14 replies to this topic

[MrMikeSan]

Hello,

I think this is the first time I came to this great site and couldn't find the answer to my appliance problem by readingn / searching the forurms or blogs...

OK, here goes... The trusty dryer starts making peridic chirps, then squeaks, then squeals like a stuck pig. If I let it go a few minutes, it quiets down for a while . Thinking something may have gotten past the lint filter, I open it up and look at the blower, which I had replaced less than a year ago. Everythink looks OK. I take the drum out (glides were replaced a few years ago), pull the motor, vacume it out, spin it by hand, seems OK, look at the idler pully, WAY sloppy, but I grease it up and put it all back together. Works fine for about 15 min, then starts up again.

I come to FixItNow.com and find that the most likely cause is the idler pully. So, I buy the new idler pully kit, new belt (saw some cracking on the ribs, new lint filter and lint filter housing (old one had some holes in it). Parts came today, I install them (and swap out the rollers and add new grease to shafts) and after installing evertying give the dryer a test run. Everything is good... for about 10 min, then the same noises start up again. I pull the front off, and feel the motor bearings, and the front one is very hot. If I pull the motor off the mounting bracket, can I replace the bearings? Or, is the only way I can keep this 20+ year old workhorse running is to replace the whole motor? There is smells coming from it when it spins, and if I pull the belt, it runs quiet. Sounds like bad bearings...

Thanks for your help in advance,

Mike

[nickfixit]

Some older motors had a felt seal and lubricant in the bearings. You could try taking it out and stand it up with the shaft pointing strait up, Try to soak/fill the bearing with a high quality lubricant, I would use Lube 1 its a synthetic that penetrates and lubes well. Let it soak upright for a whole day, if you do both ends, do the belt pulley end last.

Worth a try if you want to save the motor

[RegUS_PatOff]

LDG7800

LDG7800 c.1990
Remove the Belt and turn the Motor Shaft by hand.
Does it turn easily, smoothly ?

[MrMikeSan]

NickFixIt:
Looking at the bearings, they seem to have a pressed metal cover, not the newer rubber seal. Are these the types that have felt behind the cover? I have some Royal Purple synthetic oil I use in my VW Passat that I can use. Could the bearing be pulled off the shaft and replaced?

RegUS_PatOff:
Yes, when I first took the motor out, I checked if it turned freely, and it did/does. No slop felt in the bearings on either end. BUT, the first time, when I rotated it clockwise, there was some friction noise. It was covered in a thick layer of lint, and after cleaning, the noise was no longer there. When I run the motor with no load, there is no noise. But with the belt / drum on, the noise re-appears

Yes, we bought this and the matching washer in 1991. I've replaced the igniter and blower cage a few times and front glides on the dryer. After having just spent ~$100 on some new parts, I'd like to get a few more years out of the dryer w/o having to replace the motor, which seems to still be spinning fine
I don't recall having to do ANYTHING to the washer...

thanks again,
Mike

[RegUS_PatOff]

... the first time, when I rotated it clockwise, there was some friction noise.
... with the belt / drum on, the noise re-appears

1) sounds like a bad Motor
2) noise from the Motor ?

[washertech26]

When those motors go bad you push the button makes a labored groan then starts.. The chirping sounds like bad rollers bearings... Make a youtube vid of it I can diagnose which just from the noise it makes

[certified tech group 51]

Swapped out the rear rollers ? .........As in, installed new rear rollers???....... P/N 12001541...... There should be NO oil or grease on the roller shafts.........If the motor bearings are getting hot , it sounds like they are failing.............Lint will wick out bearing lubrication and you end up with dry bearings.............................pressed metal cover over the bearings ... .................. Well, you could put a small hole in the bear cover , at the highest point and add your favorite lube, the bearings are fubar now, what could go wrong????............ .................

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Part link for new drum roller, 1ea. ==> http://www.repaircli...12001541/400518

Buy two and replace both rollers at the same time. Do not use lube on the new rollers. Just clean up the staft and install em.

