How do you get the motor shaft cover off? I need to replace the old one.

The shaft is spinning inside the sleeve. So is should not be hard to remove. With a DLC-7SP, I grabbed the spindle with some pliers, channel locks might do well and put a handle of a screwdriver between the pliers and the top deck and pried. Second attempt and it pulled up easily. Place the screwdriver beside one of the top deck screw covers to transfer force directly to the motor. Otherwise top deck would probably break.

The shaft is spinning inside the sleeve. So is should not be hard to remove. With a DLC-7SP, I grabbed the spindle with some pliers, channel locks might do well and put a handle of a screwdriver between the pliers and the top deck and pried. Second attempt and it pulled up easily. Place the screwdriver beside one of the top deck screw covers to transfer force directly to the motor. Otherwise top deck would probably break.

Clean the old shaft to remove any contamination.

New one can be driven on with a hammer and block of wood.

You can get the Motor Shaft Covers for most if not all Cuisinart models from their customer service. They are not shown on the web under parts, but if you call them, they can help you get the right part. Just have your model # ready. For many, the part is $3 plus shipping and handling.

I'll do my best to recall all the steps, I haven't done it in a while. Read instructions fully before starting, as step three may not be necessary, although if performed you'll have much more room for your hands during the remainder of the process.

1. Lay machine on side/back (so that the knife shaft is standing vertically) to access the bottom.
2. Remove bottom cover panel.
3. Remove motor. Two nuts are easy to access, the other two are quite difficult to reach. This step might not be necessary if only changing a belt because you should be able to slip the old belt off and the new one on without completely removing the knife shaft. If the knife shaft must be removed for some reason, the motor must come out to give you room to fit a puller onto the knife shaft (in order to remove the lower knife shaft bearing and lift out the shaft).
4. Take note of the knife shaft pulley. Notice how close to the casting the pulley is. When re-assembling, you'll need to position the pulley at approximately the same location for the black belt to track properly). Loosen two set screws securing pulley onto knife shaft and slide pulley down (don't lose the key for the pulley when you slide the pully down).
5. On the "outside" of the machine, remove the plastic cover where the knife shaft enters the casting.
6. Now visible is a special locknut and special lockwasher (sorry, don't know their names). One of the tabs of the lockwasher is likely bent upward into one of the slots of the locknut. Use a hammer & punch to bend the tab out of the locknut's slot, allowing the nut to turn.
7. Using a hammer and punch, position the punch in one of the slots on the locknut and spin the nut counter-clockwise with sharp blows with the hammer & punch. Have an assistant hold the shaft to offer some resistance to the shaft spinning if you're having difficulty. This may also be easier with the motor and belts still in position, using the motor to partially hold the shaft from rotating while driving the locknut loose.
8. With the locknut removed, spin it back onto the shaft a few threads with the flat side of the nut towards the casting (upside down compared to it's original, installed position). Don't spin it all the way on, you need room to fit a prybar under the flat edge of the nut.
9. Using two prybars, one directly opposite the other, under the now upside-down locknut, pry up evenly on each side of the locknut, and the shaft usually pops out fairly easily.
10. Back on the bottom side of the machine, slip off the belts and replace with new belts and reassemble machine.
11. Be sure to turn the locknut back around to it's proper orientation and be sure to tighten it with a hammer and punch just as during disassembly (special wrenches exist for those nuts, I don't know their name) and bend one of the lockwasher tabs into one of the locknut slots (even if you need to turn the locknut backwards slightly from it's fully tight position).

When everything is reasembled, be sure the flat black belt tracks properly, that is, make sure it doesn't walk off the pulley as the motor runs (just spin the shaft by hand at first to observe if the belt tracks properly.

Good Luck!

I just called Cuisinart customer service. Depending on your model, it sould be under warranty. They sent me a new shaft sheath immediately with no expense.

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.

I had the same problem: Cuisinart sent a "replacement" sheath for my DLC-8E which turned out to be the wrong one. When I replaced mine,which was cracked, none of my blades would fit over the new sheath! I "solved" the problem by purchasing a new DLC-8E motor base on Ebay for only $9.99!

Sure, you can find it on amazon, here: Amazon com Cuisinart Motor Shaft cover. Hope this was helpful. have a nice day

How to Change a Magimix Food processor plastic spindle.

This is meant as a guide only BBS ltd takes no responsibility for any damage done. We always advise that this should be done by a Magimix approved service agent.


The spindle is the part that sticks out of the motor this drives the blades, knifes, discs and cones for the food processor, this part may become worn after time or use.


Cover the main body with a cloth so as not to damage the look of the food processing machine.

Place two blocks of wood about 10cms either side of spindle cover. Then place two flat screwdrivers Horizontal either side of Magimix food processor spindle

Push down on handle of screwdrivers apply even pressure (keeping eyes well away from the spindle cover, they can fly off fast sometimes.)
The spindle will rise.


This will leave the metal centre shaft, Replace with a spindle cover bought from
www.magimix-spares.co.uk. Make sure you choose correct model, usually named on front of machine, or phone 01252 727755 for help.

When replacing, make sure that the New Food processor spindle is lined up and slide the spindle onto the centre shaft. Make sure this goes all the way down by gently tapping with a hammer.



All blades and attachments should be checked before placing back onto spindle cover, if the inside is damaged, this could damage the spindle cover again, any blade, dough blade , disc support that is marked should be replaced.

BBS Limited is the approved and dedicated supplier of Magimix parts & accessories for all Magimix products.
Please telephone +44 (0) 1252 727755 or fax +44 (0) 1252 727766 for help or advice. All images and text are Copyright (c) 2008 BBS Limited.

Go to the cuisinart website and you can buy replacement parts. You will have to buy the entire shaft not just the top but it is still good!