LDE9904ACE Maytag Dryer - Instructions

I removed the front panel (two screws at bottom, then lifted bottom toward me until the top holders slid out). Then I unscrewed the front assembly that holds the dryer drum (four screws), first propping the drum from below so it would stay in place. I removed the blower housing (seven screws) and could see that the blower wheel was loose on the spindle. The 'D' shaped fitting had rounded out. A pair of snap ring pliers made removing the retaining ring and the wheel clamp a cinch and saved a good deal of teeth gnashing. I slid on the new blower wheel and then did everything in reverse. One caution: be sure the drum is pushed firmly up and back when reattaching the front assembly. (It can be done successfully with two hands). I had to re-do this part of the reassembly because the bottom of the drum was rubbing against the blower assembly. Once that was corrected, the dryer ran noiselessly. Thank goodness for PartSelect's diagrams. They're invaluable.

Unplug the dryer. Remove two screws to remove the front drum housing. Remove 4 screws to remove the front drum housing. The front panel and front drum housing do not need to be unwired to work on the blower. Loosen wire harnesses and move panel and housing out of the way. Remove 2 spring clips holding the blower assembly to the motor shaft. Remove blower. Install new blower and re-assemble in the reverse order. The other stories written on the subject were spot on. This repair also made the clothes dry more quickly. I did not realize that long before the ryer made noise, there was a reduction in air flow. A simple vacuum switch to monitor air flow would tell you when there is a problem or that the filter/duct needs to be cleaned.

Turn off circuit breaker or unplug. Remove two screws 4 inches from bottom front panel of cabinet with stubby phillips head. Pull panel towards you about 30 degrees; then wiggle it down, to free two steel spring clips holding it to cabinet. Pull off red and yellow wire from door switch. Now set front panel aside. Blower assembly is facing you at lower left. Open the housing by removing six small screws from cover and one attached to dryer base. Remove spring clip from end of shaft. (A circlip pliers helps to prevent it from springing off somewhere.). Squeeze spring retainer surrounding blower wheel shaft with regular pliers, and wiggle the blower off. Replace in reverse order. Be sure insulation around blower wheel housing seats properly into front panel. This keeps the hot air flowing up past the lint trap.
Easy job, about half hour. Mine took longer, because I had removed the belt and drum, thinking the noise came from bad drum support rollers. It was just the plastic blower wheel shaft seat, which had worn itself round. Cost $20 (including shipping) and my 29-year old Maytag is as good as new--at least for now.

I had my oldest son who was home from college help me. We removed the front face of the dryer and put the unit on it's back. We removed the door switch and the blower unit. I didn't get a good look at how the belt was routed when we removed the drum but was able to figure it out when we put it back together. Not only was the belt frayed and dry rotted, the blower squirrel cage was free-wheeling on the shaft. I found a tab of metal I was able to insert in the flat of the shaft between the cage bushing and the shaft and I put the squeeze ring and snap ring back in place. We also discovered the source of much of the rattling noise we had grown accustomed to was actually change pieces trapped under the drum ribs. We removed them and put the ribs back in place and we installed the new belt and figured out how the belt routed around the shaft and tensioning pulley. We cleaned all the trapped lint out of the dryer and reassembled the unit. It now works like new. Thanks!

My wife had to help me due to a recent back surgery that I had.

1. Disconnet power. Then if you have room, slide dryer away from wall far enough to tilt it slightly back. We had to do this to remove the two lower front panle philips head scres due to my screwdriver length. If you have a stubby, then you don't need to do this. Remove by pulling out on bottom until the two clips at top disengage from dryer top panel.
2. We removed the four 1/4" head sheet metal screws that hold the front tub support panel (with lint screen). Be carefull of wiring. One moisture sensor wire has to be removed from front cover on lower right side near bottom of tub opening. The remaing wires on left side are long enough to leave them attached and "swing" front panel to your left and in my case, lay it back uprite against the washer front.
3. We slid the tub forward enough to lay old belt down so I could see how it was routed around drive. I wanted to verify paperwork that came with new belt. We then set entire tub out of dryer. You might want to take it to another room if you laundry room is cramped.
4. We removed the nut from back of each support roller shaft, I believe it was 3/8 hex. Then reveresed this procedure to install the new roller and shaft. It was easier to assembly rollers before installing as a unit.
5. I removed the old belt and confirmed its length to new belt. I then installed the new belt over drive sheave and tensioner.
6. We then installed the tub and worked belt around it while keeping it on the drive sheave and tensioner pulley. Had to kind of stick my head into tub to start belt unto it.
7. We checked tub front and rear felt seals and I would recomment\d changing these if your dryer is older than 10 years, we did not have then so kept old ones.
8. We replaced the front tub support and installed the four sheet metal screws.
9. We replaced the front cover and installed the two lower philips head screws.
10. Re-connected power and tested operation.

