Product review (5 stars): Good fix, not too difficult
Our 10-year-old GE Nautilus dishwasher recently got sluggish in starting -- no water coming in, motor not moving. An experienced maintenance guy suggested that we turn off the power, remove the kickplate, and manually spin the motor to get it
started, and if that action no longer worked it was time to replace the dishwasher.

It worked for a few tries, then no more. I searched online, and read that these GE dishwashers are generally long-lasting, except for the pump-and-motor-assemblies, and our dishwasher's symptoms matched the descriptions for pump/motor assembly failure. We found this new replacement kit on Amazon for just under $90 (compared to $350+ for a new similar dishwasher), and decided to give it a try.

Installing the assembly was actually easy: two screws, four clamps, two electrical harness plugs -- just remove the old and insert the new. The instruction sheet is a diagram of the different configurations one might encounter in older dishwashers. Ours visually matched the "A" diagram on the sheet. Tools needed were a Phillips screwdriver and a regular flat screwdriver, a socket wrench for one small screw that did not have a screwdriver slot, and a pair of pliers for the two smaller hose clamps in the assembly. I also used an adjustable wrench to disconnect the water supply below the sink -- necessary in our installation in order to pull out the machine -- and to raise the front feet on the dishwasher before pulling it out from under the counter. (Some installations may not require either of those actions.)

Getting the dishwasher in and out of its slot under the counter was far more difficult than the pump / motor assembly replacement. But even that was easier than installing a new dishwasher. Once the dishwasher was out in the floor, I turned it upside down for ease of access to the pump / motor assembly. I highly recommend doing that.

When I removed the old pump/motor assembly, I discovered that the discharge end of its shaft was completely bound up in fine blonde hair and solidified detergent. Since none of our family have had blonde hair in the seven years we've owned this house and its dishwasher, we speculate that maybe the previous blonde owner washed her hairbrush in the dishwasher. I pulled all the gunk out of the assembly, and figure that it may actually be OK now. At least I won't throw it away immediately. But the new assembly is running just fine in the machine.

I highly recommend this repair, since it costs so much less than a new machine, and can be accomplished by any person with basic skills using typical screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches -- no specialist knowledge or tools needed.