F31C436ES0 Frigidaire Dryer - Instructions

I followed the recommendation from William, from Ardmore, OK and Elvis, from Miami, FL for the repairs. Elvis had detailed instructions as well as William, so I just combined the two and I was able to repair my dryer in three hours time. My sincere thanks to partselect web site in posting the repairs on line and for everyones input. I will be back to use the web site again to troubleshoot my other appliances and order parts (great price, fast service for parts) and I will highly recommend this site to my friends.

I googled and found parts select, listed model make and found parts diagram, found suspected parts from trouble shooting blog. I read repair stories, people who performed identical repairs, followed their lead, made notes ordered parts and
easily repaired my dryer for a fraction of the cost of replacing dryer.

The disassembly was very easy and it appeared that this would be a very quick repair. But the removal of the old felt was difficult and once it was removed it took a lot of effort to remove the bits still stuck on. The tool of choice to remove the stuck on felt was a small torch. After that use a coarse sand paper to remove the remnants. Glue on the new felt and reinstall the front panel.

Followed your website repair guides and the great belt replacement video.

Other parts used were; front lower basket seal, dryer seal, and dryer drum belt.

Had no problems except for keeping the drum belt idler pulley tension spring in place. Used the rear access panel to solve this issue.

John H.
Palm Desert, CA

1. After checking the Parts Select website for some useful information I unplugged the dryer.
2. I popped the two clips holding the top down and lifted the top up and out of the way.
3. I used the 8mm socket and screwdiver combo to remove the two screws holding the front of the dryer on. These screws are so close to the sides of the dryer that you need something very thin to seat the socket, it is so thin a small rachet would not fit.
4. Once the to screws are free to forget to unhook the two wires that lead to the automatic cutoff switch on the right. Label them and move them out of the way.
5. The front of the dryer should pivot forward and come right off. Don't forget about the two clips at the bottom, they are not really attached to anything and can be easy to lose.
6. Get your screwdriver and dive into the drum, on the back should be three screws, take those out.
7. Spin the dryer around and take off the vent cover in the lower left corner of the back of the dryer, watch out the socket is a smaller size.
8. Once inside there is an idler pulley like on the back of a ten speed bike, pull the tension out of it and take the drive belt off the pulleys.
9. The drum should be able to be pulled out the front of the dryer, set aside with the door. The screws on my dryer were so tight I had to use a hammer drill to remove them.
10. This is were I got stuck, no one mentioned how to get the bearing plate off, as if everyone would just know. You must lift up on the bearing plate and once it moves up then you can pull it out.
11. Use the 8mm socket to unscrew the old plastic bearing guide. The small metal clip on the back of the dryer will fall off with the grounding ball bearing.
12. With brum bearing kit in hand start off by putting as much high temp lubricant as you can into the bottom of the new bearing guide. I also use a little lubricant like glue to hold the new grounding ball bearing in the little hole on the back of the bearing guide.
13. Here is the tricky part you have to screw the bearing guide into the the dryer while simulaneously holding the little metal clip in place on the back of the dryer. I used duct tape to hold the metal clip and once the screws got started I just took the tape off.
14. Now you have to do the impossible, the bearing must be screwed to the drum. So unless you have 7 foot long arms you can't hold the bearing and drive the screws. Another problem is the bearing itself, the holes are not the same size as the original and they are not threaded. I stripped every screw that came with the kit trying to get them through the metal of the bearing.
15. With an unwilling victim holding the bearing steady I finally got a replacement screw to seat through the bearing. Once you get one the rest are easier.
16. You are ready to reassemble, after vacuuming everything ou, pick up the drum making sure the belt is around the drum about where it was when you took it off. Push the drum through the front of the dryer all the way to the back, aim a little high so the bearing can move down and seat in the bearing guide.
17. Tuck the clips on the front panel of the dryer into the bottom front edge of the dryer and the whole front should pivot up, when you get it almost closed you will have to lift the drum and set it on the front bearing in the door.
18. While holding the front of the dryer on you have to reach inside and get the 8mm screw started on the left or right, if you let go the front of the dryer will pop off and you have to start over with the pivot. Now is a good time to have a magnet on a stick so when you drop the screw or screw driver you don't have to take the front off to retrieve your tools.
19. Once the front is on reconnect the two wires to the switch in the front of the dryer. Remember the ones you were supposed to have labeled earlier.
20. Close the top of the dryer and spin the dryer around so you can reach inside the vent door and pull the tension pulley over and reseat the drive belt. Rem

