DE18F2WW Admiral Dryer - Instructions

Watched a video and went to town taking it apart. I stuck a pop can under the barrel to hold it up while I worked on pulleys. My dryer does not have a plastic pulley but a metal tension bar with a hole in the middle. Ran upstairs and watched a different video with my set up and all was good. 5 min of work 5 min watching Youtube and 5 min cleaning all the lint out of the machine. I am actually glad the old belt broke because some of the lint was in a clump and had scorch marks on it. I took the shop vac to every part of the cabinet and shoved it down the lint trap sleeve also.

Watched the video on the site and it was spot-on! Super-easy, took like 10 minutes to replace the belt. Thanks!

I unscrewed the door catch and pried out with some resistance the strike part. Screwed in the catch and pushed in the strike. Closed door. Voila!! Back in business with assurance.

Screwed the new “$40” dollar light bulb back into the recessed socket. The new bulb is much smaller that the original bulb and much harder to get fingers into small area where the bulb went. After several try’s, I got it in.

I took the back of my dryer off to see if the problem was there. I saw that the belt was broken and laying on the inside of the dryer. Took belt and went on line (Google) my KitchenAid Dryer from it's model number. The website was PartSelect. Found the belt I needed and saw a video on how to replace the belt. I called to order the belt and spoke to Steve, which help me with all my needs. Steve knew just the belt I was looking for and placed my order. The belt arrived a few days later. While I was waiting for the belt to come in, I removed the front of the dryer and get ready for reinstall. It took me about 15 minutes to install the belt and put the front of the dryer back together. I found PartSelect to be very helpful and saved me, maybe $150.00 by not having to call a serviceman to do the easy replacement. Thank you Steve and PartSelect, now I'm number 1 with the wife again.

Tools and materials:

#2 Philips head screw driver
Standard flat-tip screw driver
1/4" nut driver or ratchet
1/4" drive sockets: 1/4, 5/16
Something 3-4 inches thick to wedge under drum for support (i.e. scrap 4x4, soap bottle, books)

Replacement Procedures:

1. Unplug dryer from wall outlet
2. Pull out lint screen
3. Remove 2 Philips screws attaching lint trap to dryer top
4. Lift hinged dryer top panel near front and lean it back on wall. You may need to pry between side panels and top with flat-tip screw driver to get it started.
5. Disconnect plug from dryer door switch near front
6. Remove two 1/4" and two 5/16" hex screws inside front panel near top.
7. Open dryer door and lift front panel straight up to disengage tabs from slots near bottom of front panel.
8. While supporting drum with one hand, lift front panel and set aside with other hand.
9. Slip replacement belt around drum with ribs facing drum and position it where old belt left its mark.
10. Wedge something under drum to support it while installing the belt.
11. Re-position tensioner in two slots in bottom panel just in front of motor. On my model the bend in the spring will be on the right side with the idler pulley to the left, when viewed from the front.
12. Ensuring the belt isn't twisted, thread a small loop of it through the opening in the tensioner just below the pulley.
13. With the left hand, push against the tensioner spring while working the loop over the drive pulley.
14. While supporting drum with one hand, remove whatever you put under the drum to support it.
15. Replace front panel by aligning the slots with the tabs near the bottom and lowering it into place.
16. Carefully slip the drum opening over the flange on the front panel and replace hex screws.
17. Slowly roll the drum in one direction or the other until the belt aligns and centers itself.
18. Re-connect the plug for the dryer door switch.
19. Lower the dryer top and press until it snaps back into place.
20. Replace philips screws to secure lint trap and replace lint screen.
21. Plug dryer back into wall outlet, close door, set to dry, and press start.

Pull dryer out from wall about 6 to 8 inches step 1 - romove front/bottom access panel. Step 2 - remove lint trap and remove 2 screws (philips type) that is under lint trap door. Step 3 - push in 2 wood shime in front edge between lid and front panel (angled shims like door shims - a putty knife will work to, just be carful not to scratch finish) step 4 - fold lid upward and back (like on a hinge) step 5 - looking from where the bottom/front acces panel was losten 2 screws - one left one right about 3 turns - 9you can remove them it just makes it easier to reinstall the front panel. Step 6 - find appropriate pot or stacked 2 x 4 pieces - something to hold up the drum when you remove th front cover, and from underneeth support the drum. Step 7 - look thru bottm front access hole - there are 2 springs that come down from the door - and clip onto the frame of the fryer - unclip them and place on the side. Step 8 - remove 2 upper screws that hold front panel on, and remove front panel, if you left the bottom screws attached but loosened you have to lift up on the front panel a bit. Step 9 - looking from the bottom thru where access panel was - you will see motor on right with a additional roller (tensioner) - push upwards on tensioner to relieve pressure on motor and pop off belt (remember where tensioner is and how it clips in to base. Step 10 - work belt off of drum towars front - to remove it all the way you will have to lift up the drum slightly off of the pot or whatever you used for support so the belt can clear. Stem 11 - new belt goes on the same way you took to old one off - plat side away from drum with ribs against drum. Step 12 - again lift up on drum and work belt back on. Step 13 - tricky part is how to get the belt back on the motor - prentend you are threading a needle wht a folded over piece of thread - hold the belt with about a 4" loop with your left hand - hold up on tensioner and feed it back thru and work belt back over end of motor pulley, after front panel is back on with the 4 screws tightened spin the drum and make sure belt is between the 2 lines marked on the drum and remove the pot or whatever u used to prop up the drum. Dont forget to attach the springs for the door assemble all other components in reverse order. And dont forget to take the pot back out

I replaced it

With no experience repairing appliances, I did figure it out that the drive belt was broken since the motor was running and the drum did not turn.

