DDC4307VEL General Electric Dryer - Instructions

The instructions that came with the bearing were limited and the illustrations were too dark to see. However, after reading the reports of others on this website, the repair was very easy.

Prior to disassembly, remove theaccess panel on the rear of the dryer. Pull the belt drive pulley arm up and the belt will easily slide off of the motor pulley. The belt can be left on the drum.

Then, remove two screws at the inside top of the dryer door. The top of the dryer will then lift up at the front and slide forward to remove. This will allow you access to two bolt head screws on each side of the front panel. Remove these two screws and then lift the panel slightly up and forward. The front panel will then be free and the dryer drum will slide forward and out. Remove the four bolt head screws (behind the electric elements) from the heater element on the inside back of the dryer box.

You can now exchange the bearing on the drum and the bearing insert on the dryer heating element simply by removing the old and reinstalling the new just as the old was removed - four screws for each.

You will need an assistant to re-install the bearing. Someone needs to hold the three pieces behind the drum as you insert the three screws. You'll also need a star wrench set for this.

The drum is easily reinserted - just be careful to get the front of the drum placed into the front bearing surface when reinstalling the front panel. One word of caution, My wife tried to remove the felt bearing on the bottom of the front panel thinking that it was lint.

I found that the inside of my ten year old dryer was unbelievably full of lint. I'm sure that the efficiency improvements by cleaning the air passages will be substantial and I've just saved $400 on the price of a similar dryer ($900 if my wife and I decided to upgrade to the "new" model that we wanted but really didn't need.

After identifying the issue, the biggest issue was trying to identify how to get the belt around the drum tumbler. After looking through the back hatch, I figured the best way was through the top. I removed the top just enough to work the belt in between the drum and the front sheet metal. Then I turned it on its side and worked the belt from the back hatch. I pulled the pulley back on the tensioner and slipped the belt under neath. Put it back together, been working great.

I read all the reviews first, and decided on the best method, which is, disconnect utilities, remove four phillips screws under front of top,swing top open like a box lid, pull the two spade connectors off of the door switch, loosen the two hex head screws under the front of the front panel,remove the 2 hex head screws near the top of the front panel, and free the wire harness along right side of machine, this will allow you to swing the entire front panel to the right side,now remove the three torx screws inside the drum,this will allow the drum to be removed, exposing the bearing assembly at the rear of the drum. My machine is 20 years old, and when ordering parts, my machine #s were not listed, but they looked identical, but my bearing's shaft had a circlip retaining it in the bearing receiver, which had to be removed,( the newer shaft just inserts into the receiver, which is screwed into the back of the machine). Make sure to install the ground strap like the one you removed.My best advice for someone thinking about this repair, take it apart first and survey the parts needed before making the decision to repair your old machine, my drum's old bearing allowed the machine to function, and the shaft wore through the bottom of the receiver, allowing the defector, a round disc of thin sheet metal at the back of the drum (a $128 part), to make contact with it's housing, severely damaging both parts, making further investment in this machine unwise,even if I replaced the disc, the cut in the back, would allow really hot gases to escape into the dryer's interior, a scary scenario. I cut my losses and bought a new dryer last week. Anybody want to buy a brand new rear bearing assembly & belt for a GE dryer?. If you only have to replace the bearing, the job is a snap, but prepare to do a lot of dust removal!. Steve

Removed 3 torx screws on the control panel. Removed two more regular screws from the dryer opening. This allows removal of the top. Removed some panels from the back to access where belt feeds through the motor. Found the belt snapped in two inside.

Now that I knew what the problem was I found partselect.com on Google. Ordered the part friday morning with ground. The belt arrived SATURDAY MORNING! I didn't even know fedex would deliver ground shipments on Saturday. Less than 24 hours later I had it. AWESOME.

Removed the front panel by removing two hex bolts to allow me to drape the belt over the drum. Not having seen how the belt was originally around the tensioner and the bad diagrams included with the dryer, it took some figuring to get it back on right. But we did it and we're back in business. I will absolutely buy from PartSelect.com again!

