20 replies to this topic

[scatr]

Hi - dryer is ~3+ years old.  Just started making a squealing sound.  It's continuous, not just on startup or stopping.  It's getting worse.  Of course this is right in the middle of a big load of laundry needing to be dried.  OK to use it and live with the noise until I get it repaired?

 

Also ... I am not sure if I should be looking at this as the issue:  http://fixitnow.com/...d-broken-belts/

 

or should I be looking at this solution: http://fixitnow.com/...er-in-the-door/

 

Thanks

[jumptrout]

To get the correct answer,you need to post a correct model number.

[scatr]

My bad - can't edit the topic header.  Model should be 110.67862600.

And if this helps, it's type: DDOT - ELE - 2406028 - EH54

[jumptrout]

The drum rollers and belt tension pulley should be cleaned and inspected.

You indicate you do heavy loads in which case it may be best to replace all these parts.

[RegUS_PatOff]

My bad - can't edit the topic header.  Model should be 110.67862600

topic edited

[scatr]

Opened the dryer up  - removed top, removed front, removed drum.  Cleaned all - vacuumed (lots of dryer lint all over the place, including a ton inside the metal shroud that leads down off the lint cleaner inside the front panel) and wiped everything down with a damp paper towel.  Paid special attention to the rollers and the belt and the tension pulley.  Put it all back together and it seems good as new.  Squealing stopped.  Don't know if it will come back soon but if it does I guess my next move would be to replace the belt and drum rollers and the tension pulley.  Thanks for your help.

[certified tech group 51]

May be this maintenance kit might be a better bet,  P/N4392067...........  has all the good stuff.......When you enter the inner workings , ya might as well go all the way........................... about  40   clam$ on the 'Shell-O-Meter'   at RepairClinic................................P.S...........verify  P/N...to model #..

 

Edited by Samurai Appliance Repair Man, 03 January 2013 - 08:36 AM.
Added repair video.

[Scottthewolf]

May be this maintenance kit might be a better bet,  P/N4392067...........  has all the good stuff.......When you enter the inner workings , ya might as well go all the way........................... about  40   clam$ on the 'Shell-O-Meter'   at RepairClinic................................P.S...........verify  P/N...to model #..

Yes, this is the correct kit for this  "DOTT" dryer.   It was Sears idea to call this the DOTT dryer which means Dryer Of Tommorrow Today because it has all the bells and whistles and completely front serviceable without having to pull the unit away from the wall.

[scatr]

Got through a couple dryer runs before it starting squealing again.  Ordered the maintenance kit and will put that in when it gets here.  I am pretty sure it's the belt tension pulley, since it did not really spin freely when I cleaned everything out.  The drum rollers didn't seem too bad.  It would be pretty easy to pop off the lower front panel and get back in to that pulley - can I spray a little WD40 on it while I wait for the maintenance kit to arrive?  DW does not want to run the dryer with it making all that racket, so otherwise it's a couple days without the dryer.

[jumptrout]

I would remove the tension roller pulley and spray and clean outside the dryer,then re-install it.

There is a gunk buildup on the roller shaft.

Did you REMOVE and clean the drum roller shafts?

[scatr]

Took off the front lower panel and removed the belt tension pulley.  Cleaned shaft and wiped with a towel with some 3-in-1 on it.  Put a drop of 3-in-1 inside the bushing of the pulley.  Put it all back.  Toughest part was getting that tension pulley back onto the belt.  Luckily I could fit my left arm through the left side.  I really didn't want to pull the whole thing apart again.  I'll be doing all that when the maintenance parts arrive.

 

I had not removed and cleaned the drum roller shafts.  I only wiped down the rubber wheel part that contacts the drum.  I vacuumed around the shafts.  They all spun freely.  But I'll be replacing all of them and the pulley and the belt in a couple days.  Hoping this lube on the pulley keeps the squeaks down until then.  One thing I noticed is that the plastic tri-ring holding on the pulley was worn and darkened and slightly deformed... I assume from heat buildup.

