Whirlpool WP9742945 Spray Arm Retainer OEM Part

Although we had a service contract with Sears I elected to take a quick look to see what was wrong. There were 3 problems: 1 - retainer thumb screw had broken and appeared to have been damaged for some time showing scummy buildup along the line where the threads finally separated from the knob, 2 - after removing the lower spray arm, observed that the pump seal was visibly distended and exposed, and 3 - the 3rd level wash arm spinner disk was in the parts bag and the stainless steel sweat-fit retaining washer was nowhere to be found. Have no idea how long that the last problem had existed. Problems 1, 2, and 3 may have been present for weeks if not months but until problem 1 finally separated completely, they went unnoticed. While we debated whether to call Sears and wait a week or more for a tech to come or whether to just buy a new one (this unit already 19 years old), I elected to order the parts through SearsPartsOnline - but their website had issues with my Sear account - could not finish the order despite having been with Sears as an account holder for over 40 years, 30 years at the same address! So I checked out AppliancePartsPros website which had the right parts at similar pricing, cheaper on the individual parts than Sears but after shipping the price was roughly the same for prompt delivery. It was easier to locate the parts on the AppliancePartsPros site and they had actual pictures of the parts to confirm what I was ordering. The pictures were handy because I could see there was a design change for the better on the 3rd level wash arm that would better protect it. As far as I can tell, the third level spinner was likely dislodged when a larger object got hooked under the spinner. The new design looks like it protects against that possibility. In any case, the parts arrived on time in original Whirlpool OEM parts bags and it took only 10 minutes to install the new parts and the dishwasher has been humming along ever since! The only adventure was reseating the pump seal - which had nothing to do with AppliancePartsPros - I chose not to order a new part because we're still debating whether to replace this old dishwasher, and paying over $20 for a rubber o-ring seemed out-of-line at the time so I massaged and froze the old ring to get it back into shape and got it reseated and the cover back on and its working fine. In summary, using AppliancePartsPros was an excellent choice because their prices were competitive, their delivery process kept me notified, and they made good on the delivery last week - Thanksgiving week! - in time for us to use the dishwasher for the Thanskgiving dishes. And their website liked me, unlike Sears, and I got from cart to purchase simply and rapidly. Will buy from these guys again!

Nylon bearing wore thin allowing excess slop in spray arm. Spray arm caught basket as it was pulled out. Retaining nut broke off. Removed remaining portion of nut from dishwasher, replaced both bearings and retaining nut. Happily washing again. It took longer to type this than it did to make the repair.

This is a fairly simple fix: Remove the threaded part of the spray arm retainer from the pump and screw the new retainer into the pump. The difficulty is finding the replacement parts. My dishwasher is about 16 years old, but it is still a workhorse and cleans dishes very nicely. The only problem is finding parts to fix it. I really appreciate the availability of parts on the AppliancePartsPros site. I have bookmarked this site and this is the first site to which I will come for all my appliance parts.

Checked the screen and it was clean. Ran a cycle with vinegar and that cleaned up the smell. While checking the screen I noticed the bushings were worn out. Found you drawing and ordered the parts. Replaced the parts, a simple job. Dishwasher is good. Kurt

I attempted to tighten the existing spray arm retainer (screw), but it wouldn’t move - then broke in the next wash cycle. Luckily I was able to remove the broken screw from the base turning it with my finger inside it. I was able to easily locate the WPL parts number from the broken piece, confirm with online manual for the model number, and ordered both the retainer screw and the ring bearing - which I realized was not on for some reason. I spoke with a couple customer service people to confirm I was on the right track - both were very helpful. The prices were a little less than other appliance parts company I checked with. The two parts came fast and assembly took a minute, no tools needed. I saved money on repair and felt like a very accomplished Grandma.