What to do? Start looking for fasteners! I knew I had to get to the drum, but there was nothing up front, on top, or bottom that gave a clue. Only the back panel had hex head steel screws. I removed them and the panel. Then I removed a tube that pulled air from the drum to the outlet. I saw some screws holding the back of the dryer top. After removing them, the top popped off by pulling it up and releasing the attachment at the front.

This gave me access to a couple of screws holding the top of the front (holding the door). It seemed to make sense to lay what was left of the dryer on it's back. After removing the last two screws at the top corners of the front panel, I pulled it up and removed it. The drum lifted right out. The belt tightener was loose and lying against the back wall.

The local Sears did not have a replacement belt and their web site was not that helpful or forgiving. A Google search revealed a site called PartSelect. It had a very useful search routine which led me to make a purchase on a Saturday evening. The belt arrived at my door on the following Tuesday! Be sure to look at the instructions that come with the belt, it will demonstrate how to fish it through the loose belt tightener.

In about 1.5 hours the dryer was back together and doing it's thing. There were two additional screws left over, but I figure that's a manufacturing defect.

I was a hero to the wife, as usual.

Disconnect the power and gas supply so that you can slide dryer out and into an accessable area to work comfortablely. Removed top and front of dryer. When disconnecting numerous wires from the top controls, draw a simple color coded diagram for reconnection before you disconnect those wires. After removing the top and front, take out the drum and clean all the lint, money etc. out of the normally nonexcessable area of dryer. Place new belt on as you replace the drum. This takes two people; one to hold the drum in position and one to carefully work the new belt into place. Rotating the drum by hand will assist in the placement of the new belt on the drum. After reassembling the newly cleaned dryer it was a pleasure to try it and find a dryer that worked better than during its pre-repair use and it saved us the price of a repair call or a new dryer.

first, i read all the comments on this web site as well as other web site. sooner i confirm the problem is the drum belt, i order the parts.
my kemore model front panel is one piece. so i have to lay down the dryer and open the front panel on the top. The instruction sheet sent with the belt is very good, so it does not take too much time to replace the belt, the challenge task is to reconnect the front panel to the side panel. I spend too much time trying different way to use the fastner hook to connect panels without realizing that the hook is broken. stupid me. i later have to use the wire to connect the front panel to side panel. overall, i am very happy i fix the dryer.

Remove back panel, looking for access. upon reassembly dropped socket into lint trap. Dissemble again, also dissemble lint trap ducting, found it almost completely blocked by lint, clean and reassemble. Remove front panel and there is the problem of the broken belt. Try to look up online to no avail because I didn't have the proper machine ID, but I did find out where to look. Now with the right info ordered the part. Received in the post about 5 days. Upon reassembly I realized that the adjustor was laying in the bottom, picked up, cleaned inspected, OK, then needed to figure out where it goes, got it, then to figure out how it holds tension on belt. That took a few minutes, well maybe 10 then the old Ford light bulb came on, then installed the belt and adjuster. Replace front panel, slide back into place, hook up wiring and duct. Test, guess what folks it works.

I googled 'replace dryer belt' and found instructions on the 'Virtual Repair Man' web site. After reading the instructions through twice I began.

First I removed lent filter and removed the two screws that hold the lent body in place. I rotated the top panel up and back and leaned it on the wall; proped up the dryer drum with some scrap wood pieces; rotated the front panel of the machine out enough to slip the new belt, groves down, around the drum; reinstalled the idler pulley under the drum; raised the drum slightly and reattached the front panel. Reattached the top panel and replaced the filter. Did a test run and worked good.

I got a price from Sears for the part and they were asking $45 just for the belt. I saved enough in parts and labor to take my wife out for a real nice dinner. thanks

I watched an online video about how to replace a dryer belt & followed the directions. Placing the belt around the drum is easy but stringing it thru the pulley is a little difficult because the belt has tension. This takes a little effort but is doable. Dryer runs great now........Be sure to unplug appliance 1st........

Pretty much just followed the video - I'd never opened a dryer before, so I'd watch a step, pause and do it, then run the video a few more minutes, and repeat. These dryers are really extremely simple devices: just a heater, then a motor to spin the drum and run the fan (I think the same motor does both). So you loosen a couple of screws, pry the metal case open, and slip on the new belt. Done! I didn't keep track of time, but I'm psyched to have saved myself a $200 repair call! Standard delivery arrived in less than two days, just like they said it would.