DDC4397VFL General Electric Dryer - Instructions

i removed the scews just above thr opened dryer door, i was then able to swing the dryer top cover back. i then removed the lower front panel screws ,the the screws securing the front of the dryer ( where the door is ) and removed it. there are just 2 wires to disconnect. after the front is removed you gain full access for drum removal, remove the belt make sure the wires are not in the way and remove the drum.i also used a vacuume to clean the inside of the dryer. the front drum slides are very easy to replace only 2 screws each.remove old parts install new parts then just put the dryer back together in the reverse order i took it apart. after re-assembly i turned the dryer on it was so quiet running my wife and dogs were very happy. ps. i just want to thank the people at partselect for having all my parts in stock and for the speed in which i received them. other than having to repair my dryer it was a very pleasant experiance.

first I took the dryer apart 1st thing i did was unplug the power supply (safety first) then I removed the top of the unit then removed the front cleaned all the lint from the inside of the cabinet I found the proper belt size on part select.com the next day I had my dryer belt delivered (which cost 1/3 the price of the local repair shop price)
then I placed the belt over the dryer drum and made sure it was in the general location it should be I then replaced the front cover and the top. then I removed the rear cover which was held on by six 5/16 sheet metal screws which gave me access to the drive pulley and belt tensioner the belt goes on by going under the tensioner then around the drive pulley
Then i rotated the drum by hand to make sure everything had clearance I then buttend everything up plugged it and started it up it workd fine and I figure Ill get another 8 years out of it
Thank you partselect.com

I initially opened the front of the dryer and noticed that the drum slides that the drum rides on in the front of the dryer were excessively worn. I then removed the drum and noticed that the plastic bearing that supported the drum in the rear was cracked and the washer(?) appered to be disintigrating. I ordered and replaced the drum slides and rear bearing. The dryer was still making too much noise. I ran the motor with the drum removed and realized that they motor was the remaining source of the excessive noise. I then ordered and replaced the motor with a new one and this solved the problem. Total cost was around $140. Note that when ordering a new motor, the instructions on the web site indicate that you need to order the motor pulley if your existing motor has a pressed on pulley. The new motor was a kit that came with the pulley included, and therefore the additional part was not needed, and had to be returned. The instructional videos and parts schematics on the web site were very helpful.

Unplugged dryer, opened lower panel. Loosened the bolt that holds igniter assembly to gas unit and removed old igniter. Put new igniter in the pinch clamp then (being VERY careful so as not to crack new part) replaced igniter assembly and tightened its bolt firmly. Voilà, ignition!

First, I loosened the the top control panel and then loosened the top flat roof panel which allowed me access to the inside of the dryer. Then, I removed the front panel which allowed access to the drum. I was amazed at the amount of lint that was inside the dryer itself. Most of my time was spent in the disassembly and cleaning of the internal cavity around the drum. I reached below the drum and removed the belt from the pulley wheels and then unscrewed the drum (from the inside) from the back of the dryer and bearing kit. I removed the diffuser and cleaned it thoroughly. Then I replaced the entire drum bearing kit - the old one was almost completely dissentigrated. I probably should have applied some kind of non-flammable lubricant to the new bearing kit - the instructions did not include this step but after about 3 loads a slight squeak (different). I put everything back together - applying the new drum kit will require 2 sets of hands (my 9-year old daughter did great at this). I re-assembled the dryer and it works great, again except for the slight squeak that's still there. I may disassemble it again and apply some lubricant but I do not know what kind to get; I need to check that out.

Everything is cleaned as it is removed.

Remove the two screws holding the top down.
Disconnect two wires from door switch.
Remove the two hex screws holding the front on.
Remove the 4 screws holding the access panel on the back and disengage idler pulley to loosen the belt.
Remove the drum.
Label the wires then remove the heating element.
Check orientation of ground strap before disassembling rear bearing.
Remove four screws holding rear bearing to back of heating element.
Install rear bearing and ground strap on to heating element.
Reinstall heating element.
Reconnect wires.

Most Important : Get help putting parts back on drum! I didn't and that's why it took over 2 hours.
I will describe how I did it.

