3638500581 Kenmore Refrigerator - Instructions

This was a 15 year old great working GE regrigerator. Refrigerator was not cooling properly, though the freezer worked great. Using flashlight, examined cam riser which was clearly broken. YOU MUST ORDER TWO GASKETS AS BOTH WILL BE WORN. After removing all food from the door, taped plastic sheet over the open space to keep food somewhat cool Removed top hinge cover and screws on top of door and lifted door out of bottom bracket placing it flat on kitchen island. Unscrewed hinge elements including old broken cam and shims form the bottom of the door and fit in the new cam. Unfortunately one of the shims was broken, so I used a thin plastic black washer from the hardware store which was big enough to fit over the pin on the bottom of the refrigerator itself. Screwed all the parts back together. Be VERY careful to note how you removed them in the first place...mabe take a digital foto or two. This was kind of tricky to remember. Then used a hammer and chisel to break off the rivit holding the bottom hinge elements on the refrigerator. Sawing with jigsaw didn't work that well. The rivit came right off. Then used a flat head screw, lock washer and nut instead of a reivit and attached the new second cam riser. You are now done with the new parts. Simply reattached the door and it closed like new. Had a simultaneoius problem with a faulty defrost heater in the freezer which also had to be replaced and which was really easy to do. About an hour max. This was the real cause of the refrigerator not cooling properly. But that's another story.

Had to defrost the freezer to melt off all the ice before servicing. Once that was done the icemaker replacement only took about 15-30 minutes to complete. The new icemaker came with many accessories and adaptors that were not needed and the instructions were based on replacing an older model and not really clear for my model. They mentioned not being able to use the new stripper but it was exactly the same as the old one so I left the new one in place. All in all it was easy and did the job.

Remove the burned out bulb and install the new light bulb.

Removed four screws at bottom of door, while someone held the door in place replaced the upper cam (there are two) applied some silicone plumbers lube between the mating surfaces and tightened it up. Works like new bottom cam was only slightly worn. P.S. Remove everything from the door first.

My husband took out the old icemaker in about 5 minutes. The new icemaker was a perfect fit even though the refrigerator was >10yrs old. The only difficult part was the plug extension that was needed so that it would fit into an older appliance. The part was included, it just made the cord about 3 inches longer than it needed to. After working with it for about 20 minutes we were able to fit it on the back side of the icemaker. Now it works great!!

took top bracket off--then removed door--took
bottom bracket off bottom of door and replaced
door closing cam and reasembled---a piece of
cake

Like the rest of the other statements it was easy with 2 2X4 pieces of wood to block the door up. The other suggestion about buying two of the pieces was a good idea. Once I took off both the top and bottom pieces they were both worn out and it was easy to replace them both at the same time. The door is working good again and shuts on its own.

Remove the one screw holding the unit in place, unplug it, slide in the replacement, plug and screw it in.

I placed books under the door until I had enough to hold the door up about 1/2 inch higher then when it is closed. The books and the magnetic gasket will hold the door, JUST DON'T TRY TO OPEN IT TILL YOU'RE THROUGH. That's about how high the cams lift the door when opened. I removed the two screws holding the door stop. Then removed the two screws holding the lower hinge pin.

It takes two of the cams

and the bottom one is riveted to the hinge. I used a grinder to grind the rivet so I could tap the pin out holding the cam. Put the new cam on and put the pin back in. I didn't put a new rivet, just gravity should hold it. I put the second cam on the hinge pin and one of the screws on the door stop holds it in place after you slide the hinge pin back into the door and replace the screws in the bracket then the door stop.
Make sure your lower door gasket didn't get damaged while the cams weren't working because the door wasn't being lifted up when opened.

Same problems as already described .... door would not close, plastic bits on floor, angry, ready to throw-out 15 year old “dog” and blow at least $1,000 on a new appliance!

This repair is dead easy. Remove the two bolts holding the top hinge and lift off the entire door. Don’t be surprised if the original Riser Cam has virtually disintegrated, mine was a wreck. Remove two bolts that retain the old flat metal “shim” and fiber “gasket”.

Fit new Riser Cam and re-use old shim and gasket. Replace door on dome-shape bottom hinge mount and then re-fit top hinge.

If in any doubt order new shim and gasket along with the new cam riser. Or, do as I did, and “manufacture” either of these parts from scrap material found in the workshop ....

I was set to buy a new magnetic seal to hold the door closed, when I looked it up on PartSelect I saw the recommendation that the problem might be the door closing cam.. I check it with a mirror and sure enough the cam had broken and the door sagged about 1/4 inch. I then followed the instruction and removed the top hinge, lifted the door off and replaced the cam. I did need two and the one attached to the lower hinge had to be drilled out and a new screw and nut attached to hold the cam. It was simple to do, I would recommend selling the door closing cam be sold in pairs with a #10 1/2 inch long screw with lock nut.

I blocked the door up with one 2X4 Then removed the lower hinge, installed the closing cam. Then I found that I needed one more closing cam that I didn't order the first time. This other one mounts to the lower section of the door and both cams set together. Re-ordered another cam. When it came in I installed it. Between ordering both parts I had them both in three days. The best to Parts Select
I now know where to buy my parts if needed again.

Thanks
Bob
Sandusky, Ohio

removed the bulb from the package unscrewed the old bulb & screwed in the new bulb.

0. As a safety precaution, unplug the range or hit the relevant fuse breaker before you start. You might also want to grab a flashlight. Definitely do not try to do this while the oven is hot.
1. Pinch the wire over the light bulb cap to remove it. This is inside the oven at the back.
2. Pop off the hemispherical glass cap.
3. Unscrew the old light bulb, and screw the new light bulb in its place.
4. Put the cap back.
5. Secure the cap by putting the wire back in its slots on the cap.

No tools needed, the cap is just held in place with pressure from the wire.

I replaced the end caps on the retainer bar on the freezer door and also the ref. door in less that 5 minutes. Both are working fine now. I am a 75 year old women who is very happy with the repair.