HDS600SBLWH General Electric Dryer - Instructions

First unplug dryer... very important. You have to identify the appropriate size socket wrench and locate all necessary screws to remove top panel of dryer and front panel. Locate belt drive. Remove old belt , replacing it with new belt attaching belt to dryer drum . Remove back panel of dryer to better reach and adjust belt onto tension wheels. Put dyer back together. YouTube gives you an idea of how to properly change a belt on dryer

First removed the power from the dryer for safety. Removed the back of panel. After testing to see if there was continuity in the heating element and replacing all the thermostats in a previous repair. The switch was the next thing to replace. Removed several screws holding the switch in place then disconnected the cables one at a time and placed onto the new switch. The cables plugs are also unique in the desgin which would enable a person not to mess up if all the wire detached at one time. Then reattached the switch back into the dryer, then attached the back panel.

first I removed the screws with the nutdriver at the bottom of the dryer at the back..then I could see the belt was broken...next I took off the 2 nuts at the back that hold the top on ..then opened the dryer front door and unscrewd the 4 screws holding the top on....then I lifted the top up and to the side...then all I had to do was take out 2 screws one on each side of dryer front and the the front was open enough that I could slide the new belt on dryer..then screwed the front back on...then placed the top on and went to the back of dryer and put belt on pulley using the diagram I found in the instructions inside the dryer top...really a lot easier than it sounds...easy fix saved me from buying another dryer

Easy repair, but did take a little longer than anticipated due to the extra cleaning that I did while the dryer was disassembled (highly recommend). First, unplug the power cord. Then, open the door, and locate the two screws in the upper corners, and remove. This will allow you to remove the top cover. Be careful and work the top panel up and down to loosen the control panel tabs, and set aside top panel. Next, remove the two screws located near the top on the inside of the front panel. Removing these two screws will allow you to lean the front panel forward, lift up, releasing the tabs holding the bottom of the panel. Be careful when you pull the front panel from the dryer as you will need to lift the drum off of the front bearing which is attached to the front panel as it is removed. You will also need to use your needle nose pliers to remove the wires prior to setting the panel aside. The wires are straight forward and power the light at the top, and the safety door switch. I always take a picture with my phone's camera just to validate when I re-connect them. Reaching underneath the drum you will be able to feel the belt and belt tensioner pulley. With both hands under the drum, use one hand to push the pulley to the right, releasing tension on the belt. Move the belt out of the groove, and let it hang freely. Now from the top of the drum, bump the drum to loosen, and remove from the cabinet. It is a tight fit, so you will need to spread the sides slightly in order to remove the drum. Next, remove the 3 screws holding the heat diffuser in the rear of the drum in order to remove the rear drum bearing. (Tip: It would be nice to have a helper hold the new drum bearing in place when starting the screws, and it also helped to tighten each a little at a time to keep the new bearing flat as it was drawn up next to the drum.) Tighten the screws holding the new bearing in place. Next, remove the 4 small screws holding the heating element housing to the rear of the dryer. (Tip: Rather than disconnecting the wires, I used a bent coat hanger to hold the housing while I removed the bearing retainer and clip from the rear of the housing.) Remove the 4 screws holding the bearing retainer and clip, and replace with you new part, paying close attention to the clip's position, and tighten. Replace the housing to the rear of the dryer. (Tip: Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the belt and tensioner pulley for reassembly. Also, it may be a good idea to look at your belt, and replace as needed.) Next, reinstall the drum and insert the new bearing shaft into the new bearing housing. Using both hands again, reach underneath the drum, locate the tensioner pulley, and belt. Push the tensioner pulley over to the right, and move belt over the pulley on the motor, and behind the tensioner pulley. The belt should be tight. If not, inspect to ensure that the belt is over the motor pulley, and the tensioner pulley. Next step is to reinstall the front panel. I also spent the extra money and replaced the front drum bearing, and slides. Please note that the green slides are on top, and the white slides are on the bottom. Lift the panel over the tabs, lean forward while lifting the tub, resting the tub on the front bearing. Reinstall two screws in the upper corners, and tighten the front panel back in place. Now is a good time to turn the drum to ensure that the belt is in place, and that the drum turns correctly. (Tip: If your dryer is equipped with a light, you may also want to replace the bulb in the front panel (if needed) prior to attaching the front panel.) Reinstall the top panel by aligning the tabs in the control panel with the top panel, being careful not to bend the tabs. Next, open the front door and use the 2 long screws to reattach the top panel to the front panel. Plug in power cord.

