GDE19CD Maytag Dryer - Instructions

This is super easy:

Just take out two screws on the front panel and drop the front panel off the dryer.

Then pull the wires off the heater assembly and remove (1 screw).

Move the heat fuse and heat sensor to the new heater.

Put the new heater in, plug in wires, pop front back on and, wow, that was easy!

Less than 30 min and I am a business sales guy, not an appliance repairman.

No big deal about replacing a lint filter , take the old one out and put the new one in.

I removed the old element and replaced it. There were only two screw to deal with once I had the front panel off of the dryer. The electrical hookups were easy and the part I got fit exactly like the old part. I had to work at it a bit to get the back end to fit into the exhaust hose, but once that was taken care of this was one of the easiest appliance repairs ever. I agree with the repair man that first told me to fix it, these old machines are worth a few dollars to keep running. They work great!

Replaced all the parts per the very good video provided on the website.
I recommend watching the video very closely several times. BE SURE THE BELT IS NOT IN THE DRUM'S GROOVE. The video mentions this very very briefly; I caught it on my third viewing. If your belt is not the correct location, it may still turn the drum for you - and eat the belt up in about an hour.

The 2 screws that hold the front cover to the dryer was hard to see because they are facing down.
After the 2 front screws were removed from the dryer, the heater was easily accessed. All I had to do was to remove the old heater assembly and transfer the limit sensor and wire on the assembly. The hardest part to the repair was fitting the rear end of the heater assembly to the back duct. I just bent the edges to conform to the rear duct where they mate together. Once I got the heater to line up, the rest was easy. Remember to use a shop vac to clean up the inside of the dryer since you have it all opened up. You'll be amazed at what you will find!
My dryer was up and running in no time and my wife was happy and so was I that we didn't have to buy a new dryer!!!

1. Removed two screws from front panel.
2. Removed panel.
3. Removed four bolts off tumbler face.
4. Removed face.
5. Removed drum and belt.
6. Vacuumed.
7. Replaced idler spring assembly.
8. Replaced drum.
9. Replaced belt.
10. Rotated drum to make sure belt was properly seated.
11. Replaced tumbler face.
12. Replaced front panel.

Insure the double pole breaker in the breaker box is functioning properly.

I opened the back acess panel and started the dryer. Looking at the motor and idler pulleys it was obvious by the frequency of the squealing noise that it was coming from the idler pulley.
I pulled the retainer clip and tension spring from the idler pulley and removed it. I applied some grease to the shaft and reinstalled the idler pulley.
The squeal was gone confirming that the pulley bushing was dry. I ordered the new idler pulley and when it arrived the next day I cleaned the grease off of the shaft and installed the new idler pulley. Problem solved.

Using a "Fix it Yourself book" and following a simple test method (measuring ohms) to determine if heating element or if it could be a heat sensor or something else was bad. Going slow the heating element was ID'd to be the problem in about one hour. Searched on line and found your site, ordered the part and in 1 day had the part. It took about an hour to install. Wife is very happy. Overall an easy task. Thanks much.

This should have been a simple repair, but turned out to be time consuming and moderately difficult. I hope these instructions will help anyone who encounters the problems described here.

After a period of the dryer not being used, the idler pulley wheel froze on the shaft of the idler pulley arm, so I needed to replace both parts. After mounting the new wheel and two washers on the new arm and securing with a retaining ring, I went to install this assembly by going in through the small access panel at the rear of the dryer. I slid the belt off the old idler pulley wheel and unhooked the spring from the idler pulley arm; the arm was mounted on a sleeve fastened to the motor bracket by one screw. All that should have been necessary was to back out that screw and replace the old idler pulley assembly with the new one.

That is where the trouble started. Backing out the screw with a socket driver, I found it would go a few turns, then start to bind. I tried turning it in and out to get the threads to engage, but it kept binding. Eventually I gave the screw a hard turn, and then it would turn freely but not move in or out.

Looking on the internet for advice, I found a video that asserts for another model Maytag dryer using the same type of mounting for the idler arm, that there is a design flaw. You can find the video by searching for “Maytag dryer idler pulley defect”. According to the video, the sheet metal screw used to mount the idler pulley arm can gradually loosen due to the pressure and vibration, and begins to “waggle” which eventually damages the threads. I believe this is what happened to my dryer. The video suggests replacing the sheet metal screw with a machine screw and nut for a more durable union.

So now I understood how the screw could be stripped just sitting in the dryer, but that didn’t help me get the screw out. Working through the rear access panel, I tried pulling on the screw head with several types of pliers, pushing the point from behind with a piece of wood while turning the head with a socket driver; eventually I was able to use a pry bar under the screw head and sleeve to apply pressure while turning the head, and with that method the screw backed out. With the screw removed, it could be seen that the threads in the middle part of the thread length were almost completely worn away.