Problem was the blower wheel, (Plastic deteriorated). Replaced the tumbler and motor belt as well as th idler pulley. While the blower wheel turned out to be the problem, the other parts were significantly deteriorated. Since I had the dryer disassembled it made sense to replace the other parts. The 24 year old dryer runs like new. The parts select instructional videos were extremely helpful.

I bought this machine in 1984. For the belt to last this long, is extraordinary. The belt comes in a plastic bag with instructions. After removing the front cover(2 screws at the bottom, tip bottom out towards you. Cover unhinges from the top. Lean face against a wall. Don't remove any wires). I then vacuumed the inside thoroughly. Used a parts brush to wipe everything off, and blew out with compressed air. Vacuumed again. A bit obsessive, but gas and dust are not a good combination. So why not take the extra time. There is a continuous mark on the circumference of the drum, left by the original belt. Use this as your guide to locate the new belt. Rotate the drum by hand to make sure it tracks correctly. I also ran the motor with everything open, to make sure everything was cool before I buttoned it up. Also took the time to replace the gas line with a new one, and duct-taped the vent pipe to improve air flow.

This dryer has been really reliable. This is the first time I've had to repair it. PartsSelect.com says the noise had a 30% chance the problem would be the tumbler rollers and shaft and 18% it would be the blower impeller fan. I took a chance on the rollers, thinking I would save $20 on the blower fan. Big mistake! Once I dissambled the dryer, I realized almost immediately it was the blower fan and not the rollers. When I manually turned the motor shaft, I discovered the problem. The plastic fan's shaft hole is worn to a larger diameter and is semi-freewheeling on the shaft causing the racket. I replaced the rollers and belt and ordered a new fan. I tried putting electrical tape on the shaft to enlarged the OD like a fellow on this site said, but it worked for about 3 minutes then the racket started again. Also, I had to pull the dryer away from the wall and open the access door to the back of the motor in order to thread the drive belt on the motor and idler pulleys. I couldn't fit my arms along side and under the tumbler. I've got the scratches on my left arm to prove it. Suggestion: Replace the blower fan, rollers and shafts if you have the rumbling noise when operating the dryer. Might as well replace the drive belt while you have it apart, too.

replaced

Fast receipt of parts from supplier . All parts went together very quickly. Don/t recommend this work for those who have no mechanical skills. realignment of screws can be very tricky . They must all be correctly aligned first and driven in at diagonals to equalize pressure . Job needs to be used with hand tools as it is easy to strip out the threads in dryer by overtightening the screws.
PS before this we had replaced the drum belt.
Update:
We ran the dryer after replacing the drum support rollers and the idler pulley and it was smooth for about 5 minutes. then the rumbling and uneven rotation started up again! The tip-off was when we had done a test roll on the drum after changing the above parts, we heard a rumble from the blower wheel! so we ordered the blower wheel, replaced it and the dryer sounds like new.
Thanks to others who have written their stories which helped us figure out the problem. : ) saves big $$ on buying a new dryer. PS ours is 15 years old and has had heavy use.

Summary: I followed the instructions in the PartSelect.com repair video that was displayed on the motor part page on the site (video here: https://youtu.be/eXJMmn5mwMY).

