How to Replace a Broken Lift Arm on a KitchenAid Pro 6 Mixer
Finish Nailer Repair - Replacing the Driver Guide (Ridgid Part # 79004001022)
If you have a KitchenAid mixer with a lift arm that won't go up or down, or a lift arm that spins around in circles without doing anything, then you have a broken bowl lift arm and should replace it. With enough wear and tear, this piece will eventually break on just about every mixer. And this is how you fix it.
Remember to find the exact right parts for your KitchenAid mixer by visiting our KitchenAid mixer spare parts page.
Removing the Bowl Lift Arm
1. Remove the beauty ring
Remove the beauty ring from around your mixer by unscrewing the one screw on the back of the machine.
2. Remove the cover
Now you have access to the four cover screws. Remove them to free up the mixer cover and set it aside.
3. Remove the control board wires
Before you can get to the bowl lift arm, you'll need to remove the motor. Before you do that, you'll want to remove some wires. We'll start with the control board.
The motor connects to the control board with four wires. Each one is labeled on the board. Write the name of each wire on its lead, then remove the wires.
This will allow you to quickly connect the wire back to the board by matching up the names later.
4. Remove the speed sensor wire
Also remove the speed sensor wire. Just pull it away as there's only one wire that connects the speed sensor to the motor.
5. Remove the gear cover
Before you can remove the motor, you'll need to remove the gear cover. It attaches to the mixer with four screws.
Remove those and the cover.
6. Remove the motor
You should see two screws at the back of the motor. Unscrew them, then lift the motor out of the mixer housing.
7. Remove the motor base
With the motor gone, you should see three screws securing the motor base to its support. Remove the three screws and the base.
8. Remove the bowl lift arm c-ring
Now you can see into the mixer's arm. You should see a plastic piece around the handle. That's the bowl lift arm. The connecting arm--not to be confused with the lift handle--slides through it and is secured with a small c-ring. Use a small flat-head screwdriver to remove the c-ring and free up the bowl lift arm.
9. Remove the lift handle screw
If you see a screw in the lift handle, remove it as well. It may be in a notch on the bowl lift arm, but in our repair, that was the part of the lift arm that failed.
10. Pull the lift handle away from the mixer
Now just slide the lift handle out of the mixer to prepare the new bowl lift arm.
Installing the New Bowl Lift Arm
1. Install the new bowl lift arm to the connecting arm
Set the new bowl lift arm back into place on the connecting arm, then re-attach the c-clip.
2. Re-install the lift handle
Slide the lift handle back into the mixer--and through the bowl lift arm.
3. Install the bowl arm screw
Now line up the lift handle and bowl lift arm so you see a threaded hole through a notch on the lift arm. Tighten the screw to secure the bowl lift arm to the handle.
4. Mount the motor base
Set the motor base back into place on the mixer support.
Tighten the three screws. Make sure each screw is very tight.
5. Re-install the motor
Now set the motor back into place in the mixer.
Tighten the rear two motor screws loosely. A few turns of the screwdriver is plenty for now.
6. Check the worm gear and motor gear's alignment
Now you'll have to check the motor and worm gear in the gear housing. Pull the two snug, and make sure the motor gear meshes well with the worm gear.
Once you see the two meshing, you can tighten the rear two motor screws all the way.
7. Re-install the gear cover
Now re-install the gear cover and secure it with the four screws.
8. Re-connect the wires
Use your previous notes to attach the motor wires where they belong on the control board.
And attach the speed sensor wire as well.
9. Replace the cover
Set the cover back into place and check that all the wires are out of the way of moving parts.
Then put the cover back into place and secure it with the four screws.
10. Re-install the beauty ring
And now you can re-install the beauty ring by securing the screw on the back of the mixer to finalize your repair.
Conclusion
And that's how easy it is to replace a broken bowl lift arm on your KitchenAid mixer. This repair will save you at least $40 when compared to a repair shop, and you'll get to learn about nearly every part in your mixer in the process.
Remember, we stock parts for more than just KitchenAid's mixers, so if you need additional KitchenAid parts, you can find them here.