How to Repair the Motor in a Thermal Dryer

Top Removal

• 1

  Unplug the dryer power cord from the electrical outlet before starting work, and move the machine away from the wall.

• 2

  Slide the lint screen out of its recess on the top right of the dryer, and remove the two hex-head screws from the lint screen opening with a nut driver.

• 3

  Insert a putty knife into the seam between the top and the front, 3 inches from the corners. Press the blade inward to disengage the spring catches.

• 4

  Lift the front of the top and fold it over the back of the dryer out of the way. Do not disconnect any control-panel wires.

Single Solid Front-Panel Removal

• 5

  Disconnect the door-switch wires located in the upper-right front corner inside the machine by pressing the catches on the sides of the plug and withdrawing it from the wiring-harness socket.

• 6

  Remove the two hex-head screws from each side of the inside upper front corners that secure the front panel to the dryer with the nut driver.

• 7

  Pull the top of the panel forward. Lift it straight up to disengage the two tabs on the bottom from their slots in the chassis.

Double Front-Panel Removal

• 8

  Disconnect the door-switch wires located in the upper-right front corner inside the machine by pressing the catches on the sides of the plug, and withdrawing it from the wiring-harness socket.

• 9

  Remove the two hex-head screws from each side of the inside upper front corners that secure the front panel to the dryer with the nut driver.

• 10

  Loosen the upper edge of the bottom panel by sliding a flat-head screwdriver into the seam on the upper outside corners, and levering the top of panel forward to release the spring clips. Fold the panel forward and lift it out.

• 11

  Unhook the two long tension springs on both sides of the opening if they are fitted to your particular machine. Loosen the two screws on the lower corners of the upper panel and lift the panel out.

Motor Removal

• 12

  Reach under the right side of the drum, and locate the white spring-loaded idler pulley supplying tension to the drive belt. Push the idler pulley to the right and remove the drive belt from around both the idler pulley and drive-motor pulley. Pull the lower edge of the idler pulley’s U-shaped flat mounting spring out of the slot on the machine base, and lift the pulley out.

• 13

  Lift the drum by its drive belt. Slide it off its mounting rollers on the back, and pull it out of the machine to gain access to the drive motor.

• 14

  Lift the flexible catch on top of the motor-wiring-harness plug with your thumb, and withdraw the plug from the motor socket.

• 15

  Insert the flat-head screwdriver into the hooked ends of the spring clips on the left side on both the front and back ends of the motor. Lever the hooks inward toward the motor to free the spring clips from the catches. Remove both clips by unhooking the ends from the lugs on the right of the motor-support brackets.

• 16

  Place an open-ended wrench over the nut behind the pulley on the front of the motor. Place a second wrench on the nut behind the motor connecting the blower shaft to the motor. Brace the front wrench and push the back wrench forcefully downward in a counterclockwise direction to loosen the blower shaft nut. Spin the front pulley clockwise to unthread the motor from the blower shaft, and lift the defective motor out.

Motor Installation

• 17

  Align the slot on the front of the motor housing with the front-mounting bracket, and lower the motor onto the front- and back-mounting brackets. Spin the motor pulley counterclockwise to engage the threads on the blower shaft. Brace the blower-shaft nut with a wrench, and tighten the front nut behind the pulley in a counterclockwise direction with the second wrench.

• 18

  Clip the ends of the motor-retaining spring clips back over the lugs on the right of the support brackets. Rotate the clips around the front and back of the motor. Insert the flat-head screwdriver into the hooked ends of the spring clips, and push the screwdriver down to engage the catches. Reconnect the wiring harness plug by pushing it into the socket on the motor.

• 19

  Lift the drum back into the dryer. Align the rim on the back of the drum with the two rollers on the bottom of the dryer, and lower the drum into place.

• 20

  Reach under the bottom of the drum and insert the end of the tension pulley U-shaped mounting spring into the slot on the base. Push the pulley to the right, and loop the belt around both the idler pulley and the motor pulley in a zigzag formation. Rotate the drum two full turns to align the belt.

Single Solid Front-Panel Installation

• 21

  Position the front panel on the dryer and lift the drum to align the rim of the drum with the front-panel seal. Lower the bottom edge of the panel onto the retaining clips and press downward to lock the panel in place.

• 22

  Replace the two screws on the inside upper corners from inside the dryer and tighten them with the nut driver.

• 23

  Plug the door's switch back into the socket on the wiring harness.

Double Front-Panel Installation

• 24

  Lift the upper panel into place while aligning the rim of the drum with the front-panel seal. Lower the slots on the bottom edge of the panel onto the two screws loosened earlier. Press the top of the panel inward and tighten the two bottom screws. Replace the two screws on the inside upper corners, and tighten them with the nut driver.

• 25

  Replace the two tension springs removed earlier on either side of the bottom opening if applicable, and lift the lower panel into place. Lower the two tabs on the bottom into their slots and push the top of the panel inward to engage the retaining clips.

• 26

  Plug the door switch wires back into the socket on the wiring harness.

Top Replacement

• 27

  Rotate the top panel downward, and press down on the front corners to engage the spring clips.

• 28

  Replace the two screws removed earlier on the front of the lint screen opening, and slide the lint screen back into place.

• 29

  Insert the dryer power cord back into the wall outlet, and push the machine back against the wall. Switch the dryer on to ensure it’s working properly.