[MrMikeSan]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I was out of town all weekend, and haven't opened it back up. But, after putting the new belt on, it IS giving me starting problems, and when I do get it turning, the noise is more frequent. I'm thinking the old belt may have stretched a bit over time, and the new one is putting more force on the pulley/bearing. I either need to replace the motor bearing (but not finding a source for those), or the motor. OR, finally buy a new dryer.

This has been a workhorse of a dryer since we bought it in 1991. What are you opinions of putting another $100+ motor into it vs going for a new dryer?

thanks again,
Mike

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

What are you opinions of putting another $100+ motor into it vs going for a new dryer?

For this dryer, you want to keep it going as long as you can. New dryers today are filled with flimsy metal and failure-prone electronics.

Also, in your first post, you said:

(and swap out the rollers and add new grease to shafts)

You shouldn't add any grease to the rollers or shaft-- it just gums up everything. This won't cause the noise but it is a reliability issue.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Also, have you checked the front drum glides? If they're worn down to cork, they'll cause noise and hard starting problems because it increases the rolling resistance so much. ==> Drum Slide or Glide

[washertech26]

Make a video post on youtube link here we can diagnose 95% just from hearing what noise it makes

[MrMikeSan]

All,

I pulled the motor back out tonight, and while on my turning it on my bench, it was making the screetching noise when just hand spinning the shaft. I also noticed some play in the front bearing. So, I will be ordering a new motor

But, in effort to get the dryer running again TONIGHT, I decided to try what Certified tech group 51 suggested, I drilled a very small hole over the stamped bearing cover, then tried to drip some synthetic motor oil into it. I think the hole was too small, andinstead of going into the hole, the oil seeped in around the shaft. I think I put in about 6 or 7 capful's of oil into the front bearing and 3 in the rear bearing. The shaft was spinning real smooth at this point. I cleaned off all the extra oil, made sure I didn't see any dripping out after letting it sit a while, then I let the motor run for about 10 min with no load. I didn't see any oil leaking out, so I reinstalled the motor, drum (using the old belt) and I'm letting it spin for 20 min without any clothes in it - NO NOISE I felt under the bearings with a paper towel, and didn't see any excess oil. I've got a load in the washer to test it out under a real load. I know this is just a short term fix, but hopefully it will do the job this week before we leave for the holidays. When we get back, I'll install the new motor, clean the lithium grease off the rear rollers, and put the new belt back on. I think I'll buy a new set of front glides, as my second set is starting to get thin. Sounds like this may be a keeper. Thanks again for everybody's helpful advice. I'll have to contribute to the beer fund.

Mike

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

I pulled the motor back out tonight, and while on my turning it on my bench, it was making the screetching noise when just hand spinning the shaft. I also noticed some play in the front bearing. So, I will be ordering a new motor

Motor part link ==> Drive Motor

[MrMikeSan]

OK, I'm back... I did replace the motor and rear rollers in January, and it had been working fine. Back in December when I had first pulled it out, I decided to but the drum in backwards, as the front had worn through the enamel from the first time the drum glides wore down through the cork, and I let it go too long. The drum looked totally symmetrical (front to back), and my thinking was that with new enamel on the front glides, and new rollers in the rear, it would work better...

This past weekend, it started making a thumping sound, and at first I thought it was due to my daughter loading it w/ a shoe or something to help fluff up something she was drying. When I emptied it out, and it made the same noise when I ran it, I then manually spun the drum and saw that it had cracked in 2 or 3 places and when they hit the rear rollers is sunk down and was causing the thumping sound. So, now it needs a new drum

I checked RepairClinic.com and they list it as a discontinued part. I did find it on PWSlaundry.com, (http://www.pwslaundr...-o-baffles.html) but once again need to ask if this is something I should repair, or finally cut my losses and move on to a new dryer (and likely a matching washer...) I'm leaning towards fixing it and keeping it going (it has new motor, rollers, idle pulley, lint filter, igniter, belt...), but I think my wife is leaning towards going new.

Any thoughts?

thanks,
Mike