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How to Replace a Broken Cuisinart Blender Clutch in 5 Minutes

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Is your blender making sounds but the inside is not spinning? So when you take off the glass jar and confirm that a black “clutch” is spinning, yet when you put the jar back in with food, nothing happens? Then this article is perfect for you.

PROBLEM

I have owned this Cuisinart BFP-703 for well over 12 years and it has been a workhorse.

To its testament of durability, Cuisinart still makes this exact same model!

So I was sad when I went to make smoothies for my kids one morning and it would not chop at all. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that this little black clutch has a hairline crack.

Even though the clutch was cracked, it had just enough “bite” so that without any weight on it, it would spin.

PARTS

Thankfully, this clutch is a replaceable part. The bad part was that Cuisinart did not sell this part (I guess they want you to buy a new blender instead).

Well, Amazon.com to the rescue! Cuisinart SPB7-20TXN Blender Blade Driver Clutch If you want something that is slightly less expensive, you can try Lonye replacement blades (comes in 2) that fits we to BFP-703 blender.

You might want to consider picking up a spare one or two because it is designed exactly the same (molded plastic around brass screw), my guess is that the blender will outlast the clutch.

TOOLS

No special tools are required for this project:

  • Phillips screwdriver that was longer than 5″ or so (base screws are in deep seated holes).
  • Adjustable Pliers (don’t have one? see my review here)
  • Flat or slotted screwdriver (multiple sizes)

ALLTHUMBSDIY STEPS

STEP 1 – Disconnect the power cord from the outlet
STEP 2 – Lay down the blender on its side and remove three Phillips screws from the bottom
STEP 3 – Carefully separate the base from the top (top unit has the motor

STEP 4 – Remove the rubber bushing that is loosely attach to the bottom of the motor
STEP 5 – In order to remove the broken clutch assembly, you actually have to break off the plastic part. Using a small plastic flat screwdriver, carefully work around the hairline crack to pop it off
STEP 6 – With clutch removed, you can remove the motor assembly from the housing

STEP 7 – While firmly gripping the brass nut with an adjustable pliers, use a flat head screw driver to turn the bottom screw, located at the bottom of the motor. The brass nut thread is reversed so you will need to turn RIGHT OR CLOCKWISE to unscrew the brass nut

STEP 8 – Reinstall the motor back into the housing
STEP 9 – Screw on the new clutch
STEP 10 – While holding down the new clutch with your finder, tighten the motor screw on the bottom

STEP 11 – Finally, reinstall rubber bushing back on the motor, adjust kraft paper if necessary and re-attach the base

That’s it! Now you can go back to making smoothies for your kids!

Well, I hope you found my Cuisinart BFP-703 repair article to be useful. If that is the case, can I ask you for a small favor to sign up for my newsletter (form is found on the upper right screen)? I promise it will be spam free.

Thanks and good luck!

REFERENCE LINKS

  • Cuisinart- BFP-703 Manual
  • Cuisinart Customer Service – 1.800.726.0190

Dale

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

When i opened my blender, a 1" diameter, thick "paper" disc feel out of somewhere. It has a hole in the middle that just fits over the motor shaft. Any idea where it belongs? Tx

kevin

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

Hey Dale,

I believe that piece of paper was a simple dust cover for the motor. I threw mine out.

Mike

Monday 20th of April 2020

Any tips on why the ON light is flashing and when I select a speed, the motor turns on for a second and then off?

kevin

Monday 18th of May 2020

Hi Mike-

This blender has a pulse mode (you power one, press pulse-which will make the power on light blink, then you must choose a mode (mixing) and hold the button down.

Are you doing this?

Tinkering Terri

Tuesday 14th of August 2018

I guess we pick and choose what is published.

kevin

Tuesday 28th of August 2018

@ Terri-

What do you mean?

Larry

Sunday 20th of May 2018

What's between the threads and the motor body?

I replaced the clutch, turned it on, and it ran a little while, then jammed. Opened it up again and removed the clutch, and saw that the bottom of the clutch was wearing away onto the shell. I also noticed a loose C-ring, and what looks like a thin split washer. I see a notch on the shaft where the C-ring could go, but I'm not sure if anything is missing. I tried putting the C-ring on the notch and reassembling it, but after a couple of minutes it jammed again.

Thanks.

kevin

Tuesday 22nd of May 2018

Hi Larry-

If you look at fig. 4.3, you will see a black spacer then a locking c-ring on top.

It sounds like the clutch was defective. I would ask for a replacement

Megan

Sunday 22nd of April 2018

I have watched this video, I absolutely cannot get the brass nut off. I even had someone else try it with help from the directions. Any suggestions?

kevin

Monday 23rd of April 2018

@ megan

Tough situation. The suggestion is to buy or borrow a mini plumber's pipe wrench with sharp teeth intact (like this one). Before tightening, make sure the teeth on the wrench face the opposite direction of turn to give it more "bite" and turn the thumbscrew on as tight as you can and turn. If that fails, you can try to drill it off using a Dremel but i think that is more trouble than its worth.

Let me know how it turns out!

Kevin