AEM397 Whirlpool Dryer - Instructions

Removed lower panel, door assembly, belt and drum.
Removed blower wheel cover.
Used dremmel tool to cut plastic from metal that attaches the blower to the motor shaft.
Used adjustable wrench to keep motor shaft from turning.
Used vise grip to clamp on metal and turned to loosen blower wheel.
Attached new blower and re-assembled.

I followed the instructions and it went very well. The only confusing part was the drive belt for the tumbler barrel I just had to visualize the threading arrangement to get it right. Much like a car fan belt.

unplug appliance.removed 2 screws @ the rear of dryer top to tip lid back. unplugged the door switch wires.took out 3 philip screws that hold lint screen to inside of drum.removed 2 screws @ dryer front top. lifted dryer front panel off. the drum was now loose. slipped off old belt - replaced with new. set drum back into place. made sure new belt was on motor pulley & behind tensioner pulley arm. replace & reconnect items in reverse order. plug back in & test. after seeing the wear on the plastic tensioner pulley i regret not ordering that part for replacement also.

took frount off ,then filter, pulled drum out, then blower plate & spun impeller off. went back together easy ,except belt . that gave me a little problem but finally got it thanks

I removed the access panel on the lower front. Then I removed the front door panel (noting where the wires went; 1 for red, 2 for black, 3 for grey). Then I removed the 2 screws holding the top down and lifted it up. Then I reached underneath the drum and took the belt off the tensioner. Then I removed the front drum panel with the lint filter, guides, and front felt seal. Then I took out the drum. Then I replaced the roller and post (with bracket). The old post was worn, so it was a good thing I got the new post (thanks to someone else's reccomendation). Then I put it all back together. It was surprizingly easy. I just wish these parts weren't so dad gum expensive. I paid $20 for one roller and post. I wish I could have also replaced the felt seals ($17 each), the other roller (another $8) and the sliders and felt pads ($20 per side). And a new belt. By then, you might as well buy a new dryer!

I had already taken the dryer apart prior to changing the felt seal. Had oiled the rollers, greased the bearings & vacuumed the whole inside of the dryer out. Had used a high temp lubricant on the seal & had stopped squeaking for about a month. I ordered 2 seals & when they arrived, I popped the top of the dryer off using the putty knife to pry the spring latches. I opened the top up & leaned it against a wall. I disconnected the wiring to the light & the switch in the door, making note of the wiring order. Then used a nut driver to take the 2 screws from the inside out, that holds the front cover in place. Then the same for the 4 screws holding the front bulkhead in place. Then lifted up & out from the unit. Then used the putty knife to scrap the adhesive & old seal off the bulkhead. Cleaned as much of the adhesive off, then applied some high temp silicone adhesive to the bulkhead, placed the new seal on, using some clamps to hold it in place. After making sure it had adhered to the seal & bulkhead. Did the reversal of the above mentioned steps. Moved the unit to laundry room, plugged it in then started it & voila no more squeaking dryer.

I removed the dryer front and replaced the door switch.
Next I replaced the drum glide reassembled the dryer.

Dryer stopped tumbling, so bad belt was my first thought. Dryer is in vacation home so did not have immediate access to it to diagnose. Ordered belt and discovered that the poorly designed motor pulley had broken and the belt jumped onto the motor shaft and burned through the original belt. Week 2 after ordering pulley, installation went per YouTube video. Glad I also replaced the belt because it was brittle and cracked. Suspect it had been slipping because sheets would ball up into a log, possibly because the drum wasn't spinning fast enough. Anyhoo, after repair all seems OK.

