SDG5401AWQ Maytag Dryer - Instructions

The round exhaust duct in the back my dryer can be removed simply by pulling straight out. This gives full access to the belt tension wheel. Slip belt off the wheel, remove snap ring with snap ring pliers, remove washer and wheel. Install new wheel, attach belt, and reinstall duct by looking right down the middle to line up properly. Dryer sounds like new again. 10 minute job.

Once you take off the front panel of the dryer (easy to do by removing the 2 screws in front, pivoting the panel up & lifting off), the thermostat is right there in front and very easy to replace. Once you transfer the wires to the new thermostat (I did it one-by-one), the 2 screws holding the thermostat are easily removed using a nutdriver. Once the new thermostat was installed, the Auto Dry worked again.

Note: I changed the timer first, which didn't fix the problem. If I were to do it again, I'd replace the thermostat first (it's less expensive), and then change the timer (very easy to do also) if replacing the thermostat doesn't do the trick. But I am ok with changing both the thermostat and timer, since I plan to keep this dryer going as long as I can. This Maytag dryer is very high quality, and has served me well.

I followed the online video on PartSelect website. No other instruction necessary.

It was pretty simple, really. Quite honestly, Parts Select was the first website that had my model number listed, and even had a diagram of the dryer. Once I removed the covers, it was very obvious that the belt tension pulley was bad, One side was worn away. I ordered both parts, the new pully, and the tension arm with the bearing, since I had no way to tell which was damaged, causing them to bind. They simply bolted to the motor assembly. The hardest part was reassembly. Getting the front panel on and being sure that the tabs holding it in allignment, and that the drum spun freely was really the only concern. The repair took less than 1 hour, and after seeing the inside of my dryer, I am convinced I can easily replace ANY part of this appliance and keep it running as long as I can find parts.

Unplug dryer. Remove lower panel.Remove dryer lent duct. Remove Thermostat fm fan housing. Remove Fan.Remove Fan housing. Remove Motor assy by sliding out, wires lay toward front, allowing room to replace idler pulley and spring. Use lock ring pliers to remove pulley from shaft. Grease pulley/shaft w/high temp grease [I used ultra-hi temp ceramic brake grease-can get in small packets at auto stores].Noise/slippage has all but stopped. Lesson: replace rear rollers and front felt/glides. Belt looseness also caused by worn rear rollers [smaller overall diameter from age]-even though they spin freely

very well had to take blower assy apart with no problem ownly problem I had was getting the belt lined back up but got it and it works great

. I had replaced the idler pulley a number of years ago so I assumed that the noise was now due to either the sliders at the front of the drum or bad rollers at the back.. I removed power by turning off the breaker that serviced the dryer. After removing the lower front panel via the two sheet metal screws at the bottom I then removed the door panel. The safety switch behind the door had to be removed by depressing the sides of the switch after disconnecting the two push on connectors. One will discover that reconnecting the smaller of the two contacts to the unused contact on the switch will allow one to run the dryer with the door off or open. This can be useful to test operation after the repair is complete before reassembling the door and lower panels. I then removed the large panel that secures the front of the drum. The drum is then removed after releasing tension on the drive belt. All rotating parts and sliders could then be checked. Upon disassembly I found that the rollers and sliders appeared ok and decided to replace the idler pulley as a last attempt to fix the problem. This is best done by removing the tension arm and tensioning spring. the pulley is then more easily removed from the arm using snap ring pliers. After replacing the pulley and thrust washer with new parts I reassembled everything. I found it helpful to pretension the arm using a zip tie wrap in that the belt can be more easily reinstalled on the drum and pulley. When the drum and belt is properly in place and belt threaded, one can reach in with a pair of cutters and snip the tie wrap to re tension the system. The dryer has been running normally again for a week after affecting this repair.

I totally disassembled the Dryer, and replaced the Guide Rollers, Blower Wheel, Idler Pulley Shaft, Idler Pulley, and Belt.

I took out the 2 screws on the bottom of the front cover, pulled out at the bottom, disconnected the 2 wires for the front door and removed 2 screws on the inside top of the front panel and removed. The top of the dryer then flips over. I then tool out 4 more screws and took out the drum. I totally cleaned out the inside of the dryer and then took the oring pliers and removed the oring that held the roller on the belt tension bar and replaced it with the new one that you sent me. I put the drum back in and put the belt back on the new roller, I put the dryer back together and now I have a good dryer that will last another 10 years.

This amana dryer didn't have the lower panel with screws. Instead, I removed the brackets in the back and found that the whole top would separate from the rest of the body (except for wiring, of course.) There seemed to be screws holding the top to the base in the front, but these are just guide posts. There are two spring clips in the front that you can pop loose with a putty knife.

Then there are two screws inside that fasten the front to the rest of the frame. Once I removed these, and the electrical connections to the door switch and the light bulb, the whole front came of just by tilting it forward and pulling the front panel up off of metal tabs on the base.

The rest of the repair went smoothly per other descriptions.

