DNT18K9A (9A71A) Admiral Refrigerator - Instructions

Problem caused by ice cubes falling out of ice bin and collecting at rear and interfering with ice dispenser drive. Broke plactic drive ring. Pull down 2 clips at front bottom of ice bin. Pull ice bin out. Dump ice cubes. Remove 8 star drive screws to allow case to move far enough to clear broken drive ring. Replace drive ring. Reinstall and tighten 8 screws. Install ice bin. Correct loose right side ice cube retainer board to prevent cubes from falling out of ice bin.

Given that the augur motor had broken away from the ice tray, removal of the ice tray was simple. Simply remove one screw and slide the tray up and out. Removal of the motor was simple by squeezing the top and bottom of the wire harness plug located on the back of the freezer compartment wall, although it was by feel. The real problem came with trying to remove the augur from the motor shaft (it has a left hand tread) it is on tight and while trying to remove it – I stripped the threads on the motor shaft and couldn’t get the augur off. That’s when the cussing started. No easy fix for this so in addition to the ice tray, I had to order a new ice bucket auger drive motor kit (which included the augur for the end of the motor shaft). Once all the parts arrived, and I had the motor and solenoid assembled and mounted to the back of the tray, the hardest part was plugging the motor back into the plug on the back of the freezer wall- you’ll be doing this by feel (which is a poor design). One suggestion, take a picture of the wire connections between the motor and solenoid – just to be on the safe side – before taking it all apart.

I pulled the dispenser bin and emptied the existing ice (the maker worked, the dispenser would not dispense). Though there appears to be more, there are about 4 (reciting from memory)very small tap screws holding the front of the dispenser unit to the bin. The dispenser activation screw mounts over protruding items at each end. The item at the back (away from the dispenser gear package) is the drive ring that was broken. The drive ring is a small plastic cup that inserts into an opening at the back of the bin (female side to the rear) and slides into the distal end of the activation screw on the same end. One must line up the small slot on the inside of the drive ring with the end of the screw. Slide the assembly together (make sure that the cube/crush switch rod is properly clipped in place with the return spring hooked to the clip), GENTLY install the 4 or so screws and return he assembly to the freezer. It should work flawlessly. Elapsed time: 15 - 20 minutes.