Unplug Dryer. Remove 2 5/16in hex screws fm lower panel,3 51/6in hex screws to vent duct. Remove 2 1/4in hex screws to thermostat. Remove 7 1/4in hex screws to blower cover and 2 5/16in hex screws holding base footings.Use adj. wrench to hold rear nut on motor shaft, use7/8in socket to remove fan frm motor shaft. Remove 3 5/16in hex screws holding fan housing to motor mount. Lift-up on spring tensioned belt pulley to remove belt. Pull motor & mount out [wires are layed toward front allowing removal]. Use 6in flat tip screwdriver to unsnap both front/rear motor clamps.Pinch plastic end clamps and remove motor electrical connector.Motor installation is reverse. For belt removal,remove 2 5/16in hex screws to door panel [unhook 2 wires to upper RT rear to door switch].Remove 4 5/16in hex screws to front bulkhead panel.Allow drum to sag IN PLACE [removal not required to replace belt],note belt location and slide old belt off and new one on
Replace Bulheald and door panel [re-attach door switch wires].Complete install by lifting belt pulley and feeding new belt into place. Hand rotate drum to ensure proper belt allignment and tracking. Replace lower panel. Vacuum interior as necessary. Parts delivered in 3days and fit perfectly.

Make sure to unplug the power cord.Pry the front,top of the dryer up with a screw driver. Carefully disconnect 3 wires and remember where they go, top right. Remove 1 top bolt on each side of the front cover, inside.Pull up slightly and towards towards you to remove the front cover. Disconnect the light wires if applicable and remember where they go from the front drum support. Remove 4 bolts on the front drum mount cover; the lint catcher will come off with it. If needed, pull up and towards you on the drum to lower the it off of the guide rollers to allow slack in the belt. Reach under the drum, raise the idler lever, slide belt from under the idler lever pulley, remove the belt from the the motor shaft. Carefully remove the drum. A 7/16 wrench and ratchet can be used to remove the idler lever from the mount. Remove idler lever from the spring. Reverse these steps for installation of the new idler lever. For installing the belt, actually fold the belt and put it under the idler pulley and back onto the motor shaft. The idler lever should sit on top of the belt when on properly. Make sure the belt is lined with the wear area of the dryer drum. Roll the drum manually, counter clockwise several times to help insure belt alignment before reconnecting the wires and re-installing the front cover and top. A belt replacement will not require removal of the drum.

Well first of all you get to the back of the dryer from the FRONT.. after lower panel was removed location of the heating element was right in front of you. Two 7/16 sheet metal screws hold the heating element in place very easy to remove.. upon removal you will have plenty of room to pull element out and switch out the wires you need to do.. Upon examination I think my trouble was a high limit fuse that burned out, so I propably did'nt need to buy the whole element ( you might want to check that first it is the ceramic one ) cleaned everything out and dryer is as good as new Good luck

did basic diagnostics to narrow down the problem to be likely one of the three parts include w/ the kit. removed front panel and confirmed that part looked like the one on the web page. part arrived 3 business days after ordering.
used nutdriver to remove two screws holding old part in place. pulled old part out still attached to wiring harness and assembled new part and attached wires the same way as the old part. installed new part, plugged in dryer and confirmed that it was heating. replaced front pannel and dryer is now working as well as ever. hardest part was reaching to the back of the dryer from the front while lying on the floor. total cost was cheaper than a service call, let alone paying for parts and labor from a service tech.

Very simple repair. Remove front panel, door, drum etc. Try to keep everything seperated, screws etc. I put lockjaws on the back to get the nut off the front. Make sure to check the housing for "melted on" blower wheel residue. Easy enough to remove. I checked with my local parts dealer he wanted twice the price and needed to order it (at least a days wait). PartSelect sent the exact same part in a day and a half. Put everything back the same way I removed. Hardest part is the drum and belt. While you have everything apart don't forget to clean the thermastats etc. PartsSelect was quicker and cheaper.

My son will discribe how he did the repair.
First I opened the top, then I removed the front with a 1/4 inch ratchet and socket. I took the cover off the blower housing with a nut driver. Used the appropriate socket and a 1/2 inch ratchet, and an adjustable wrench to hold the motor shaft and removed the Blower wheel. I replaced the broken Blower Wheel and put all it back together.
Our dryer is now working great and there are no unwanted sounds emanating from within. We are very happy with PartSelects promptness and that we recieved the correct part as ordered. PartSelect website was easy to navigate. We plan if the need arises to do so again in the future.
Thankyou Frank and Rodney

First of all I would not have done this if it wasn't for
your website. Using the schematics to figure out
the right parts was easy. It was also helpful in the
actual repair process. I have added your website
to my favorites in my browser. The parts arrived in 3 days and I live in Reno. Great Website.

M.B.