Disconnect power. First, remove the lower front panel, then the upper front panel (disconnect door switch wiring). Remove two screws holding the top panel to the left and right side panels. Remove wiring connections to light and humidity sensor. Remove four screws to front drum support assembly, lift up to disengage tangs, and remove assembly. Reach in and find the idler assembly for the drum drive belt, and unwrap the belt to loosen it, also removing the belt from the motor pulley.. Slide the drum out the front of the dryer along with the drive belt. Remove the snap ring (using snap ring pliers) and washer holding the idler pulley on to the idler assembly. Remove the idler pulley. Polish the shaft with fine steel wool to get rid of dirt. Clean thoroughly, leaving no steel wool residue. Install replacement pulley, washer, and snap ring. Reinstall drum, taking care to feed belt back into place as the drum is reinstalled. Reach in and wrap the belt around the motor pulley and the idler pulley. Reinstall the front drum support by lifting the drum slightly to allow the support to engage with the drum, and then drop it down to re-engage the tabs into the left and right side panels while reseating it into the blower intake. Install the four screws to hold it in place, and reinstall the wiring for the light and the humidity sensor. Attach the top panel to the left and right side panels with one screw for each side. Reinstall the upper front panel, including reattaching the wiring to the door switch, with two screws. Finally, reinstall the lower front panel. Reconnect to the power source, and you should be good to go.

After paying someone to "fix" my dryer's heating element, I ended up with a dryer with a stripped pulley shaft and nut on the motor. Rather than paying another ridiculous amount to "fix" the dryer again, I decided to try myself. I am not an expert, but did manage to replace the motor on my dryer.

Unfortunately, although PartSelect provides a video for just about every part they sell, they do not have a video for replacing the motor. However, they do provide a video for replacing the Dryer Idle Level which is attached to the motor, and I suggest watching this video to help remove the motor for replacement.

https://youtu.be/8AtOYoABVp0

Some tips while disassembling the dryer that will help with reassembly: Bring your cell phone. I watched the video in full, then watched step by step as I took the dryer apart. Take pictures of where wires are connected so you can reconnect them properly. A majority of the bolts you remove will use the same size socket, but are different. Be sure to separate them so you don't get them mixed up. I used a magnetic bowl and clumped them together. Have a vacuum handy for all the dust bunnies that have accumulated. Finally, while they may not be broken now, I ordered a new belt, drum wheels, and Idler, and replaced them while I had the dryer apart. Might as well replace these items that eventually fail while you are there since they are not that expensive. I ordered a kit that contained all 3 from another vendor, but you can find them here with videos for instillation.

Once you have the motor removed as shown in the video linked above, you will have to remove the metal shield covering the fan. Then using a socket wrench on the attachment of the fan itself, and another wrench to hold the pulley nut if it is attached, or vice grips on the shaft if it is stripped like mine, loosen the fan from the motor. It is a reverse screw pattern, so be sure to loosen in the direction that is indicated on the fan itself so not to break the fan which is plastic. Once the fan is removed, you will see two clamps holding the motor to the base, Use a flat head screw driver to push down on one side of the clamp, then leverage it off. After removing both clamps, squeeze the edges of the wiring harness and remove it. With a slight turn to of the motor it will come free of the base. Replace it with the new one insuring it is label side up, then reassemble in reverse. Wiring harness, clamps, fan, ect.

The video link above will give instructions for reassembling the dryer and attaching the belt. Good luck.

Followed video on PartsSelect website, they made it real easy.

I unplugged the dryer then removed 2 sheet metal bolts on the lower front access panel. The panel was removed and this exposed the duct for the hot air exhaust. I had to remove the duct to access the package for the motor and worn out pulley. I had to the remove 2 bolts in the bottom corners for the upper front of the dryer. The upper panel was then easily removed, 3 phillips screws had to be removed from inside the drum area on the back of the exhaust duct where the lint filter is inserted.
Once these are removed the duct cowms right out.
This exposes the motor and tension pully platform. I then reached in and moved the tension pulley to relieve pressure and took off the belt that drives the drum.
There are 2 botls at the front base that need to be removed then the platform can be slid forward and the rear tongue comes out of the groove. Rotate the platform 45 degrees and you can access the bolt and nut that mounts the pully arm to the platform. Once removed the spring can be removed and the assembly taken out of the dryer and parts switched over, There is a spring clip you will need to remove normally with a special tool but 2 needle nose pliers will work. Once the parts are replaced reverse the process. Putting the belt back on can be confusing lying on your back with one arm inside the dryer but persistance overcomes resistance,

when i first heard the noise i thought it was the belt. after changing that i still heard the noise but louder.
so i took off the bottom face plate took off the door and the bracket holding the tumbler then took out the tumbler to see what was wrong.
being a 6' 4" 250lbs it was hard for me to see what was behind the motor. i finally saw that the idler wheel had come half way off of the lever.
I changed the pulley lever, pulley wheel and all the washers. it was fairly simple. and when done the noise was gone. it only costed me about $15 which made me happy cheap fix.