VD331C*439 General Electric Dryer - Instructions

The job is simple once you know how to remove the front panel. The steps are as follows:
1. disconnect the power cord.
2. remove 4 Phillips-head screws under the lip of the front panel that secure it to the top panel (#1 point Phillips-head screw driver)
3. swing the top panel up, it is hinged in the rear.
4. making note of the connection points of the color-coded wires, disconnect the wires to the lamp socket and door switch (I used a felt-tipped pen on the inside of the front panel to mark the connection points, "R" for red, etc.)
5. remove the upper 2 hex-head screws from inside of the front panel (5/16" nut-driver)
6. loosen the lower 2 hex-head screws (5/16" nut-driver) accessible from outside the panel (you only have to loosen them since the bottom mounting tabs are slotted)
7. slightly lift (to clear above mentioned lower tabs) and tilt the front panel toward you. Swing the front panel to the right as though you were opening a door and position so it does not fall.
8. remove 10 hex-head screws from the black lower rear access panel (5/16" nut-driver) and remove the broken drive belt. Note that the narrow black panel securing the power cable can remain in place.
9. at this point take advantage of the situation and vacuum out the years of lint and dust you could not reach before.
10. stand in front of the dryer, lift the dryer drum slightly and slip the new belt (rib side down) around the drum. Position the belt near the rear of the drum along the wear-mark left by the old belt.
11. go to the back and place the belt in the motor's drive-belt pulley, making sure the ribbed side of the belt mates with the ribs in the pulley.
12. position the tension wheel so that the it takes up the slack in the drive belt. Note the flat side of the drive belt will mate with the flat of the tension wheel.
13. spin the dryer drum a few turns by hand to make sure the drive belt lines up properly with the pulley.
14. reassemble the dryer by reversing the above steps, starting at step 8.

It wasn't so bad taking it apart, but getting the drum back on was a problem. So what i did was too turn the dryer over and cut the heads off of three long screws and slid the drum over top of these and it lined up with the bearing housing.After a few tries it finally lined up and then i put the regular screws back in to hold the drum in place, one at a time.

Remove the Torx screws along the front top edge and flipped the top back. Removed two screws at the top inside holding the front panel on. Loosened two screws at the front bottom and took the front panel off. Pulled the drum out the front. I gave everything a good vacuuming with a shop vac and a long handle brush. Then went around back, removed the access panel, removed the rear drum bearing plate and installed the new one. Removed the rear bearing from the back of the drum and installed the new one (You have to work from both sides of the drum which makes it a little tricky.I used a couple of wire ties to hold everything in place while I lined everything up. Screws or punches would work too). The front drum slides are held in by 2 screws each and you could replace them without removing the drum. They need to be lubed with the lubricant supplied. I put the drum partially in then looped the belt over the narrow back part of the drum, around the motor pulley and idler pulley. Put the drum all the way in and the belt onto the drum by rotating it by hand. The belt ribs go against the drum. Installing the belt was the a little tricky but not impossible. It could be easier if you loosen the left side panel to give you some room to reach in but I was able to do it without doing that. Threw the front and top back on and was done. Total time was about 1.5 hours a lot of which was spent getting the dryer in and out of the little cubby hole it lives it.

I didn't know what was wrong at first, only that the dryer would not start. I bought it used so had no fear of taking it apart to diagnose. Found the broken belt inside, ordered a replacement, installed the new belt, then crossed my fingers. Was pleasantly surprised that was all that was wrong and that for less than $20, including shipping, a few hours of my time, and a little help from YouTube videos the dryer is working again!

The same procedures as posted in the video, but as applied to the model. Belt had broken. Bearing and front supports were worn, but the cause of the noise was a worn tensioner pulley bearing/arm, causing damage to the belt until breakage. Save the time and effort of a second repair and purchase a tensioner arm/pulley anytime the belt breaks as this is likely the cause of the original breakage. The hardest part on this older GE was getting under the drum to engage the tensioner and belt to the motor, as clearances we very tight. Review the diagrams, watch the video, and enjoy a quiet and well running machine for your efforts. PartsSelect is the only place to shop for appliance parts, my hat's off to excellent service, fair pricing and fast shipment. Thanks PartSelect!