I used a flat head, a phillips head, and two sizes of sockets with my screwdriver to complete this project. I initially undid the control panel, but I don't think I needed to. I next took out two long screws that were holding the top of the cabinet on. These screws were just inside the doorway, directly above where the door sits when closed. I took the top off and set it aside. Being careful to mark which wire went to which lead, I undid the leads to the door open/closed switch. I next found two, black, hex-end screws, one each on the upper sides, towards the front, and undid these with a socket end on the screwdriver; being careful not to drop them as they came out. I then tilted the front panel out and up and set it aside. Note that the front opening holds the drum up so it can spin. Next, I tilted the front of the drum up, and pulled it outwards, till bearing at the back pulled out of the socket, and the drum dropped down enough that I could push the belt off the back of the drum. I then pulled the drum out through the front opening. I could see that the bearing was mostly worn away and metal was rubbing on metal. On the drum, I took off the air diffuser and the drum's half of the bearing assembly, and attached the new part of the bearing assembly, where the old one was. There was a metal disk that I was careful to reinsert in its former spot. I tried to make sure that all screws were tightened with equal force. Then I removed the entire bearing housing/blower assembly by undoing the outer screws that attached it ti the back wall of the cabinet, I rotated it outward at the top , pivoting around the compression fitting (no screws) at the base. I then removed the back half of the bearing housing, and replaced it. I needed to screw in the screws from the front while holding the spring-clip-thing in place (once installed, you can stick your finger through the hole in the bearing housing and feel the clip right behind it). I took this opportunity to clean all the excess lint out of the cabinet. I then replaced everything in reverse order until I got to the drum. I put the belt loosely arounf the drum, with the grooved/ridged side facing in. Then put the bearing (with drum), back in the socket. Feeling through the hole under the front of the drum, take the belt where it hangs off the drum TO YOUR RIGHT, run it under then up around the left side of the small pulley, then pull it to the right (above the small pulley) and around the right side of the big (tensioner) pulley, and let go. Note that there is a swithch in the tensioner that won't switch on unless there is enough tension on the belt! Put the front back on, lifting up the barrel from the inside, so that the barrel opening slides around the outside of the front's assembly. Ours seemed to fit more tightly than it had previously, into the felt padding around to bottom of the front assembly, but it seems to work fine? Screw in the two black, hex-head screws from the sides into the front, and re-attach the door-switch wires. Turn it on (carefully) to make sure it runs. Then attach the top, using the two long screws up through the door opening into the top. Ours is working much better than before - hotter, faster, quieter! Should we have lubricated the bearing with lithium grease?

Unplug the AC cord. Open dryer door and unscrew 4 small Phillips screws that hold the top panel to the front panel. Tilt up the top panel.
To remove the front panel: Look on the inside of the front panel, disconnect all the wire connections that go to/from the front panel, such as the light and door switch. Remove 2 screws that attach the top of front panel to the side panels using a 8mm or 5/16" wrench. Undo or loosen 2 Phillips screws at the bottom of the front panel, one at each bottom corner. Remove the front panel. Go to the back of the dryer. Remove the 8 screws holding the lower access panel (8mm or 5/16"). Remove the access panel. Also, remove the 2"x4" access plate in the center of the back panel (2 8mm/5/16"). Reach inside the small panel opening with a needle nose pliers and remove a Cir-clip and washer that holds the rear drum bearing shaft in place. Now you can remove the drum straight forward. Clean, clean, clean the insides. Replace the worn drive belt, follower wheel and front slider pads as needed. Reverse the procedure to reassemble. Plug in and test. Drink beer.

Per suggestion of "Parts Select", I replaced the "high limit thermostat"....very simple task on the dryer: 1 - unplug from power source; 2 - remove screws securing top to front (open door, screws located beneath lip of unit); 3 - tilt top up allowing access to everything; 4 - remove connections to 'thermostat' (note which wires go where); 5 - loosen screws securing thermostat to unit and remove thermostat; 6 - vacuum any and all lint while unit is apart; 7 - install new thermostat and put everything back together; 8 - test dryer to see if repairs worked!

I removed the 2 screws and lock assemblies from both sides on the back. Then i removed 4 screws (two from each side) on the control panel and lifted that up as i tipped the cover forward to disconnect the wires from the door switch. I found the wiring diagram inside the control panel cover, which included a belt routing diagram (very helpful, being the belt was laying in the bottom. I then removed 3 torx srews holding the drum to the bearing, and removed the drum. Let the fun begin! i proceded to put the belt onto the motor pulley and around the tensioner. i needed some help from my wife to set the drum back in as i held the belt up around it. once the drum was back in, i found the beld had fallen away from the tensioner. I lifted the front of the drum up just enough to get both arms below it and move the tensioner back to slip the belt over it correctly. With the new belt on i started to put the screws back in the drum. This got very frustrating, as you have to correctly line up all the holes again, while holding the drum in the correct angle to start the screws. this was the hardest part, not physically, but wears on a person's nerves quickly! Once all the screws were in and tight, i took a deep sigh of relief before i tipped the front cover up just enought to get the wires hooked back up for the door. I turned the unit on to verify the repair before re-assembly. Yep! works again, for well under $20.00! Thanks PartSelect!

