Where are the brushes? - KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer

Unplug it and check the carbon brushes under the black screw caps on the sides. BE CAREFUL they only fit properly one way so take note of where the chamfered corner goes. Next check for loose or broken wires under back cover. After that it's going to get tricky.

The Brush holder caps / covers for the K5 series whether Hobart or Kitchenaid by Whirlpool (after 1986 when Whirlpool bought Kitchenaid from Hobart) will fit the K5-A they just wont be flush like the older Hobart caps. They come in black or white.

Download a Copy of the Kitchenaid Service manual.

http://www.kitchenaidparts.be/centers/servicemanual/mixer.pdf

You may have to remove the Motor Housing and use a small screwdiver
to completely remove the brushes or all portions of them if they are broken.

Jim, hi- um, you're reading this with your son, right?

Inspect the brushes carefully, be sure that the little copper wire is firmly attached to both the brush and the little disc at the other end of the spring. Clean the brushes well, allow no oil at all to contact them and if they have gotten oil on them (including cooking oil) clean them with a spray can of electric motor cleaner. If you use non-flammable motor cleaner you will have less of a chance of starting a fire, but it's much slower to evaporate. When you put the brushes in, look at the ends and turn the brush so that the hollow worn into the end fits properly to the commutator. The mixer will run with the brushes turned wrong, but it's simply good practice to fit them properly.

Dust and corrosion will accumulate between brushes and their holders, and it's very possible for a brush to not go all the way into position when reinserted. Again, the electric motor cleaner will help- spray a bit down the hole and on the brush, slide the brush in and out and note any stickiness as it reaches the bottom of the hole. Each brush must contact the commutator with the full pressure of the spring behind it and be free to move as the machine is used and the brushes erode. Note that cleaning the holders can take several tries, and if there is crud in the holder the condition will get worse before it gets better, so take note of how the brush moves, especially at the bottom of its travel. When it's clean you'll be able to hear it contact the commutator when you put it down the brush holder.

If you look down the brush hole you'll see the commutator- the copper bars of the commutator should have a pretty, burnished appearance and the insulation between them should be clean and not standing up above the bars. Black sooty looking deposits and/or pitting indicate that the brushed have not been advancing to the commutator with wear as they should, and arcing has been taking place. This will be caused by dirty brushes binding in their holders or by worn out brushes that are unable to advance or by the commutator bars wearing faster than the insulation between them- a condition referred to as "high mica".

Good luck, and buy that kid some tools- there's a lot more to discover inside that mixer..

lp

I believe the brushes and the spring are one piece, so the brush should come out with the spring. Either the brushes are so worn that you just aren't noticing the little bit that's left, or the block has come loose from the spring. You can tip the machine over so the brush hole is facing down and let gravity do the work. If there's any brush left inside, it should slide out. Otherwise just install the new brushes.

I normally CAREFULLY drill a small hole thru the centre of the brush and get it out with a hooked probe. The brass square sleeve that the brush goes into can slide out with the brush. Make sure that doesn't happen because if it does you'll be splitting the cases to get the brush holder wire back where it belongs.

remove the brushes from the side of the mixing head. Inspect the curved surface of the brush and clean any carbonized flour from the surface - be careful not to damage the surface of the carbon brush.

When replacing the brushes make sure they go in the correct way - there is only one way, the brushes will not go in far enough if they are in the wrong orientation. Trial and error works, watching how far in the brushes go. once you have found the correct position, the brush will go in 1/4 inch further than the other three positions.

The brushes are indexed such that they will only go in one direction. It's possible to put them in wrong and put the caps back on, but the brushes won't make contact with the commutator. Look at the brushes closely, shine a flashlight into the hole for the brush and note the index tab and insert the brushes so they will align properly with the holes in the housing.

If the motor worked prior to removing the brushes you most likely installed the brushes incorrectly. Remove the brushes and using a flash light look in the brush holder on the mixer. You will notice a small tab at the very end. That tab will prevent the brush from coming in contact with the motor armature if installed incorrectly. Clock the brush so that the angled side lines up with the tab and you should be back in business. Also if you are installing the original brushes use the wear marks to determine which side the brush came out of.
The original issue you had is most likely the nylon gear that is talked about in other posts on here.
Good luck