's soaking with a Finish Quantum tab, with which I let it wash for a few minutes to coat the inside, and then let sit, and repeat, so I can attack any remaining scale and buildup with CLR. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 775323 , Reply# 4 8/4/2014 at 07:25 (3,549 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)
Checkrate/Likes *Great Rebuilding Job Andrew* These are still the best all-around DWs ever and well worth saving. My 1987 WP DU8000XR is washing a huge Bob load right now, I can hear the pleasant sounds in the background so I know that everything is going well. As a Speed Queen dealer I have asked SQ to consider making a Built-In DW, I was suggesting that they buy Power-Clean pump and motor assemblies from WP or the rights to build such, as the world needs a sensible effective DW that can really do the intended job in a reasonable time. The SQ representative that I talked to did not have any interest in building a DW, oh well. It can be tough to get the SS screw out that holds the impellers in place and in worst case situations it will break off in the motor shaft, glad you had the patience to get it out. John L.

Post# 775344 , Reply# 5 8/4/2014 at 10:15 (3,549 days old) by tennblondie78 (Bowling Green, KY)
Checkrate/Likes I have a 2007 Quiet Partner II, and I swear it will clean anything no matter how dirty it is or how I load it. I love that thing. The only irritating thing about it is the stupid button membrane. It's falling apart, even though I have been obsessively careful with it. It is coming apart around the outer edge of all of the buttons and even the Whirlpool emblem. Driving. Me. Nuts.

Post# 775475 , Reply# 6 8/4/2014 at 21:09 (3,549 days old) by washer111 ()
Checkrate/Likes *Great!* Good to see another machines rescued from the trash, and that you are saving this machine for a good purpose as well! The pictures included help me to understand how the whole pump-assembly does its job so very well. Thanks for posting those for us! John, it would be great to see one of your BobLoads, and how they compare to everyone elses (Especially the soil level - I'm interested to see just how good this PowerClean module is). Have you posted any photos before?