Found excellent instructions and diagrams online by searching under the model number. Best of all was the service from PartSelect. Belt arrived 24 hours after ordering. It was the right part, it was easy to install, and the dryer is running beautifully.

Took the top and front off. DO NOT TAKE DRUM OFF!! Lifted drum slightly and worked belt around drum. Replaced front and top. Took off rear panel at bottom near vent pipe. Put belt around motor and then tension pulley. Buttoned everything up and that was it!

removed top, 2 hex screws, removed front 2 hex screws & 2 star screws. removed belt, slid drum out. Removed old bearing and replaced with new bearing kit. assembled in reverse.
It would help to have another person assist you.

Replaced the rear drum bearing. Not doing it before ,it took about 1 1/2 hrs. Problem was fixed.

I searched the web and found a site that explained how the unit came apart. Took it a part almost according to instructions (I thought I saw a short cut that wasn't).
Unplug
Remove top, torx screws above door, tilt top back, lift front (swing to the right).
Remove clip from back of drum, and slide the drum out(watch the belt or remove tension first)
Remove wires and restring
Slide belt on to drum.
Slide drum back into dryer.
Reinstall front and top.
Retension belt.
Plug back in.
I took the time to remove the duct and cleaned out the unit before reassembly.
Also it helps if you can get easy access to all sides of the unit. I could not, the owner had stored stuff around it to the point that it would have added several hours to the repair to gain easy access. So I had to do some gymnastics to get to all the area's to work on the maching. It is my Dad's dryer and that is enough to write a novel about.
If I had followed the above, it would have saved me an hours worth of time.

I follow the easy instruction by a user in your web site to reach the problem area and discoverd the drive belt was broken.
As it turned out, the problem was compounded when I discovered also that the Heating element needed replacement.
At this point I decided it was time to let go and got a new dryer, choosing the same brand that lasted 25 years: GE

The first thing I did was move the dryer out so I could "unplug it" !
Then I took the 4 philps head screws out that hold down the top of the dryer, then I lifted up the top and moved it off to the side making sure the wires didn't get pulled out.
Then I removed the 2 5/16 cap screws that holds the front panel on and lifted that off "Make sure you mark the down were the 2 wires for the door swich go" Like white on pin 1 and yellow on pin 2!!!
The next thing is to slide the drum foward so you can remove the element package then remove the 3 philps screws in the back of the drum make sure you have someone hold the element package there is a sheild between the drum and the element package that may fall that is a watch out you will need to move the element package up so you can work on it there will be wires hooked to this ring so becare full you don't break them off.
remove the element package you will see the bearing kit attached to that.
There are 4 5/16 cap screws that hold the bearing kit to that remove them and then remove the old bearing kit you may find and E Ring holding the old bearing kit in place (this would be found in the older models).
Before you install the new bearing kit take the new self tapping screws and tap the holes in the new bearing kit mounting plates this will make things go faster!!!
Now mount the bearing plate with the 4 holes to the element package there is a tab that needs to be mount in there too so look at the old one when you are taking it off.
Pick up the sheild that fell pick it up have a second person help you hold everything in place while you line up the holes for the front plate to the back of the drum and start your screws.
Now tighten them down check to make sure your belt didn't slide off the tensioner that is next to the motor before you slide the drum back in place if it did take the time to figure out how to get it back on the right way our you will be pulling things apart again.
What I did was spin the Drum by hand to make sure everything was ok. you will know if the belt is off it will not move when you spin the drum by hand.
Now that you made sure the belt is on you can put the front back on there are 2 studs on the bottom that you need to set the frount panel on before you can put the screws back in in it.
Now that you have the fron back on it hook your 2 wires back up to the door switch like you took them off!
Now move your top back over and you will see 2 clips on the back of it that slide into a grove in the back now that you have that in place start putting the screws back in put the middle 2 in first and tighten them down them put the last 2 in.
Now plug it back in if your vent pipe fell off hook it back up as you slide your dryer back in place now try it to make sure everything is working right and you will hear the differance.
Good Luck with your repairs....
Just a quick note this dryer is over 40 years old and still going.
I have replace 6 elements and 1 drive belt since it was bought new now the bearing kit.
Clean it once a year and the vent pipe every 6 months it will last!!!