Disassembling a Whirlpool Dishwasher Drain

Removing Pump Motor Assembly

• 1

  Turn off the circuit breaker that powers the Whirlpool dishwasher. Open the dishwasher door, and pull out the lower dish rack from the unit.

• 2

  Lift up on the center hub connecting the dishwasher spray arm to the motor. Turn the hub counterclockwise until it is off the spray arm completely. Lift the spray arm straight up and remove it from the dishwasher.

• 3

  Close the dishwasher door and remove the screws securing the bottom service panel to the dishwasher with a Phillips screwdriver. The service panel is the strip of metal below the dishwasher door. Pull the service panel away from the dishwasher to access the pump assembly under the tub.

• 4

  Disconnect the wiring connector from the Whirlpool dishwasher motor. The wire connector is a white block on the right side of the motor, opposite where the drain hose connects to the pump.

• 5

  Position a small shallow container under the area where the drain hose attaches to the pump. Squeeze the tabs on the clamp securing the drain hose to the pump with a pair of pliers. Place the end of the drain hose into the container.

• 6

  Twist the check valve counterclockwise with your fingers and remove it from the pump. The check valve is the port the drain hose secures to on the pump.

• 7

  Loosen the shaft of the sound resonator with a wrench, and remove it from the pump. The sound resonator looks like a large hex nut at the end of a hex shaft. Turn the shaft with the wrench and not the large end of the sound resonator.

• 8

  Turn the rubber clips securing the pump motor assembly to the tub counterclockwise with your fingers. The rubber clips are around the circumference of the pump motor assembly.

• 9

  Open the Whirlpool dishwasher door, and lift the pump motor assembly out of the dishwasher. Remove the gasket on the bottom of the separator. The separator is the large plate that is visible in the dishwasher and is where the spray arm connects.

Disassembling the Pump Motor

• 10

  Remove the eight Torx screws securing the pump outlet to separator with a Torx wrench. The pump is the smaller plate that sits on the center of the separator. Pull the pump outlet away from the separator.

• 11

  Turn the hex screw in the center of the separator counterclockwise with an adjustable wrench. Remove the screw and pull out the wash impeller.

• 12

  Remove the three screws inside the center of the separator with a Torx wrench. Lift the separator off the pump motor assembly. The pump motor assembly is now ready for inspection or replacement.