I unplugged the dryer and moved it into a open spot on the floor.I then opened the door so I could release the top panel,and tilted it back.This allows the removal of the front of the unit. Folled the instuction for removing the drum and got it out. Cleaned up the area and removed the screws that held the drum to the bearing, and pulled the drum out. The instructions for removing the plate and the bearing where o.k., and the tips given for reassembly were helpful, but would have been easier to see if the were a seperate line. The parts fit GREAT, and this 1989 dryer is ready for a few more years.A good price on the parts and a quick ship.I will shop here again!

The ordering and receiving of the part were wonderfully easy, but the construction of the lint filter left a lot to be desired. Bits of wire extended past the edge of the frame and drew blood when held, so had to trim the wire screen that extended past the frame. Also, the wire screen was not attached continuously around the frame and had to be clamped and glued. I did appreciate that the filter fit my machine.

The repair for the average untrained mechanicslly inclined " first off google directions/instruction picture step by step " we took off the wrong part which made this job difficult there is a part on the back that was removed prior to guided directions, called parts select they are awesome"our belt was delivered the next day on a 3 day weekend I was suprised second correct part sent anyone who took on this job , they will appreciatte all this . the belt was fairly easy to repair just do as directed follow guidelines. difficulty detaching a part that never should be"pain in the a" order your part from this company they rock" and picture guide and specific direction guideline @ this dryer has well outlived the money spent still kicking strong after several years of use hotpoint dryer

I noticed the original blower wheel was worn, the hole for the motor shaft was reamed out and the blower was not spinning with the motor. Air was not being circulated so the clothes were not drying well. Replacing the wheel was relatively easy. I did see other people commenting on the difficulty of getting the drive belt re installed properly. I noticed a small "lip" bent into the motor frame, and found the arm for the belt tensioner would fit into this lip and it held it out of the way while I reinstalled the drum and reouted the belt onto the motor pulley. Once the belt was in place, I gently let the tensioner out of its holding position and everything went back into place nicely.

I was unsure of how to disassemble the machine to reach the belt, but a YouTube video gave me confidence. Thanks to Partselect.com, the great customer service, and fast delivery. I had my dryer up and running really fast! The process was really not difficult at all and it gave me a chance to vacuum out years of trapped lint. I am so happy to have saved hundreds of dollars, not having to buy a new dryer.I would urge other folks to tackle these relatively simple repairs, the right parts are a phone call away. Frank

The repair went very well, thanks to this site. Dixie

disassembled chassis of dryer, unbolted top, lifted top to expose drum. bolted top back on. resumed repair next morning. unbolted top. lifted drum (it moved up and down about 1 inch) and got new belt around it. rebolted top down. tipped dryer to its back. unbolted and removed panel at bottom, exposing drive motor and tensioner spring. positioned belt around drive motor spindle and tensioner spring. replaced panel. reconnected dryer to electricity. reconnected gas using new flexible connector.

What to do if you have a load of wet laundry at 23:00, the dryer won’t start, and you have no spare start switch.
Removed rear access panel and discovered the wire from terminal #2 (goes to heater coils) on the start switch had melted and disconnected. The start switch showed signs of overheating but not melted. Removed the switch and found the switch’s actuator button was jammed in the ‘in’ position (dryer won't start). The switch was a friendly one in that it was possible to disassemble it. Most switches today are molded/glued together, but this one could be pried apart. The contacts inside were still in fair condition and, after dressing them, the switch was reassembled. The actuator button had a burr that was filed off and the switch action worked fine. All of the 1/4" male QC contacts on the switch were cleaned with a wire brush. The burned wire was cut back about 6” and a new piece of 14ga wire was spliced in with a wire nut. A new 1/4” QC terminal was crimped to the wire and all wires were re-attached to the switch.
This fix would probably last for a long time to come, but I bought a new switch and installed it and will keep the old switch as a backup.
p.s. The load of laundry was dry by 02:00.

Had to tap three holes in the rear bearing to match the three attachment screws. Screw up with the part.