Idler Pulley Assembly

Removed the two screws that attatch the lent channel to the top of the dryer, then lifted the top of the dryer by pushing in on the two locking tabs located at the front , left and right , corners of the dryer top with a small flat head screw driver. The top of the dryer will fold back out of the way. At this point I removed the two 1/4 inch screws that are located on the inside of the dryer front left and right corners that hold the front panel/door to the two side panels. Now I was able to lift the front panel up and set it to the side. The bottom of the front panel that contains the dryer door that I just removed was held on the bottom by two clips that slide into slots on the front panel and did not require any removal to disconnect the bottom of the front panel, just pull up on the front panel. Since the tub was held in place by floating on a seal at the back of the dryer and a seal on the front panel , which I just removed the tub is now free floating except for the two alignment roller wheels at the bottom of the tub. It is easier if you lay the dryer on its back at this point with front of the tub pointing up. I pulled the tub out and cleaned the years of built up lent and removed all the pieces of the old , destroyed, belt. Note, the belt tentioner is located at the front of the motor which on the bottom right hand side. If your belt is broke like mine the tensioner may/will fall to the back of the dryer when you tilt it back, but do not worry. Once the dryer was cleaned up I put the tub back in place , still on its back and made sure the two alignment rollers were in place and rolled freely when the tub was turned by hand. Another note, my original belt tensioner did not have a rolling wheel that the belt rode on , but was a semi-circle smooth surface that the belt remained in constant friction with when the dyer was running, so I made sure the replacement tensioner I ordered with my new belt did have a rolling wheel that the belt would ride on, which I believe will reduce wear and extend the belt life. The new belt came with a diagram of the belt and tensioner routing which was helpful. Note: do not take the tensioner wheel off/apart when trying to route the belt. Follow the instructions routing diagram. The tensioner is held in palce by inserting the bottom back half into the slot in the bottom floor of the dryer making sure it is aligned with the belt pully on the shaft of the dryer motor. The dryer is still on its back side. Now, it was easier for me to route the belt around the center of the tub, following the marks from the original belt, and hold in in place in a few spots with masking tape and then route it thru the tensioner and onto the front pully of the motor. Make sure you have the grooves of the belt against the tub and the grooves are aligned with the pully on the motor. Now you can remove the masking tape that was holding the belt around the tub and spin the tub by hand watching the belt making sure it is not in a bind and is traveling around the motor pully , tensioner and tub freely. Make sure the tub is still sealed on the back side wall. As you turn the tub by hand you can adjust the belt by hand so that is following the original marks around the tub left by the orignal belt. Also double check the two alingment rollers and make sure they are spinning and on track. Now put the front panel with the door on by sliding it onto the two clips that are one the bottom at each side and put the two screws in that hold the front panel to the two side panels. Now stand the dryer back up and spin the tub by hand again making sure it has a good seal on the back side and on the front panel. Pull the top back down and put the two screws in that hold the lent channle to the top. I am not sure when the belt started failing on my dryer, but was amazed at how quiet it runs now. Guess I was use to the extra noise made by a dryer that was about to die. This was a cheap and easy repair and glad I did it myself.

My wife had been complaing about excessive noise from our 25 year old dryer so after DISCONNECTING the dryer from the wall outlet I popped the top panel loose @ the front with a screw driver @ each front corner @ took a look. No cause was visible so I removed the rear cover & still nothing so I laid the dryer on it's back to remove the front cover. First the 2 wires to the door switch were disconnected then the 2 screws @ the top corners that hold the front panel to the side panels were removed. The front panel then slid up & lifted off exposing the front of the drum, belt & support pulleys. Upon inspection I found the bottom support pulley sleeve bearing to have worn out. Both pulleys were replaced because they only come as a pair now along with the tensioner pulley (idler pulley), the belt & the rear lip seal on the drum since it had a 4" section missing from the edge @ one point (all of these were the original components). Replacing the rear drum seal took the most time because the old adhesive had to be removed. I did this first so the glue could set while I installed the new pulleys & belt. By the time they were installed, the glue had set enough & I could continue the re-assembly.
We now have a 25 year old dryer that sounds like it's new & @ a fraction of the cost

I bought a belt from a store in my area- What a mistake...I found this site and read all the stories on how easy it was and how PartSelect.com had the parts in stock and had easy instructions...I put the idler pulley in place, put the belt in place (all from instructions included) and put the dryer back together (which was easy). I actually did it alone. I would recommend this company to anyone in need of their parts and help!

I Looked on internet sites for this type of problem.
Most sites said the support rollers could cause this.
I found your site PartSelect and with help of your diagrams of the machine ordered the parts I thought were needed plus other parts that might cause the problem.
With machine torn down I replaced the rollers.
I had also ordered the main drive belt and idler assembly with the rollers and these also needed replacement. It is a good idea to order other suspect parts when doing this type of repair since you can return the parts not needed.
Your return policy is great.

Edward Brennan

Braced dryer drum with a block. Removed the two rollers one at a time by using a screwdriver to pop off the triangular clip. Slid on new rollers. Would have been easier to remove the drum out the front instead of bracing it. Installed new idler pulley and belt. Dryer is 25 years old and sounds like a new one now when running.