Details:
1.) I turned off power to the dryer.
2.) I removed the front panel by removing the two screws on the bottom edge with a stubby #2 Phillips screwdriver, then rotated the panel out until the clips released on the top edge.
3.) I noted the wire connections to the door switch, and then removed the three wires from the terminals on the door switch. I removed the door switch wire harness from the clips and moved it out of the way.
4.) I removed the blue wire from the dryness sensor and set it aside but left the other wire attached since it would come off with the bulkhead.
5.) I removed the front tumbler bulkhead by removing the four hex-head screws that secured it with a 5/16" nutdriver. I set the bulkhead aside.
6.) I reached back under the tumbler drum and slipped the drive belt off the idler pulley beside the motor, then pulled the tumbler drum straight out the front of the dryer. I also removed the belt as it was going to be replaced.
7.) I removed the two hex-head screws holding the guard plate over the temperature and thermal overload sensors with a 5/16" nutdriver and then removed the plate.
8.) I removed the single hex-head screw holding the blower housing to the base of the dryer with a 5/16" nutdriver, then removed the six hex-head screws on the front blower cover with a 3/16" nutdriver. I removed the front blower cover and set it aside.
9.) I removed the retaining ring holding the blower wheel from the blower shaft with a retaining ring pliers, then removed the spring clamp from the blower wheel hub with a pair of needlenose pliers. I used a flat-blade screwdriver to gently open up the slots on the blower wheel hub and was able to pull the blower wheel straight off the shaft.
10.) I removed the four hex-head screws attaching the rear blower housing to the motor mount with a 5/16" nutdriver, then removed the rear blower housing, making sure to gently remove it from the exhaust pipe as well.
11.) I detached the idler pulley spring from the idler pulley arm.
12.) I removed the two hex-head screws holding the motor mount to the base of the dryer with a 5/16" nutdriver, then slid the motor mount to the right do detach the tabs on the base from the mounting slots. I disconnected the wires from the motor (red, blue, grey, black and yellow) and moved the wiring harness out of the way..
13.) I pulled the motor and motor mount out of the dryer and placed them on the workbench. Then I removed the retaining ring from the blower end of the motor shaft with retaining ring pliers.
14.) I removed the drive pulley from the shaft with a 3/16" hex key to loosen the set screw. This required a few taps on the key with a hammer.
15.) I removed the motor clips from each end of the motor with a flat-bladed screwdriver, pushing the locking tab on the clip down until it disengaged from the hook on the motor mount.
16.) I removed the motor from the motor mount and discarded it.
17.) I placed the new motor into the motor mount and aligned it so that the frame of the motor would not come in contact with the tumbler drum. I put the new motor clips back on with a flat-bladed screwdriver.
18.) I slid the drive pulley onto the drive shaft and lined it up with the belt mark on the idler pulley. Then I tightened the set screw with a 3/16" hex key and several light taps with the hammer.
19.) I placed the rear blower retaining clip onto the blower end of the shaft with the retaining ring pliers.
20.) The motor came with no wiring diagram, and the manufacturer also changed the starting switch with a different model. Some research on the PartSelect.com site yielded instructions on the correct terminal connections. The motor came with several 1/8" crimp connectors to replace the original 1/4" connectors on 2 of the wires. I used the wire strippers to cut the ends off the red and yellow wires, stripped 1/4" of insulation, and the used the crimping tool to crimp new 1/8" connectors on the red and yellow wires.
21.) I replaced the motor mount and motor back in the dryer and connected the wires to the correct terminals. There was a blue jumper wire on the motor that I removed per instructions so that the grey wire could connect to the motor thermal overload terminal.
22.) Reassembly was then the reverse of disassembly. The only tricky part was putting the new belt on and getting it threaded through the drive pulley and idler pulley in the correct orientation. While I had the drum out, I took the opportunity to lubricate the drum roller wheel bearings and the idler pulley bearing and to clean out the accumulated lint from some 20 years of operation.

The job took about 2 hours total, a good portion of which was spent figuring out the correct wiring for the new motor.

The dryer now works quietly and starts without issue.

Unplug dryer
Remove front (2 screws at bottom)
From bottom lift out and up to release top bracket
Move front panel gently to the left not disturbing wires
Remove blower cover with nut driver
Remove expansion clip on shaft with expansion clip pliers
Remove blower clamp with pliers
Slide blower wheel off
Replace blower wheel an reassemble

First I unplugged the dryer. Then, I took off the front cover, then a piece that holds the tumbler on. I put the new belt on and took a few minutes to make sure the belt was placed correctly. Lastly I put everything back on and plugged it back in. She started right up.

Tip: If the belt broke make sure the Drum Rollers are not seized which could have broken the belt. I recommend if replacing the belt replace the Drum Rollers (2- required) at the same time.
The instruction sheet that came with the Drum Roller kit is straight forward. It provided detail on what to disassemble to replace the rollers. So follow the instructions. Tip: Make sure you have a C – clip ring pliers to remove the C clip. The instruction sheet calls it the snap ring
The Idler Pulley came with no instructions, however it was easy to replace. The idler pulley is secured with an “E” shape clip which can be removed with a small straight blade screw driver.
The instruction sheet on how to install the belt was good showing how the belt is routed. The instruction wants the belt installed from the front around the tumbler then from underneath the tumbler towards the back and around the motor pulley and idler pulley. It is hard to see the motor and idler pulleys from underneath the tumbler. However I think it was easier if the tumbler was moved forward enough so you can see the motor and idler pulleys from the top. Install the belt as shown in the instruction sheet diagram around the motor pulley with the groves of the belt are against the pulley, then around the idler pulley. While holding the belt with slight tension, move the tumbler back into position while routing the belt around the tumbler and slowly turning the tumbler until the belt is completely installed. The belt should be about 1-1/2” from the back screws which hold the tumbler baffles. Note: the belt should be installed with the flat side against the tumbler. The belt should not be in the back grove of the tumbler.

actually used the videos available on your website and it made the job really simple other than the fact that I live in Florida and it was 96 degrees and my dryer is in my non-air conditioned garage.