5KSM180LEELB5 Whirlpool Mixer - Instructions

I took apart the mixer housing and removed all the screws. The most difficult part was the two pins that needed to be removed with a metal punch. They were in fairly tight. The mixer came apart pretty easily and it was obvious which part needed to be replaced as it was broken and missing teeth. After replacing the gear and applying new grease for smooth operation, I simply put it back together and it has worked like new ever since.

I watched a video on how to replace the worm gear. When I opened the mixer I noticed a small screw laying in the grease. I removed as much grease as I could and could not find anywhere that the screw would have come from. All the gears turned and looked fine so I replaced the grease put the mixer back together and it worked fine. I am thinking the small screw must have somehow fallen into the mixer when manufactured. So proud of my 70 year old self for getting the job done.

With a screw driver remove the screws holding the old base in place. With a flat head screw driver carefully pry and remove old mixer base. With 600 grit sandpaper clean and make smooth any burrs or rough spots in the mixer base recessed area. You can use some light grease and coat the outer edges of new mixer base and place in the now cleaned mixer base recessed area. The new base maybe a tight fit and not be fully seated in the recess. If a tight fit, place the piece of 2x4 piece of wood over the new part that is in the recess and carefully tap the base home using the sledge hammer. Check to see, if the base is fully seated. If not fully seated, tap again When fully seated replace the screws. You may have to adjust the height of the stand mixer head with mixer paddle attached for proper clearance between bowl and paddle. See your mixer manual for adjustment procedure

I did exactly what the PartSelect video demonstrated after watching other DIY videos on the Internet, thus I did not remove the stand which seemed like a little too much for a simple straight forward repair. This is the second time I have replaced this gear. The first time was about 10 years ago when the bakelite gear broke on a 30 year old KitchenAid K
-45. That mixer made hundreds of loaves of bread after grinding many pounds of wheat berries. The only reason we had to replace it was that it walked off the flour dusted counter and landed on its head when my wife had her back turned. Otherwise we would still be using it. :-)
Thanks for the excellent service and instructions.

Dismantled the mixer, took photos, and re-assembled unit.

Took each area apart. Replaced the gear and reassembled it.

You tube has great instructions! I would suggest when you buy a part to let customer know that they need a food grade gear grease ordered to complete the reinstall of all gears and body parts!

Used youtube movies to disassemble the mixer and found that the gear was stripped. I kept the screws in labeled ziploc baggies so I wouldn't forget which screws went where. Once the part arrived, it was very simple to replace the gear. I regreased the mixer and then reassembled. The trickiest part was how greasy everything was! It was also hard to get the pin through the beater hub - I found a video that suggested using a very slim screwdriver to thread the hole before inserting the pin. This was the most involved part replacement I've done on my own, and it was very satisfying to get my mixer back in working order!

I watched the university of YouTube videos, and followed their instructions.

Unscrewed the existing screw cap, put the new one in place, replaced the screws. So easy!

I removed the decorative band that covers the seam by removing 1 screw. I then removed the top portion of mixer by removing 4 square head screws. You will then see the gear housing in the front of the mixer. Remove the 4 screws holding that on. There are no spring that are going to pop out and you never know where they went, but be careful because there is a lot of grease and a gear that it just laying in there on the right side. You will see the stainless shaft with a couple on gear cogs on it. Remove the retaing spring from the shaft and pull the top gear off, it may be a little snug. You will then see the dowel pin, mine was sheared off but I could see where it was. Be sure to remove the broken pieces. Use the punch to knock out the remaining pin. Replace with new pin making sure it is evenly exposed on both side of the shaft. Replace the top gear, then the retaining spring, the the gear housing cover, then the mixer top cover and finally the decorative band. Be sure to unplug before you start. These mixers are expensive and expensive to have someone fix them. I ordered 2 pins because shipping is a little high and the pin is cheap. I fixed this for $17.00 total and have a spare pin.

When I took the back cover off I found two parts that "could" be the problem. The speed control plate was cracked which explained the spotty working. I ordered both parts and installed them very easily. The parts fit perfectly and resulted in the mixer working perfectly. I can't say enough about the excellent parts. They were perfect.

dissassembled mixer and replaced gear

simply put it together, .

Replacing the base retaining bracket(what KitchenAid calls the screw cap) solved the problem immediately. The entire replacement effort took no more than a minute requiring removing 3 screws, discarding the old base, putting in the new one, and putting the screws back in. PartSelect was very easy to do business with. They shipped the part the day I ordered it and it arrived as scheduled. Can't be easier than that.