I disassembled the dryer using instructions from the following website for White Westinghouse (pictures really helped)
After removing the drum, I first noticed that the grouding ball was sitting on the bottom of the dryer (along with much lint). I then saw that the bracket for bearing support cup and the bearing support cup were both worn well past use. The bracket had been worn down about 1/4" to the SE with matching wear on the bearing support cup. There was a hole in the bottom of the bearing support cup (hence the grouding ball on the floor of dryer).
I installed the new idler pulley assembly and completely vacuumed out the dryer (I didn't know lint could get so stiff!). I installed the new parts from the kit once received (and the new belt bought previously) and the dryer works great. I'm so used to the obnoxious squealing that it seems odd to be so quiet.

The internet is a magnificent thing!

Had to loosen drum and move it forward to get at switch. Didn’t have to remove belt.

Remove top lid by pushing tab on either side with a putty knife. Disconnect the 2 wire carriages on right. Remove one
phillips head screw on each side that holds front panel to dryer body. Remove front panel by using flat head screwdriver to pry panel from body. Remove thermostat located on bottom right attached to front of motor on a plastic body by removing two phillips head screws. Disconnect wires and place on new part.

When it comes to repairs the only thing that I can fix are sandwiches. To say that I am a handy man is usually followed by snickers from my wife and friends... However, I was able to completley take apart my dryer, replace the heating pan and coils, put it back together and it works all by myself (my wife was standing behind me with a fire estinguisher when I plugged it in for the 1st time). I took the advice of some of the post I saw on this sight and took some before shots with my camera phone and marked the wires with tape so I knew where to return them and was able to get it all done. I was suprised at how easy it was to do and how simple a dryer really is on the inside. Ordering the part and doing it myself saved me a couple of hundred dollars easy.... this was the way to go!

much as described earler,
1. Removed 2 screws on back at the top and 2 on the chrome vent to access the belt and pulley.
2. Disconnected spring from pulley assembly and removed belt from pulley and motor.
3. Removed top of dryer.
4. Removed control panel.
5. Removed screws from inside dryer tumbler (all of them)
6. Removed bottom kick plate.
7. Removed 2 screws from inside panel (near tumbler) and 2 screws from bottom of front panel. Removed front panel.
8. Removed tumbler housing.
9. Removed heating element cover.
10. Removed heating element pan. (wires first)
11. Removed "bearing" by lifing it up (snaps in)
12. Cleaned and regreased "bearing"
Assembled in reverse order.

First of all I would like you all to know that I cheated just a bit. I had SEARS come out and tell me for sure what the problem was, as they took my dryer apart a payed close attention to everything they did. After I was told that it would cost me over $200 (on top of the $109 I just payed for them to tell me what was wrong) to fix the heating element. I replied with a "NO THANKS!", I also told them not to worry putting it back together. It seemed like he was very happy to hear that and thought I was going to buy a new dryer, he even gave me a coupon for a whole 10% off if I spend over $400. After spending 10 minutes or so on line I found the part I needed @ Partselect.com (plug-plug) for like $20. Once I received the part it took all of 15 minutes to take of the old and put on the new. First: Make sure power is off by unplugging or turn off breaker (can't finish a project if a project finishes you)! Second: Find the two power lines sticking out at about four o'clock and disconnect. Third: Unscrew porcelain separator and remove the two coil ends before removing the coil it's self from the arrow like holders. Forth: reverse last three steps with care (coil feels like it could break easily). Fifth: Place drum back in it's setting while making sure that the drive belt that turns drum is placed around motor pulley. Sixth: Button it up the way you pulled it a part. and your done, good luck!

Called a repair co. Said it would be about a week before he came to the rural area my mom lives and he probably wouldn't have the part. He would order it after he determined the problem. So I went to your web site and ordered the item it said was 80% and two other parts just in case. He came and used the Heating Element Assembly and said it was a good thing we had it. He would have had to order it and come back probably a week later. THANK YOU!! WE needed the dryer repaired sooner and saved another service call. I am returning the other parts not used and you make it so easy to do. I plan on using your site again.

followed the instructions video on the site had no problems just took about 2 hrs to complete

The how to video was great. I had a little problem with getting the belt back on the pulleys. Not enough room for my hands. I did manage to get it back on ,and runs great

Replaced the heating element assembly. Problem was still there. Checked the electrical schematic to try to resolve. Everything checked out except the contacts on the motor M-1 to M-2 had no continuity. Removed the switch from the motor and exercised it. Works fine now.