GFSD551P00BB General Electric Dishwasher - Instructions

It turned out to be an easier job than I thought it was going to be. Of course, I was still a bit surprised it worked right and didn't leak once I was done.

I started by taking off the servo that opens up the drain valve. I didn't think I could take out and replace the shaft seal from this position so I took the whole motor and drain assembly out by loosening the sump and pump clamps. This allowed me to wiggle out the whole mechanism. One plug and a ground wire had to be undone but that was it. The Push On Nut was the worst part - pain to take off - worse to get a new one on. I wasn't sure (still not) if I could get it in the right place. Once I got everything back together and the servo mount on it seemed to hold the nut in the right place.

I tested it and yelled "it doesn't leak!" my wife promptly said "Yet!".

We have run the dishwasher twice - so far - no leaks!

I couldn't have done it with out PartSelect's prompt service, diagrams, and part photos. I don't want to fix any more appliances but if I have to PartSelect is where I'll come for parts and diagrams.

Squeeze the new link to the cable hook with pliers while locking the vise grip to the cable for easier handling. Then, using the vise grip on the cable, hook the other end of the link to the dishwasher door hook

The sump was very clogged with caulk like crud that we think was a chemical reaction from soap that was used the first two years. When I first started troubleshooting, the sump seemed to be the problem, so I replaced that. There was a small hose on the sump that was broken so it made sense to replace it anyhow.

When that didn't help I put the dishwasher into service mode and observed that there just wasn't enough water to spin the sprayer. Therefore it was a water quantity problem, which can be caused by either the Water Inlet Valve or the Flood Switch.

I ordered both the Water Inlet Valve and the Flood Switch, just in case. I replaced the valve first and when that worked I did not install the switch.

Installation was performed with the dishwasher still inserted in the cabinet. If you have big hands, pull the dishwasher out. With sockets and nut drivers, I was able to remove the assembly. After pulling it out enough to clear the dishwasher, I was able to get a screwdriver on the outlet side clamp and a wrench on the inlet side hose.

My old valve had a 90° elbow on it and that was difficult to remove. Installing the elbow on the new valve was just as bad. The valves don't have enough clearance to get a wrench on them to keep them from turning while the elbow is tightened.

TIP: Take a picture of the valve before removing/disconnecting anything. I don't know if the electrical connector can attach either way but I made sure to put it back on exactly the same way it was.

I turned off the water supply to the dishwasher. Then took off the front panels and disconnected the water. I then unscrewed the dishwasher from the countertop, pulled it out luckily there was plenty of play in the wire, and drain hose. I turned it on its side and had to remove a couple clamps to free th piece that I was replacing. Once I got to it, it just unscrewed. I put the new one on and everything back together. It was easy.

I took the inside of door off to install both gasket and gasket insert. Much easier this way. Also it’s much easier to fish locking handle through the door if you extend the handle half way and put through opening when raising the door.

I watched the convenient video and saved an old machine that I've grown to love. Plus I didn't have to pay a repair service or have to buy a new machine.
Thanks GE,
T. Dunn

Removed all 8 wheels and inserted the new one after inserting the axles into each wheel. Replacement wheels had a much better connection to the bottom rack and do not anticipate any problems in the future.

Without any specific directions with the part (which would had been nice. If it wasn't for my husband I wouldn't have known where to start.) I had to carfully pull the dishwasher out of the cabinet (it wasn't heavy) to unplug the power supply. Then we unscrewed 2 screws on the top and the upper arm connection came off. We replaced it with the new one, screwed it back on, reconnected the power supply and pushed the dishwasher back where it belonged. It worked out very well.
Also I want to say I am very happy with the length of time it took to get my part to me. (1 day) I was washing dishes it no time.

Thank You
Debbie Bradford
Hookstown, Pa.

Removed kick panel and pulled out the unit from cabinet carefully. Turned off water and power. Removed the water feed and used an aluminum pie tin line a low-profile drip pan to catch the extra water and used a scrap towel to clean the dust and extra water spilling out. Used sockets and wrench to remove the old inlet and screwed out the housing to examine the old inlet. No real way to clean it. Honestly, I don’t see a reason for the filter. There’s no way to replace it and it’s not easy to change out anyway. The particles were so small they could have passed through and not harmed the system. A better and more practical place for any filter would be just in front of the inlet that could just pop in every 2-3 years as needed preventatively in 5 minutes. Anyway, I reassembled and tested. Water flow was great. I think it cleans better too because the hot water fills the plastic reservoir faster and stays hot to clean more effectively.

Followed the sequence from on line video provided by PartSelect. Knowing the sequence and the secret of the push on nut made the replacement simple. My dishwasher is built in therefore I pulled my dishwasher half way out to gain better access and did not need to disconnect drain or water supply. Just unplugged the power and went to work.

Had to remove entire lower unit from dishwasher but it is a tight fit between the pump inlet flange and the floor.The next problem was to get the E clip off of the valve shaft. I knew the E clip had to be a straight fit when put back on the shaft so I had to straighten out before putting it back on the shaft after putting the new seal on the shaft correctly.Put the solonoid back on and made sure the valve shaft turned freely. Next fun was getting the pump unit back in place. Not easy (clearance) but got-er done!

Repair was easy. However, this did not solve the problem.

See GE web site for repair instructions. Take out screws at top of door. Slide unit out there is a spring on each side of the door just look at the good one for details. Easy fix. About 30 minutes.

The instructions provided are very good if I had done before. My concern was getting the gasket to sit properly at the bottom where you cannot see. I removed the inside of the door (7 screws) and this made it easier to assure gasket sat properly in the track. may have cost an extra 15 minutes but worth it. If I do again I will take door apart again, however I think this is fixed and should not need attention again.

Super-easy and quick repair -- quality part snapped right into place.