Easy. Take old one out, put new one in.

Unplugged the machine.
Removed four screws from the top of the machine to uncover the top of the machine.
Pulled the leads off the broken switch.
In the future I will make a note of which lead goes where. There are only two ways.
Went to PartSelect.com and found the part in less than a minute by using their part finder.
Placed the switch through the original opening in the machine and reattached the leads.
Reattached the cover. Plugged the machine back in. Turned the switch and it started right up.

stuck it back in the holes just like the original handle. Had to do a little adjustment because I put screwdriver in them too many times to open the door after the original handle feel off, so the fit was loose. Fixed with tape.

* Please note, if only the starter switch peg is broken you do not need to replace the starter knob if it isn't damaged. The peg is not attached to the starter knob. You must replace the entire starter unit because the peg isn't detachable.

Remove the starter knob by gently pulling it towards you.

Remove the two screws on the bottom left and right sides of the front panel using an Allen Wrench.

On the rear panel of the dryer remove bolts using pliers or an adjustable wrench. Remove the back panel and place it to the side.

** Important ** Before disconnecting the wires from the starter unit take a digital photo (I used my cell phone) of the starter so you will know how and where to reconnect the blue and brown wires to the unit. Now, remove the wires.

Unscrew the bolt attaching the starter unit to the dryer. There's a hook on the back of the starter unit attaching it to the dryer. Push the starter unit downward to remove it from the dryer.

Take the new starter unit out of the box and connect it to the blue and brown wires. Refer to your photo for proper connection.

Insert the starter unit into the dryer and push it upward so the hook on the back of the starter locks onto the dryer. Screw the bolt back onto the starter unit to secure it to the dryer.

Replace the rear dryer panel and tighten all bolts.

Replace and tighten the two screws on the front panel of the dryer.

Replace the starter knob by lining it up with the peg shape and gently pushing it onto the peg.

You're done!!!

Top is hinged in back, removing the 4 screws over the door under the top allowed the top to open. Removing the 2 screws near the top of the door panel allowed it's removal. Marked and disconnected wiring. Lifted drum through top. New bearing housing required 3 mounting holes to be tapped to 10-24. Installed bearing and backing shims with old hardened allen head mounting screws inside drum while wife held bearing in back of drum. Furnished 3- 10-24 lock nuts to lock mounting screws in place from their back side. Reinserted drum through dryer top with belt on drum. Hardest part was getting the belt on motor pulley while holding the idler in it's correct position due to small access holes at the very bottom in rear panel. Works just fine again.

Open door,remove two screws at top,push top up unroll it is straight up,remove two wires for the door switch,remove the two sheet metal screws ,pull up on the complete front asembly then out,hold drum when doing this.then remove trim ring most likely you will need to break it because it's very hard to remove.replace ring and bearing slides

I removed the front panel and the top of the dryer, pulled the drum forward and removed the old rear drum bearing then inserted the new rear drum bearing. I didn't replace the washers or the retaining ring in the back. Put the drum shaft into the new rear drum bearing. Put the front panel and the top in place and started using the dryer again.

I followed instructions provided by other users of this site. Two screws removed allowed the top to be raised. Two more screws allowed the front to be removed and swung to the side. I removed the felt, and replaced it, after looking which way the bevelled edge faced. The teflon drum slide bearings were simple to replace. The front drum bearing was a little difficult to remove, but I just kept prying with a flathead screwdriver and it eventually began to pop off. I vacuumed and removed a ton of lint from everywhere I could get at, and the dryer now runs quieter with no more clothing getting hung up inside.

First read very helpful reviews on PartSelect from:
Summit Health and Fitness From Flagstaff AZ
and Michael From Warwick RI

The parts diagram on PartSelect is good as an overview. Having two people makes a big difference detaching and re-attaching the drum.

Knowing how to get the lid and front door off each specific model is important. That's where the stories mentioned above were essential. After that, many generic dryer repair stories will work.

I recommend changing all wearable parts while you are in there. I wish I had ordered some new felt, but I did rear bearing, slides, and belt even though the belt probably was good to go.

PartSelect shipped from Windsor Locks, CT. The parts were nearly exact replacements. Some fasteners were different, so I used the old ones and had the tap the sheet metal on the retainer with the fasteners before installing it.

Really glad to have stumbled on this site via Google.

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?

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