The screw sleeve got somewhat deformed in this process so I ordered a new one, along with an exact replacement sheet metal screw, hoping the threads in the hole were still intact. With the old idler pulley arm now removed, I could transfer the old idler bracket spacer to the new idler pulley arm. When the ordered parts arrived and I tried to mount the idler pulley arm, the new screw would go in only a couple of turns before binding. Rather than risk winding up in the same situation by forcing the screw, I decided to use a machine screw and nut instead.

The original sheet metal screw was a #10. A machine screw the same size would not fit through the hole, and I could not fit my drill into the dryer cabinet in a position to enlarge the hole, so I used a #8 machine screw with a nut and lock washer. First I put some grease on the contact areas of the screw sleeve and idler bracket spacer, then inserted the machine screw through the hole and put the lock washer and nut on the other side of the mounting. The space around the nut is very limited, and most of my tools were too large to hold the nut while the screw was tightened. It was too small for a socket or adjustable wrench, and the clearance from the exhaust duct was too small for the handles of most tools. Eventually, I found a needle nose pliers with short handles that did the job. A thin open end wrench might also work. Then I reconnected the spring and belt to the idler pulley assembly, and closed the access panel. So far the dryer works, but if the #8 screw turns out to be not strong enough, I could get an extension for my drill and enlarge the hole to fit a #10 machine screw and nut.

Looking back on the job, the most difficult part of this repair was removing the damaged screw. This and several other steps might have been a lot easier if I had removed the motor bracket (where the idler pulley arm is mounted) from the dryer and worked outside the cabinet. Part Select has an excellent video “Replacing the Drive Motor” that shows how to do this. It would be a lot of disassembly work, but for someone with good assembly skills could be easier in the long run.

Hopefully most folks out there who replace the idler pulley arm on a dryer will find an easier situation than I did. But for any who have to deal with a stripped mounting screw, I hope this summary will help you resolve it.

This should have been a simple repair, but turned out to be time consuming and moderately difficult. I hope these instructions will help anyone who encounters the problems described here.

After a period of the dryer not being used, the idler pulley wheel froze on the shaft of the idler pulley arm, so I needed to replace both parts. After mounting the new wheel and two washers on the new arm and securing with a retaining ring, I went to install this assembly by going in through the small access panel at the rear of the dryer. I slid the belt off the old idler pulley wheel and unhooked the spring from the idler pulley arm; the arm was mounted on a sleeve fastened to the motor bracket by one screw. All that should have been necessary was to back out that screw and replace the old idler pulley assembly with the new one.

That is where the trouble started. Backing out the screw with a socket driver, I found it would go a few turns, then start to bind. I tried turning it in and out to get the threads to engage, but it kept binding. Eventually I gave the screw a hard turn, and then it would turn freely but not move in or out.

Looking on the internet for advice, I found a video that asserts for another model Maytag dryer using the same type of mounting for the idler arm, that there is a design flaw. You can find the video by searching for “Maytag dryer idler pulley defect”. According to the video, the sheet metal screw used to mount the idler pulley arm can gradually loosen due to the pressure and vibration, and begins to “waggle” which eventually damages the threads. I believe this is what happened to my dryer. The video suggests replacing the sheet metal screw with a machine screw and nut for a more durable union.

So now I understood how the screw could be stripped just sitting in the dryer, but that didn’t help me get the screw out. Working through the rear access panel, I tried pulling on the screw head with several types of pliers, pushing the point from behind with a piece of wood while turning the head with a socket driver; eventually I was able to use a pry bar under the screw head and sleeve to apply pressure while turning the head, and with that method the screw backed out. With the screw removed, it could be seen that the threads in the middle part of the thread length were almost completely worn away.

The screw sleeve got somewhat deformed in this process so I ordered a new one, along with an exact replacement sheet metal screw, hoping the threads in the hole were still intact. With the old idler pulley arm now removed, I could transfer the old idler bracket spacer to the new idler pulley arm. When the ordered parts arrived and I tried to mount the idler pulley arm, the new screw would go in only a couple of turns before binding. Rather than risk winding up in the same situation by forcing the screw, I decided to use a machine screw and nut instead.

The original sheet metal screw was a #10. A machine screw the same size would not fit through the hole, and I could not fit my drill into the dryer cabinet in a position to enlarge the hole, so I used a #8 machine screw with a nut and lock washer. First I put some grease on the contact areas of the screw sleeve and idler bracket spacer, then inserted the machine screw through the hole and put the lock washer and nut on the other side of the mounting. The space around the nut is very limited, and most of my tools were too large to hold the nut while the screw was tightened. It was too small for a socket or adjustable wrench, and the clearance from the exhaust duct was too small for the handles of most tools. Eventually, I found a needle nose pliers with short handles that did the job. A thin open end wrench might also work. Then I reconnected the spring and belt to the idler pulley assembly, and closed the access panel. So far the dryer works, but if the #8 screw turns out to be not strong enough, I could get an extension for my drill and enlarge the hole to fit a #10 machine screw and nut.