Unscrew bearing from inside of drum.
Wrap screwdriver with tape to a little larger than the screw hole.
Use small screwdriver to line up the drum, shim and deflector.
Don't forget the brass shim. It wasn't on the parts diagram.
Start two screws don't tighten them yet.
Remove Screwdriver and start third screw. Tighten all three down.
Put belt on drum.
Install drum and belt.
Reverse disassembly.
When putting the front on make sure drum rests in the felt.

I rated this a bit difficult because I did it myself. With help this is a fairly easy repair.

I removed the top by removing the four screws holding the top on. Then I could access the screws holding the front of the dryer (including the door) on.

I removed the back panel so I could slip the belt off the idler pulley. There was also a small panel covering the back of the drum bearing. I removed the clip holding the drum bearing shaft in place. Then the entire drum assembly with the drum bearing was removed by shifting the drum toward the front and lifting it out.

I removed the drum bearing assembly by taking out the three screws holding it to the drum.

Once I received the drum bearing kit I reassembled it in reverse order.

The idler pulley had a clip holding the pulley on the shaft. I removed the clip, took off the old pulley and replaced it with the new one, replacing the clip. Then I rethreaded the drum belt around the motor shaft and ilder pulley and put the panels back on.

Having recently replaced the heating elements and main bearing on the dryer I knew how to take the thing apart, getting to the motor was easy. However, the fan side of the shaft was longer than the original so I had to bend out the metal front panel where the fan is located so it would spin without grinding against the front of the dryer. That done, the rest was easy to finish, mounting bolts on the motor tightened, one last test before putting it back together and all was well. The dryer now works better than it has for a long time.

First I removed the top of the unit and the front cover which allow me to remove the drum. Then I removed the worn parts, and installed the new parts.

I followed the directions that were listed on this site by other Do It Yourself individuals...by the way I'm a lady and more mechanically inclined than my husband, but he was a great help in lifting the drum up and out. (I unplugged the dryer before starting repairs)
1. I removed the two screws located at the top of the dryer inside the door.
2. Top of dryer cabinet lifted up after screws were removed.
3. Located and removed front panel retension screws and removed front panel and set aside
4. slipped belt off motor by reducing tension on idler pully
5. Removed screws inside drum that secured drum to bearing assembly
6. Husband and I lifted drum up and out of cabinet (this went very smoothly and took less than 15 minutes time.
7. Followed supplied bearing drum instructions and removed old bearing and installed new assembly.
8. Thoroughly cleaned out internal cabinet, blower, and motor areas
9. Reset the idler pully into proper position.
10. Tipped dryer on 'back' to reseat the drum With A NEW DRYER BELT (taped temporarily around the drum) into the bearing shaft (I may not be using the proper terms)
11. tipped dryer upright and while Hubby balanced the drum, the front panel was resecured to the rest of the cabinet.
12. Removed temporarily applied tape that held the drum belt in the general position, then using the rear access panel, I slipped the belt over the motor into the proper posisiton.
13. Top cabinet was reapplied and screwed into
place.
14 Plugged in and tested the dryer...NO SQUEAKS and it works beautifully and quietly!!

The job is not terribly difficult, but I am only 5 feet tall and the drum is bulky to work with and balance. Reaching into the cabinet to slip the belt onto the motor stretched my arm to the limit.
I found the cabinet reassembly and realignment of the screw holes quite annoying. But the total job proved satisfying upon completion.

I took the old one off and the new one went right onto the dryer. It was very simple to do.

I removed the door and "flipped" it to open right to left. Rather than remove the existing door latch I added the purchased latch on the right side to enable opening the door right to left or left to right.

Pulled out the remnants of the old latch out with the pliers and then popped the new one in...less than 2 minutes. Oh, and the part was delivered in less than 2 days. Great job, Partselect !

We ordered a new lint filter with white frame from Part Select. Had to take the dryer outside and blow all lint out that had accumulated in the dryer. We then vacumed everything out and brought back in house and put in new lint filter we ordered and used the dryer today and it works beautiful. Saved us from having to buy a new dryer. Thanks Part Select for having the filter we needed. Raymond Kampsen, Vassar, Ks.

Received part in two days.
Removed inspection plate by removing two screws. .Drum bearing was right there. With screwdriver
removed "c" clip, took out what was left of old bearing.
With screwdriver aligned drum, slide new bearing into place. Job was done. Instruction with new part simple and easy to follow.