Margaritaville Blenders - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support
Margaritaville blender/trying to replace lower
You are going to be pissed when you find out the solution because the company that makes the blender uses a special screw that requires a special slotted screw driver to remove the bottom panel. Here\'s what I did to circumvent their crummy design, your mileage may vary. Turn the machine on its side or upside down so that you can comfortably reach the bottom panel. Down there you will find a variety of screws holding on the bottom plate. They must all be removed before you can remove said plate. I\'m writing this from memory so please go easy on me if some of the instructions are slightly askew. I think there are five screws that you can easily remove with a standard Phillips head screw driver. The one near the front is slightly smaller. Next, comes the part where you ask yourself what were they thinking. The screw looks like a standard screw but the center of the screw is not milled out making it impossible to remove the screw without a special tool. On top of that, the screws are recessed in the housing making it especially onerous. Fortunately, I had a small pair of needle nosed pliers that were just long enough and strong enough that you could grab the center part of the screw, squeeze hard and put enough torque on the screw head to remove it. The recessed screws are particularly hard to reach and remove but they are doable with enough persistence. I think there were four of these bastard screws . one screw is relatively easy to get to and the other three are much harder. Two of the screws are hidden underneath the grey rubber feet near the back where the power cord connects to the main unit. Once all screws are removed you can slide off the back panel although it will still be connected to the main unit. Finally you will see a grey belt that connects the blade to the motor. I just held the blade spindle from underneath with one hand and grabbed the top gear with my other hand and twisted the drive gear until it unscrews and comes off. Install the new gear by screwing it on in the opposite direction and you are good to go. I threw out the bastard screws and replaced them with comparable length Phillips screws so I never have to endure this atrocity again. Once all the screws are replaced on the bottom panel you should be good to go. I don\'t remember who makes the machine but shame on you. You needlessly complicated a simple repair. Good luck !
How do you remove the bottom of the blender?
A inexpensive set of security bits from Harbor Freight contains compatible screwdriver heads. There are actually 4 tamper resistant screws- two are hidden under the rear rubber anti-skid pads.
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