How to put new shaft on cuisinart food processor model DLC-7E
Initial disclaimer: I am not recommending this course of action - my recommendation is to buy a new food processor. These units weren't designed for DIY repair, so this is going to be a difficult task. The final product probably isn't even going to be pretty. You are well out-of-warranty, or I wouldn't even consider posting this. First, make sure you have a DLC-7E shaft - the only way to get one at this point would be to buy a DLC-7E base from eBay or an after-market seller, as all of these were manufactured well over 20 years ago. I don't currently see any eBay listings for one, but they do crop up from time-to-time. Make sure the DLC-7E you are repairing and the old one from which you are wrenching the old shaft are unplugged and have been unplugged for an hour or longer just to be on the safe side. Unscrew the four screws on the bottom of the base on both units. If the bottom base does not come off after this, carefully pry out the four feet and unscrew any hidden screws that might be hidden underneath the feet (Careful - original feet cannot be ordered by normal means, and damage will only add to your total repair cost). Take note of the guts on the inside of both food processor bases - if you have to unscrew the motor body (4 screws that sit just underneath the top of the base), take note of everything that you are taking out so that you can put it back in its proper place when done. Wear leather gloves for safety. Please be aware that even an unplugged unit still has the potential to send several volts of electricity through your body - this is a potentially hazardous task. Once the motor body has been unscrewed and removed slightly (don't disconnect any wires or cables - just get the motor body out of your way), you will notice the old shaft that you intend on replacing. Look for any damage to the gears/bearing that surround this shaft. Try dabbing a small amount of USP-grade mineral oil on any bearings - clear away any dust or debris that may be obstructing the shaft from turning. Don't overapply the oil, or the wetness will seep into other electronic components in the motor and cause them to fail. Put your food processor back together, turn it on, and press the button/buttons on top of the base of the food processor with a pen with the food processor plugged in. If the shaft still won't turn, you definitely need to replace the old shaft (you can disregard some of these previous steps if your problem is that the spindle on the old shaft is worn).
Remove the screws and disassemble the processor base as described above. Since there is a layer of paint/coating surrounding the old motor shaft, removing the old shaft may cause paint flecking. Take the shaft from the one food processor base and insert it in the food processor you are trying to repair. Strip away any excess paint/coating from the new shaft. Make sure no paint flakes remain in the body of the food processor, or they will later cause more serious problems that will permanently damage your food processor - potential fire hazard as well. You will probably notice that the new shaft does not look as pretty as your original shaft, since the paint/coating will almost invariably get damaged in this process. Reassemble the base of the food processor, making sure no wires, etc. were knocked out of place in the process. This paint flecking will add to the cost of the repair - you may need to buy appliance body paint that dries to almost a rubbery consistency to make the final project look nice. All of the materials listed above could cost you $40 or more.
Like I said, I don't reccomend this course of action, but there's your answer.
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