Looking back on the job, the most difficult part of this repair was removing the damaged screw. This and several other steps might have been a lot easier if I had removed the motor bracket (where the idler pulley arm is mounted) from the dryer and worked outside the cabinet. Part Select has an excellent video “Replacing the Drive Motor” that shows how to do this. It would be a lot of disassembly work, but for someone with good assembly skills could be easier in the long run.

Hopefully most folks out there who replace the idler pulley arm on a dryer will find an easier situation than I did. But for any who have to deal with a stripped mounting screw, I hope this summary will help you resolve it.

Installation of drum support kit was difficult because my snap ring pliers would not fit in the snap ring holes. Had to use pliers and screw driver to get them off and to put them back on. That took much patience and time. Installation of front guides was a bit difficult because the rivets were loose and turned when trying to drill them out. Also they were bigger and I needed a larger drill bit than the 1/8 told about in the video. Used drill, screw driver and pliers to get the rivets out. Also took more time and patience to do this. Belt did not need replacement but felt it a good idea to do it as long as I was in there. Belt installation was easy because my dryer has a rear view opening and I could use it to thread the belt. Tried it from the front as shown in the video just to see if I could and found it impossible. Could not even get my hands to hold the belt. Also vacuumed out 20 years of lint and dust that was inside the dryer. The videos were excellent in showing what to do and how to do it. Not sure how well I would have done without them.

Disassembled per instructions. Additional time used to clean inside unit.. Its much easier to install belt on motor pulley and tension pulley ( Roller) from rear access panel. Also ensures proper belt alignment on all items.

The repair video is terrific and many others here have thoroughly described the steps involved to replace the drive motor.

The biggest hurdle for me was that the motor came with a new switch that required a different wiring configuration. No wiring diagram was included. Several others had posted questions about wiring in the Q&A and unfortunately PartSelect kept copy/pasting the same confusing and incomplete answer over and over:

"The Yellow goes to T6, Red to T5 Black to T2, blue to T1 and the white you will remove the blue jumper lead between the switch terminal 4 and 1/4" protector tab, connect the grey harness lead to the 1/4" protector tab."

Reading that doesn't tell me what to do with the white wire, doesn't address that my blue and white wires were crimped into the same connector from the factory, doesn't address that I had 2 black wires crimped into the same connector from the factory, and doesn't address a factory ground wire that connected the frame of the OEM motor to the bracket that the motor sits in.

With all the other excellent info supplied by PartSelect, this was surprising and frustrating. The sales dept ignored an emailed question from me, and the Q&A section didn't allow me to post a question.

Searching the internet, I found a wiring diagram on aceappliancesd dot com that addressed my dryer's OEM wiring configuration. Here's what I ended up with:

TI - Blue and white, crimped together into a single connector
T2 - Black & black, crimped together into a single connector (the wiring diagram I found said this should be black & brown, but they both look black to me)
T5 - Red
T6 - Yellow
1/4" Thermal protector tab - Grey (from the harness)

The new motor switch had a grounding tab with nothing connected to it. I removed the screw holding that tab into the switch and connected the (also grey) OEM short ground wire from the motor frame to the mounting bracket.

I had to cut 2 of the pieces of tape holding the OEM wiring harness together in order to get enough slack for all the connections to reach. If you do this too, make sure all the wires are still clear of the moving parts and the hot bits. You may need to retape the wires together at a different location to keep things tidy.

I also laid the belt over the drum and put 2 pieces of tape over it to hold it in place while I got the drum positioned, then I reached through the back access panel to loop the belt around the motor pulley and idler. Once that's done, just reach over the top of the drum and peel the tape off. I found that much easier than trying to loop the belt by reaching through and past the drum.

From the noise level and info on this site, I assumed I needed to replace the drum rollers. I ordered two, along with the Roller Shaft, and a replacement belt (I assumed that would eventually need to be replaced so why not now).
No need for me to repeat the excellent reviews/instructions already on this site. Basically, it was an easy job that took about 2 hours, mostly because I took the time to clean every nook and cranny I could find.
Once I assembled it back up, the shriek was gone but the rumble noise was still there. I now realize that the blower wheel must have a worn out d-hole that mates with the motor shaft. So, I will have to order that part, get it installed and I am confident that I will have a "new" machine once that is in place.