MDE12PSAGW Maytag Dryer - Instructions

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.

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.

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

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.

I followed the instructions given by other DIYs. The rubber band for the belt was a great suggestion, however having no rubber band nearby, I used a zip-tie that worked out perfectly.

The only tool that I wished I had is a pair of split ring pliers. Not having a pair, used a pair of needle nose and a very small screw driver to provide the leverage to remove the washer.

After following the instructions that came with the belt on how to properly align it to the motor wheel and tension wheel, I plugged everything back in and started it up. Sounded like it was brand new.

I decided not to replace the rollers or drum guides as they looked to be in good shape.

Removed front cover screws at the bottom, using a stubby screwd river and a 2x4 under the front. Killed the circuit breaker at the panel, removed two wires on fron door. Removed 4 5/16 inch hex screws from drum front cover. Removed 6 1/4 inch hex screws from the cover over the fan blades. These are hard to reach in the back and left sides. I had to use my pliers and the nutdriver socket and my fingers to get them out. Using the pliers I removced the retainer clip from the old fan blades and use the tips of my long nosed pliers to remove the C-clip from the end of the motor shaft, ruining my old pair of pliers. ($15 for a new c-clip retainer removal tool.) removed the old fan baldes, pushed the new blades onto the motor shaft,using a bit of force to pop it on. Replaced the C-clip and the new retainer clip. Replaced 5 of the 1/4 inch hex screws. The screw closest to the drum would not line up, being about 1/4 inch off. Didn't seem to make any difference. Made sure the drum was seated on the rear rollers and replaced the drum front cover, making sure the air tube was seated in the front of the fan assembly. Replaced the 4 5/16 inch hex screws, routed the front door wires behind this piece and replaced the wires on the door switch. Pushed the front door up into the upper cover, lowered the bottom into place and repalaced the two front screws. Reomved the 2x4 and reset the circuit breaker at the panel. Tested the dryer, noting that the noise had stopped. Totat time about 40 minutes.

Basically just followed the video instructions on this site. Only thing I did differently was rout the belt through the pulley via the back access panel. I also would recommend taking the belt out of the package right when you receive it and hang it on a hook overnight so gravity can pull out all the kinks (makes twisting on the drum less probable).

This was my first time doing any type of appliance repair and it was relatively easy...just scary and time consuming. Took me about an hour to take everything apart, replace belt and reassemble...but took me another hour to vacuum/blow out all the lint that had escaped into the chassis, motor, etc. I also recovered about $2 in change from the blower unit...I'M RICH!!!!!

I took off the front panel by removing the two screws at the bottom. Then removed the bulkhead by removing four hex head screws. I left the drum in place while removing the blower cover by removing the hex head screws from the blower cover. I then removed the clip from the center of the blower wheel with needle nose pliers. Then the part that made this repair a bit difficult was removing the retaining ring. I had purchased Kobalt retaining pliers from DIY store and found that the tips of the pliers were to big to fit in the holes of the retaining ring. I then wrapped a paper clip around each of the needle nose pliers leaving a tiny hook on each. I inserted these into the retaining ring holes and was able to pull them apart enough to remove the retaining ring. I then pulled out the blower wheel and replaced it with a new one from partselect.com and put everything back together in reverse order.

My son did the repair work. He took off the door and then carefully unhooked the belt and removed the drum. Replacement on the drum roller kit went smooth, and he then oiled the idler pulley while he was in there. I now have a "quiet dryer" once again!!! Had orderd the wrong part to begin with, but was very easy to return, receive my credit and get the "right" replacement part.
Great Service!!!!

My husband took off the front panel and noticed that the center of the wheel was melted. We went on to this website and confirmed the noise with other customers. We ordered the part - received it in 1 day and the dryer was repaired and back together within a 1/2 hr. Part was as is - istructions excellent.

First remove 2 screws on bottom of front panel,pull panel out from bottom to remove. Then remove 4 screws,2 on each side to remove tub support. Then remove approx. 6 Screws on fan access cover to expose fan. Then remove snap ring and clamp on fan hub. Pull fan off and push new fan on and reverse procedure.

Went on line and got a diagram of the dryer. Removed four screws around the door. Removed the door and then the front cover. The toughest part was removing the drum. Once I got that out of the way replacing the rollers was easy. Re installed the drum. The belt was a little tricky but worked. Then replaced the front of the dryer and the door. The dryer works fine now and no more noise. Pretty easy.