How to Replace a Dryer Belt

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Fred's Appliance
August 2, 2021
Dryer Repair

The drum belt in your dryer is the main component in your dryer that makes it turn around during a cycle. Sometimes it can break or become defective through normal wear and tear or if you overload your dryer too often. When this happens, it will need to be replaced, or your dryer won’t work anymore. These are general instructions and steps can vary by model and brand.

Luckily, it isn’t that difficult to replace yourself if you take your time. Simply follow the steps below, and you will have your dryer working again in no time.

Preparation

  1. Unplug your dryer from the power.
  2. Disconnect the dryer from the exhaust vent (if you have one).
  3. Pull your dryer out from the wall so you can work on it.

Remove the Old Belt

  1. Once you’ve turned the power off and pulled your dryer out from the wall, the next step is to remove the top panel of the dryer. To do that, you’ll need to remove the screws that hold it in place, and then it should unclip at the front and slide off. Once removed, put it aside out of the way.
  2. Remove the control panel by unthreading the screws that go down through the plastic tabs on the back of the control panel unit, and then lift the control panel up and out slightly. You can then disconnect the wire harnesses by unlocking the tabs that are connected to them, and this will allow you to fully remove the control panel. Once removed, place it out of the way.
  3. Open the dryer door and find the two screws located just below the lint filter. You can then unthread the screws and remove them.
  4. Remove the screws that secure the top of the front panel to the support piece (check your manual if necessary).
  5. Unclip the wire harness that is connected to the light bulb.
  6. Unthread the screws that hold the support piece in place, and then take the support piece out of its position and place it out of the way.
  7. You can now unclip the top wire harness from the harness restraints and move it out of the way (you don’t have to fully remove it).
  8. Disconnect the wire harness that is connected to the sensor (it should be at the bottom of the dryer).
  9. Find the bulkhead (check your manual if necessary), and then unthread the screws that hold it in place. The bulkhead should then be able to be removed from the dryer unit.
  10. At this point, you should be able to access the drum belt. You can now remove the belt by releasing it from the idler pulley and the motor shaft and pulling it out from the dryer.
  11. Once removed, lift the dryer drum off the drum rollers (rear and front if you have both) and pull the drum out of the cabinet.

Install the New Belt

  1. Now that you’ve removed the old belt, you can install the new one. To do that, start by placing the new belt around the drum – the groove side of the belt should be sitting against the drum.
  2. Carefully place the dryer drum back into the dryer on the drum rollers. Make sure that it is sitting flush against the rear bulkhead.
  3. When the drum is in place, make sure the belt is in the center of the drum.
  4. Reconnect the belt to the idler and motor pulley in the same position that the old one was in.
  5. Try to turn the drum around slowly, and check that the belt is working correctly and is properly attached to the pulleys. Once you’ve checked that, you can start to put the dryer back together.

Put the Dryer Back Together

  1. Reattach the bulkhead by rethreading the screws back into place. If your specific dryer make and model had a screw from the bulkhead into the blower housing, don’t forget to rethread that one too.
  2. Reconnect the wire harness back into the sensor. The harness should just clip back into place.
  3. Reconnect the upper wire harness back into the harness restraints, and connect it to the light bulb.
  4. Reattach the support piece by aligning it into the right slots, and then rethread the screws back into place.
  5. Thread the two harness connectors from the control board back through the opening in the support piece so that you can reattach them properly.
  6. Reattach the front panel by clipping it back into place and then rethreading the screws back in.
  7. You can then reattach the console by first clipping the wire harnesses back into position and then securing it in the correct position by rethreading the screws back into place.
  8. Put the two screws back into place under the lint filter.
  9. Reattach the top panel and secure it in place by rethreading the screws back into it.

Reconnect the Dryer

  1. Now that the dryer is back together, you can plug the dryer back into the power and put it back against the wall.
  2. Turn the dryer on and check if the new dryer belt is working correctly. If so, your dryer is good to go!
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