DG170AXD1 Westinghouse Dryer - Instructions

Remove top cover and front and remove drum and install a new bearing kit and new belt.

I took the dryer apart to vacuum and check because of the screaching noise. Took drum out and found the bearing in pieces and shaft had rubbed against the brace. I thought as old as my dryer was I would never get a piece to fix it. I got online and found PartSelect.com. I found the part but could not tell if all was included. there was a Phone Number so I called it. I was helped instantly. They acted like it was no big deal to have a dryer that old. I got my part within a week and had my dryer back together. It works like new. Thank you

Removed access door. Disengaged spring, removed old idler. Slipped belt around new idler and motor pulley. Difficulty is putting spring back and inserting idler pulley bracket back in place while there is a lot of tension from the belt. Finally used adjustable wrench as a mini hammer.

Removed small panel at rear of dryer which allowed access to the Idler Pulley asembly. Easily removed, and replaced with new idler assembly. Fed belt onto new pulley and attached tension spring. Actually, this replacement idler pulley assembly is much better than the original. It has a shoulder to allow the belt to "track" better over drum and around motor pulley. Dryer is now extremely quiet, like a new machine. Hope to get another 29 (yes 29) years out of it. Extremely pleased. Doug East Lansing, Michigan

Open the back plate. Broken pulley was already out of place. Put the spring on the pulley and placed it. It took me less than 10 min

First I unplugged the dryer. Then I gently pryed the top of the dryer. This was done from the front using a flat screw driver. Do this gently pushing up on the handle of the tool. It will pop up one side at a time. No need to remove the screws and clips on the the rear top of the dryer. Set the top aside. Then from the inside front of the dryer using a phillips screw driver I removed two screws, one on each side. This allowed me to lift the front of the dryer up and away from the unit, off the two clips on the bottom front of the unit. I set the front cover on top of the dryer. There is no need to disconnect any wires. Next removed the rear vented cover on the back of the dryer so I could acess the belt pullies. From here I pushed the upper left pully to the right to ease belt tension and take the belt off that pully. Slide the belt to the rear of the drum. Next I removed the three screws from the center most part of the inside of the dryer drum. My dryer required the use of a square head driver tool. This allowed me to easily bring the dryer drum out the front of the unit. Set it out of your way. Then I vacuumed the dust out of the dryer. Then I lifted out the metal part that resembles a trailer hitch which had been attached to the dryer drum. Next using a nut driver I removed the two screws which hold the white plastic part of the bearing assembly to the rear of the dryer. That is all the taking apart work.
Putting it all back together was not too difficult. First install the new white plastic part of the bearing assmbly inside the dryer along with the metal part on the outside rear. The little metal ball bearing goes on the OUTSIDE between the little metal part and the rear wall of the dryer. Do not leave it out as it provides electrical grounding between the dryer drum and the body of the dryer. Next attach the new bearing part that looks like a trailer hitch to the rear of the dryer drum. This is the three screw part. Then lift the drum back into the dryer. Do not yet set the drum all the way in. The dryer belt must be looped around the drum. I installed a new belt. If the bearing is worn out it is time for a new belt. The smooth side of the belt goes against the dryer drum. Now apply a generous amout of lubricant to the white plastic cradle which was installed on the back of the dryer and to the ball bearing area. Then the dryer drum may be set into place, that is the trailer hitch part into the white plastic cradle. Now the front of the dryer may be reinstalled. Push up on the inside of the dryer drum to line everything back up. Put the two screws back which hold the dryer front on. Be carefull not to drop them inside. Put the dryer belt back into place on its pullies. It goes on the inside of the left and right pullies and on the outside (bottom) of the pully of the dryer motor. Check for and undo any twists. Plug in and test the dryer. All should be well. Reinstall the rear vented cover. Replace the top, connecting the rear first. Make sure to reattach the green grounding wire. Then push the front of the top down onto its clips. You are done! This took me 1 hour and 10 minutes. It sounds like alot but you can do it! Empower yourself!

Just like in the video, but with a stackable washer/dryer unit, works like new now....

remove the top and front of the dryer, then removed the idler assembly. This enabled me to rimove the belt form the drum and replace it and the idler assembly. Not difficult at all.

I first diagnosed the problem using a Google search. Amazing how many hits I got and after reading a few was pretty certain what the cause was and what parts I probably needed to make the repair.
Some of the articles I read had links or mentioned PartSelect, so I searched for my model # and found the parts I would probably need. Knowing that I could probably get the parts I needed I disassembled the dryer (pretty easy really) and removed the old suspect part. It was devoid of lubricant and the bearing and ball showed some wear so I ordered the Bearing Assembly suggested by PartSelect (the illustrations looked just like my old parts). I left the dryer disassembled while I waited for the part, figuring it would take a week or so to arrive.
Much to my surprise, the part arrived three days later and after cleaning the dryer innards of all collected lint I put it all back together in 30 minutes.
So for a little research, a $30 part, and about an hour of my time, I have a clean and quiet operating dryer. I see no reason I can't get another 10 or so years out of it.
I consider myself a reasonably handy guy but had never worked on a dryer before. I'll be unlikely to ever call a repairman without first doing some investigation and seeing if the parts are available. With the internet and PartSelect I think I could take on a lot of other repairs I'm not familiar with. Thanks for a great outcome this time around.
Kevin

Popped the topped using a putty knife to free two clips in front. Remove two screws now accessible on the front inside panel. Remove two wires to door switch. Remove rear access door, two screws. Remove belt from tensioner in rear and remember or take picture of how it goes. Lift barrel slightly and pivot front panel out of the way. Lift barrel free from ball socket in rear. Lift out from front panel area. R & R kit and put back in reverse order.

removed front of drier , removed rear access panel, replaced the belt. reinstalled front of drier and rear access panel

After watching the video that explained and showed how to replace the bearing assembly, installation was a breeze. Great company to do business with. Ordered the part and had it in two days, and the dryer was working again asap. Thanks PartSelect
PS this dryer is 23 years old.

Had to remove the front of the dryer but installation was quick and easy. An affordable and quick repair.

The first part was the most difficult-opening the front of the dryer cabinet! Once open, the new belt was installed and then the new idler pulley was put in-place. The cabinet was closed-job done.

unbolted one bolt and replaced old unit with new unit....took only a few minutes. Part was supposed to arrive in 3 days, but arrived next day....thanks very much!