1) Removed top of dryer
2) removed belt and drum
3) removed front of dryer
4) popped clips holding down motor
5) unscrewed rear fan from motor (by exposing and holding fan)
6) changed motor
7) changed support rollers and idler pully
8) reassemled dryer

Prop up the hood of the dryer with flat bar. Take out 2 screws holding dryer front end and 2 switch screws for dryer light inside dryer door. Secure dryer drum with bungee cord. Lift front end and remove. Remove broken belt. Route new belt over drum and pass underneatch idler pulley at botttom of dryer. Apply pressure to idler pulley w/one hand while securing belt around motor with the other. Make sure drum seals are snug between front and back of dryer while putting everything back together.
Have confidence. This is a very easy fix.

I wasn't sure if the problem was the belt (probable) or the idler pulley assembly (less likely) but the total for both parts was about $26 plus shipping. So why not replace both to be sure?

As it turns out, my original idler pulley assembly does not turn. Rather, it has a concave semi-circular piece that is fixed in place. The belt ran in a groove in that piece.

The replacement part has a nylon wheel that turns. As a result of replacing the idler pulley assembly (which I don't think was necessary to fix my tumbling problem) the dryer runs much quieter. (We used to get a fair amount of squeaking when the belt rubbed).

As for the actual repair (I would rate myself as above average on tackling household repairs), it was about the simplest repair I've ever done. I followed the video provided on this site (excellent video) and it took less than 20 minutes -- cleaning up all of the lint/odds and ends under the washer and dryer took longer than the actual repair.

My only issue (minor) was disconnecting the electric harness. It did not slide as easily as in the video. I had to coax mine a bit with a small screwdriver (make sure your dryer is unplugged!!). I suspect it was simply a function of the harness never being unplugged -- the dryer is 9 years old.

I also felt great because I'm sure I saved a $125 service call (for only $26 in parts and 20 minutes of my life).

Good luck!

When the belt broke my renter tried to fix it with duct tape and in the process the idler pulley either broke or somehow got lost. When I began to fix the dryer with a new belt,I discovered the idler was gone. SO, not knowing what it looked like was a problem. Going to the PartSelect web site I was able to see the exploded views of the whole dryer and pick out the right repair items. Really worked slick. Thanks. Allan W. Rutter

Took a bit to first figure out how to get the front of the dryer off in order to access the motor, wheels, and belt, but found a "how-to" online. Once I had that, the rest was easy.

Lubricated motor and guide wheels but squealing still there. Then noticed the "idler pulley assembly" (the part that keeps the belt tight against the drum) looked a bit old and worn. Ordered a replacement part on this site because it was much much cheaper than a service call, installed it.... and NO SQUEAL!!!

Raised the top of the dryer then took the front of the dryer off. Took the drum off. Replaced the pulley and support rollers. Then, put the new belt on and put it back together.

I order a new belt and I watched the video instructions on how to replace it, follow the instructions, removed the top and took out the dryer tumbler or can, found a broken idler pulley, order a new one, got it in about two days, replaced all the parts and now its working like a new dryer, I called several repair shops and I got estimates from $65 to $150, I spend less than $35 and it took me about 35 minutes to install and I got it fixed..

I took the long way around and removed the back with the nutdriver (8mm), unscrewed the lint catcher from the top and back (phillips). From there, I reached around and unscrewed the support brackets (9/16"). Once I confirmed the problem, I ordered the parts. There was really nothing wrong with the belt or pulley, but considering its age, I figured it was easier to replace now while I already had it apart.

Once I received the parts (about 3 days), I removed the front of the dryer by popping the top of the cabinet off, and the kick plate at the bottom with a flat screwdriver. Then, I removed the two screws holding up the door at the bottom, and the two holding it from the inside top. Once the front came off, I removed the idler pulley from the bottom, and the drum fell out. I was left with an empty cabinet with the exception of the motor.

I replaced the tri-rings on the support shafts, which was the most time consuming part of the whole ordeal. Those buggers are tight. I ratcheted the support brackets back on , removed the belt from around the drum and replaced it with the new one. I added the idler pulley back in, placed the drum against the back, and hooked the belt back around the motor. I also replaced the lint seal that goes from the drum to the catcher before putting it all back together.

I wish all machines were as easy as this dryer to repair.

I removed the 2 screws in the lint filter. Then pried up the top of the dryer. I removed the 2 screws inside the front panel at top.I then unplugged the wires inside attached to the front panel. I pulled up on front panel and removed it. I then lifted out the drum and set aside. I replaced the 2 drum wheels prying off the plastic retainers. I didn't relpace the tension pulley as I didn't have one. I took old belt off drum and replaced it with the new one and replaced drum. I held up the drum with a bungee cord while I rethreaded the belt. I put the front panel back on and replaced the screws. I then plugged the wires back together. I put the top down and then replaced the 2 screws in the lint filter. I relaced the lint filter and tested the dryer. The noise was gone and new belt installed. fairly simple.

Followed the instruction given by previous writers in these post.
Hint The bungee cord hook was used to hold up the lid, worked very well.
If you are by yourself use duct tape to hold the drum in place before removing the front panel. Tape the top rear of the drum to the rear frame. Also do this when reassembling the front panel.
Easy and quick makes the wife happy this time.
PS. Ordered the parts on Sunday and had them on Tuesday.