Taking your food processor apart


 
Len Dennis

Len Dennis

TVWBB Diamond Member
This is a weird question but: my 20 (30?) year old food processor is crapping out on me. There is the safety lock that allows the motor to turn when the lid is rotated. We're all familiar with that.

I have to hit the top of the motor housing hard (it's belt driven so off to the side of the bowl). Sometimes I have to press down on the top to get the interlock to "lock".

Obviously, it's the interlock plastic components I've tried to access to see what's causing it to release the tab on the bowl. Or never engage in the first place.

My problem is I've taken the bottom plastic cover off (red holes -4 of them- where bolts go "in" from the bottom. I've removed the two inner bolts (2 "blue" ones). I still can't get the inner works out of the outer plastic housing.

Now, where I've got the green arrows, there are a multitude (maybe 6-7--I've only indicated 2) there are bolts that appear to be inserted from the inside of the unit (that I can't get to for the reasons stated above). They are machine bolts not rivets.

I've even tried prying the metal plate/motor away from the exterior housing without success.

What the heck else is there to do to release the outer plastic housing?
wXlEGye.jpg
 
Last edited:
My thinking is those bolts aren't going through the plastics. They are probably holding the plates of that drive assembly together. So as to what's holding that plastic on, I don't know. It could be glued in place. Or possibly those off white plastic protrusions on the left are holding it. It's hard to say. Does it feel loose on the right side at all where you took the blue arrow screws out?
 
The plastic extrusions (red) are where the first set of bolts (that hold the base on) are attached. It is ever so slightly loose on the right (that's where I tried to pry it up gently). Only goes up 1/16" if that. No movement at all on the left when I try to pry that side up.

Agree those other machine bolts (green) hold the motor assembly together.

At first I thought removing the blue bolts would allow the assembly to slide to the right but there is minimal to no movement.

An alternative might be the top plastic cover snaps into some sort of clip (or vice versa) on that motor assembly. It would require some force to separate them and that does not seem practical. Unless it is meant to be non-user AND non-repairman serviceable.

I would have thought easy access might be needed (at some day) for drive belt replacement.

Thanks for trying :)
 
Have you tried searching a make and model# on You-tube. Seems like someone would have a vid on servicing that.

Edit: your pic reminds me of a shaft collar seal on a pool pump, you need to remove the impeller to service the seal.

Tim
 
Last edited:
Looks like an old Sunbeam FP I used to have. Lots of power but the belt always slipped. I sold it on FLeaBay and got a KitchenAid full size. Direct drive VERY powerful and quiet and a small Cuisinart Mini Pro Plus. I use the dickens out of that mini pro
 
timothy said:
Have you tried searching a make and model# on You-tube. Seems like someone would have a vid on servicing that.

Edit: your pic reminds me of a shaft collar seal on a pool pump, you need to remove the impeller to service the seal.

Tim
Click to expand...

You would think but I guess it's just too old. Here's a pic of the base
N9JePDc.jpg


LMichaels said:
Looks like an old Sunbeam FP I used to have. Lots of power but the belt always slipped. I sold it on FLeaBay and got a KitchenAid full size. Direct drive VERY powerful and quiet and a small Cuisinart Mini Pro Plus. I use the dickens out of that mini pro
Click to expand...

Never had a problem with the belt. Made bread in it with minimal issues. I agree the DD (induction motor) I have now is super quiet compared to this belt drive.

Anyways I now have a backup as this one was on the outs for a few weeks now. It's just such a simple (shall I say stupid) fix I'd hate to toss it if I didn't have to . Too much waste as it is and I'd like not to be contributing to it.
 
That's driving me crazy because I have to figure out how stuff comes apart all the time. Usually you can kind of go by feel and figure out where things are attached. There's usually 1 screw that's hard to find for instance. What does the other side look like?

I found this site:

http://www.eaparts.gr/modelsearch.aspx?mid=2646&l=2#tabparts

It looks like you can get an exploded view of the model, but you have to register.
 
Last edited:
The only stuff I found online was this http://www.fixitclub.com/small-appliances-repairs/food-processor-repair/ and it only provided generalities, nothing specific (to this model). I found absolutely no references at all to this model, not even on the moulinex site.

George Curtis said:
You must be missing something, duh, because that should be rather intuitive. Does the top cover come off at all ?
Click to expand...

I guess, that's why I asked ;)

The cover does not come off. The slot you see in the pic (below) does not lead to a tab. It's just empty space behind the side (ie no "inside" tab to release the top).

I've also tried lifting the top by inserting a screw driver in the horiz space you see. It moves <1/16" but just deforms the plastic.
FZYIyI1.jpg
 
Last edited:
That does look exactly like the Sunbeam one I was given about 30 years ago. The plastic embossing showed "Made in France". It was a cool machine until the belt began slipping and the plastic parts began breaking. I just gave up on it and got the KitchenAid one but I honestly don't like the KA because the lip on the bowl is so shallow using it for anything but dry goods is a waste of time. So it's a huge very heavy thing that I plan on getting rid of in favor of another Cuisinart
 
That's why I'm going back to the shaft collar on a pool pump.
Your last pic shows a impeller or drive cog that has to be unscrewed to service the sealed belt housing.
You get that off, the housing should drop down.

Tim
 
timothy said:
That's why I'm going back to the shaft collar on a pool pump.
Your last pic shows a impeller or drive cog that has to be unscrewed to service the sealed belt housing.
You get that off, the housing should drop down.

Tim
Click to expand...
From the last pic I'm assuming you're talking about that ring around the spindle? Nope, that just keeps it from wobbling when spinning.
A6x5Fks.jpg


Pls correct me if I'm focussing on the wrong part. Its solidly affixed to the cover at the motor end.
 
Okay but the spindle is loose. Even if unscrews , that's not preventing the housing from separating from the motor assembly.

Can I post a better (angled) pic?
 
Last edited:
I tried some videos for other models but the all show the top already off. I think the model is the masterchef 035. Other ones look very similar.
 
Ok, that 035 looks similar (and other moulinex models as well) but the closest one, when the bottom came off, all the "guts" were exposed. Mine, well you see the pic.

I'm still looking but no joy so far (even foreign language ones are not helpful). There was one where the top section was already off but didn't show how it came off :(
 
Might be time for a new one.

GK1t2.gif


You might try dripping a small amount of isopropyl alcohol in the actuator mechanism or switch & click or activate it a whole bunch of times in effort to clean the contacts - not much chance of fire or explosion but I'd unplug it while attempting to clean the switch & hit it with compressed air before turning it back on. I'm guessing it was probably a protected/water resistant switch & the rubber/sealing material cracked & allowed liquid in.

Sucks having to buy a new processor & all new discs.

I too have a Cuisinart Mini-prep-plus & like it a lot, I also have a 7 or 10 cup full size cuisinart - I'll get the bigger one if I get another.
 
Last edited:
I've got the replacement Clint but this seems like such a simple fix. The tab on the bowl slides into the slot/safety tab but doesn't allow the motor to start. AND if it does, the vibration of the motor/belt shakes it out of the slot/disengages the safety lock so it won't run.

Can't get that xxxx case off.

And when I get frustrated enough, I will take a dremel to it and "slice 'n dice" that case off and see just what's inside there.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top