MDE21PDAYQ Maytag Dryer - Instructions

Tools required: Stubby socket wrench, 5/16" socket, 1/2" socket, 1/4" socket, #3 Phillips screwdriver, external circlip pliers, straight slip joint pliers. A decently strong electric screwdriver is highly recommended - Milwaukee 2401-20 M12 cordless 1/4" Hex Screwdriver, for example.

Unplug the dryer. Turn off the gas supply.

Remove the screws holding the door hinges to the dryer.

Remove the door and hinges from the dryer by pulling the door and hinges up, then out.

Remove the two plastic thingies (door stops), opposite of where the hinges were, from the front panel of the dryer. Each plastic piece is held in place by two screws.

Grasp the front panel by its top edge, pull it toward you, then lift the panel up and off the clips at the bottom.

There are a couple metal brackets holding the top of the dryer down to the front shroud (the doorway) and frame, one on either side. Each bracket is held in place by two screws. Remove the screws, remove the brackets, then rock the top panel up and back, like the hood of a car.

Remove the screws holding the shroud to the frame. Look carefully. There are two screws that look like they hold the shroud to the frame, but actually do not. Don't remove these screws yet.

Remove the screws holding the plastic duct / lint screen slot to the shroud. These are very long.

Disconnect the wires from the door switch.

Remove the shroud.

Remember the two screws I referenced previously, stating they shouldn't yet be removed? Now's the time to remove them. Do so, then set the panel aside, being careful not to damage any wires. Don't lose the rubber gasket sitting around the circular portion of the duct.

There's a metal cover over the blower wheel. This cover is held in place by a bunch of screws. Remove them all, then remove the cover.

Remove the circlip going around the blower shaft, in front of the blower wheel.

Remove the clamp from around the blower wheel and shaft.

Pull the blower wheel off the shaft.

Install the new blower wheel.

Reinstall the clamp around the blower wheel and shaft.

Reinstall the circlip.

Reinstall the metal blower cover.

Make sure the rear of the drum is resting on the wheels.

Now things become a little difficult, because you have to fight the drum a little bit. Put the panel containing the moisture sensor, front drum seal, and duct into position. (Be careful not to mess up the drum glides. Make sure the rubber seal at the bottom of the vent is in place, sealing the vent to the blower.) Screw the panel into place with two screws, but don't fully tighten yet.

There's a felt seal that is supposed to go between the rear lip of the drum and the rear inside wall. The seal is supposed to be held folded, pinched between the lip and the wall, with the edge of the seal being outside the drum. The seal isn't supposed to jut into the inside of the drum. Use your fingers and some other tool to push the rear felt drum seal out of the inside of the drum. If you use a screwdriver, be careful that you don't cut, rip, or otherwise damage the felt seal.

Do the same with the front felt drum seal.

Carefully inspect the felt seals. You don't want any portion of the seal somehow working its way back into the inside of the drum. Then verify again that the rubber seal that goes between the blower housing and the vent is in place and properly sealing. Now tighten the screws.

Connect the wires to the door switch on the shroud, then loosely screw the shroud in place. Screw the shroud to the vent. Once all the screws are in place, tighten all the screws.

Lower the top of the dryer into position.

Hook a bracket into one side of the lid, position the bracket over the front shroud, then screw in place.

Repeat with the other bracket.

Place the front panel onto the bottom clips. Seat the panel onto the clips all the way, then rock the panel forward into place.

Install the plastic door stops.

Insert the door hinges into their slots, push the door down to seat into place, then install the screws that hold the hinges in place.

Plug the dryer in, turn on the gas, test.

I removed the control panel and front panel, then the brace holding in the drum. Then the drum came out easily.

Replacing the rollers is easy, use circlip pliers to remove the old circlips, replace the rollers, and reinstall the circlips.

After removing the idler pulley by removing one bolt and the spring, I replaced the idler roller, again with the circlip pliers. Then the idler arm bolts back to the motor mount, and the spring is replaced.

Reinstalling is easy - place the drum, have someone support it while you install the drum brace, then replace the front panel, then the control panel.

I looked up my problem online and everything I saw said to change the roller wheels that hold the barrel of the dryer. After doing that (twice, once on each side) I was still having a horrible squeaking sound so bad that we were waiting to do laundry until we were leaving for a while. Finally I determined that the problem was actually the idler wheel. All I had to do was remove the bolt holding the idler arm on (it's the arm that has a spring connected to it that moves to allow the belt on or off) and put the new arm with the new wheel on. The dryer is now whisper quiet and works perfectly.

Per instructions I printed off online: took off door, then the front panel. Pulled out the old switch/button, connected the new switch/button, made sure the new button was working; put the panel back on then the door and DONE!

Replaced both rollers,shafts, bearings and snap rings.

i removed the 2 screws holding the door hindges on. then i removed the 2 adjasent screws to remove the front door panel. i rotated the drum to aceses the screws holding the baffle and installed the baffle .

Piece of cake. Use the available manual to ascertain dismantling procedure. Only thing that might be tough for average DIY'er is the internal snap rings. Snap ring pliers are mandatory for quick easy repair.
Total time was probably about 15 minutes and this was the first time I had taken it apart. Quiet as a mouse now!
Very helpful site.

Took off front. Removed door. Removed drum support. Removed drum and belt. Made sure motor was correct size and fit. Removed blower wheel. Disconnected wire plug from motor and slid motor out of blower wheel. Replaced everything in reverse order. Figuring out belt tensioning position was a trip, but finally got it. Vacuumed out all the lint. Amazingly it worked!

I was able to quickly make this repair with the help of some instructions that I found on this site on how to remove the front panel of my dryer. 4 screws on the front around the door (and removal of the door) and then it was simply a matter of rolling the top portion out to pop it out of some clips and then the front panel opened toward me and I was able to lift it off of the metal fingers that secure it on the bottom. Removing the old baffle was a matter of removing two screws with a nutdriver and installation of the new baffle was a breeze. All in all I was done start to finish in under 10 minutes.

I had replaced belt, but the noise continued. Ordered new rollers and washer. Removed the front panel by tipping the dryer back against the wall and removing two screws at the bottom of the panel. Tipping the dryer makes it easy to remove the front panel. Removed the front drum support by removing four (4) screws. I was then able to just move the drum enough to have access to the rollers. Didn't even have to remove the belt. Replaced the rollers. Needed special pliers to remove and replace the retaining rings. Put the drum back into position and mounted the front drum support. Tightened four screws and then put the front panel back on. Plugged it in and tested it. Problem solved. Took about 35 minutes. Thanks

Replaced damaged parts and recommended parts normally causing the problem. Dryer is working again like new. I expended $112 rather than $600 for a new equipment. Good deal!

The YouTube video on how to replace the baffels was excellent. After watching the video, it was a piece of cake.

Followed instruction video

I removed the front of the dryer and the drum support plate. I drilled out the old rivets and installed the Glides with the enclose rivets. The Glides came loose in a few days! The holes in the glides are larger than in the old Glides. I disassembled the dryer again and reassembled with my rivets. This time I held the rivet gun inside the perimeter of the dryer so that the head of the rivet is opposite the initial installation. So far, so good, except the dryer still squeaks. The idler pulley is now the culprit. White grease burned up. I reassembled with high temperature grease. If that does not work, I will need another idler pulley. The journal looks very worn. the dryer is 30+ years old.

By watching a video I disassembled the front and took the dryer tub out and replace the two rollers and it took about 60 minute.