How to Change the Rear Drum Seal of a Whirlpool Dryer

A sure sign that you need to replace the rear drum seal in your Whirlpool dryer is when your clothes come out of the dryer with tears that weren’t there before. Your Whirlpool dryer requires periodic maintenance to continue to operate properly. The rear drum seal is one part of the dryer you should inspect, especially in older machines. A worn rear drum seal allows clothes to snag between the drum and the rear bulkhead. The edge of the drum cuts your clothes as it rotates. A new seal helps you avoid costly damage to your favorite clothes.

Phillips screwdriver
2-inch putty knife
Digital camera
Fine grit sandpaper
Liquid adhesive remover
Paper towels
Replacement drum seal
High-heat adhesive

Instructions

- 1
  Disconnect the power supply from your Whirlpool dryer. Pull the dryer forward about 6 inches.
- 2
  Open the lint filter door located on the top of the dryer cabinet. Pull the lint filter basket from the dryer to expose the two screws inside the filter opening.
- 3
  Remove the two screws from the lint filter opening. Insert a 2-inch putty knife into the seam along the front of the cabinet at each corner. Pull up on the handle of the knife to release the top panel from the dryer cabinet.
- 4
  Lift the top of the Whirlpool dryer off the cabinet. Rotate the top back away from the cabinet, and lean the top against the wall behind the dryer.
- 5
  Remove the screws from the Whirlpool cabinet's top front corners to release the front panel from the dryer. Pull the wire harness that connects the dryer door switch to the rest of the dryer apart, then set the front panel aside. This is the most common way to open a Whirlpool dryer’s cabinet. Refer to the link in the Resources section for additional Whirlpool dryer opening instructions.
- 6
  Look inside the dryer and underneath the right side of the drum to find the idler pulley holding the tension on the dryer drum. Take a digital photo showing the way the drum belt threads around the pulley, so you have a reference when reinstalling the belt.
- 7
  Push the idler pulley away from the dryer drum to release the belt tension. Pull the belt from the idler pulley, then from the motor pulley located to the right of the idler pulley.
- 8
  Grab the dryer's drum belt at the top of the drum with one hand. Grab the drum with the other hand. Pull the drum straight out of the dryer cabinet.
- 9
  Pull off the old rear seal from the dryer drum. The seal probably won’t come off in one piece, and might leave bits and pieces along the edge of the drum. Use fine grit sandpaper to remove any seal remnants, then wipe the edge of the drum clean with a liquid adhesive remover. Wipe the drum dry with paper towels.
- 10
  Position the rear drum seal where the edge with the stitching faces the front of the drum. Apply a thin bead of high-heat adhesive to the rear of the drum along the exterior edge.
- 11
  Press the replacement rear drum seal into the adhesive. There is a small lip on the underside of the seal that sits against the outer edge of the drum and helps you install the seal evenly on the rear of the drum. Allow the high-heat adhesive to dry for about two hours.
- 12
  Install the drum and belt in the dryer cabinet. Thread the belt around the idler pulley and motor pulley. Turn the drum to align the belt.
- 13
  Insert a putty knife between the rear seal and the back wall of the dryer. Turn the drum with the putty knife in place to ensure the new seal is not caught under the drum edge and the back wall of the dryer.
- 14
  Reassemble your dryer by reversing the disassembly steps. Reconnect the power supply to your Whirlpool dryer.

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