Hopefully some others can learn from my mistake..

The dishwasher drain port on the new disposal is blocked by a knockout from the factory in case you are not connecting a dishwasher. You have to knock out the plastic tab with a screwdriver and hammer before installing. And of course this was right there in the installation instructions all along. RTFM right?

I actually do read the directions a lot of the time, but the night I installed the disposal I was on a tear to "get 'er dunn" and only gave a couple of quick looks at the instructions to clarify some things I was already at least partially aware of.

A quick look through all of the steps before starting would have saved me a lot of time and aggravation.

On the plus side, I managed to achieve a successful disposal replacement in the end, learned a few things about dishwashers, and didn't have to call in or pay a plumber or appliance repair technician.

Big thanks to the experts here who have contributed to the many other posts I read while figuring this out!

My Frigidaire Gallery Series dishwasher won't drain fully. This started immediately or very soon after replacing the garbage disposal. When the problem started, it would drain until the water level was about at the heating element, which is apparently a common symptom.

After reading some other posts, I've tried the following:

1. Removed the hose from the garbage disposal and cleaned more gunk out of the end of the hose (I had already done some cleaning while replacing the disposal). I could still see some gunk in there sticking in the accordion folds of the hose, but it seemed like there was clear passage through the hose. No change in drain level after another fill/drain cycle.

2. Removed the screen and other parts in the bottom, including the impeller cover. There wasn't much gunk in there but I cleaned whatever was there. I felt as far as I could into all of the ports and passageways but couldn't feel any other debris. No change in drain level after another fill/drain cycle.

2. Pulled off the lower sprayer. No change in drain level after another fill/drain cycle.

3. Removed the drain hose from the garbage disposal and put it in a bucket. It seemed to drain completely after this, though I didn't remove the screen to see if there was any water below that. Saw a little more gunk that came out in the bucket.

4. Re-connected the drain hose to the garbage disposal and ran another fill/drain cycle. It did not drain fully, but definitely more than before.

Is it possible that there is just a little more gunk in the hose somewhere that needs to be cleaned out?

Also, the pump definitely doesn't sound right while it's running. Sounds sort of like air is leaking in, sort of a spitting sound. But it's clearly still pumping most of the water.

The other posts I've read have already been extremely helpful with great information and instructions. Thanks so much for your help!