 

Thanks again for the help.

[jumptrout]

That wheel is dragging,not rolling.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Took off the front lower panel and removed the belt tension pulley.  Cleaned shaft and wiped with a towel with some 3-in-1 on it.  Put a drop of 3-in-1 inside the bushing of the pulley.  

 

 

Do not lubricate the roller shafts or idler wheel bushing because you'll just attract link build up and they'll fail prematurely.  Simply clean the shafts thoroughly with a clean shop towel and install the new drum rollers.  

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Have you bypassed/held down belt switch and tried to run this unit in air dry cycle to let the motor run without a load.

 

There's a good chance it you let it run for a while you will find the squeal is coming from the motor bearings/bushings.

 

I see more motors go out in this style Whirlpool built dryer then any other I can think of!

[scatr]

Do not lubricate the roller shafts or idler wheel bushing because you'll just attract link build up and they'll fail prematurely.  Simply clean the shafts thoroughly with a clean shop towel and install the new drum rollers.  

 

 

Damn.  That's why I axed the question.  I'll clean it up when I get the maintenance kit to get the 3-in-1 off the shaft.

 

 

Have you bypassed/held down belt switch and tried to run this unit in air dry cycle to let the motor run without a load.

 

There's a good chance it you let it run for a while you will find the squeal is coming from the motor bearings/bushings.

 

I see more motors go out in this style Whirlpool built dryer then any other I can think of!

 

 

I am also concerned that the maint kit won't actually solve it.  I definitely want to find this out sooner rather than later.  Is there a way I can do this just by removing the lower front panel?  I can do it but I need some good guidelines :)  I am not sure how to bypass the switch.

 

If it is the motor, is that available @ repair clinic?

 

Last question ... if it is the motor, from what you're saying, is there anything I can do about it, or do I just need to figure that I will just need to replace the damn motor every few years?  Not sure if there's any maintenance that would extend the life or if it's a design/manufacturing thing on the motor itself.

[RegUS_PatOff]

If you'd post a YouTube video of the squeaks,

we may be able to tell what's causing it.

 

The Motor could be tested for squeaks, by removing the Belt and try turning the Motor Shaft by hand.

Does it turn easily, smoothly ?

Can you give the Motor Shaft a twirl and will it continue to turn a little by itself ?

 

The manufacturer has replaced part number 8538263

with this item, part number 279787

http://www.repaircli...asp?R=154&N=158

 

 

Motor Pulley

(if needed)

http://www.repaircli...R=154&N=2313007

 

[jumptrout]

Sorry scatr I should have been more clear in my instruction.

The solvents or oil would be used to clean the part,not for lubrication purpose.

[Scottthewolf]

Have you bypassed/held down belt switch and tried to run this unit in air dry cycle to let the motor run without a load.

 

There's a good chance it you let it run for a while you will find the squeal is coming from the motor bearings/bushings.

 

I see more motors go out in this style Whirlpool built dryer then any other I can think of!

The reason this happens is because the lint screen is too close to the motor.  I think the best dryer on the market today is the Whirlpool family of 29 inch dryers with the lint screen on the main top rather than in the door opening.  This design dryer dates back to the early 1970's and has stood the test of time.

[Budget Appliance Repair]

The reason this happens is because the lint screen is too close to the motor.  I think the best dryer on the market today is the Whirlpool family of 29 inch dryers with the lint screen on the main top rather than in the door opening.  This design dryer dates back to the early 1970's and has stood the test of time.

 

I agree these are the best dryers around - really the only ones I feel comfortable recommending!

 

Early 70's?  I think it was much earlier than that when that good old Whirlpool design was started, (I think more like the mid to late 60's).

 

But I could very well be wrong on that.  They did have the design just before that style that had the top lint filter but it was a short filter and had the round blower belt connecting the motor up to the blower wheel and housing that was up higher on the back, (the blower bearing seizing up was one of the problems that style had).

[scatr]

The Motor could be tested for squeaks, by removing the Belt and try turning the Motor Shaft by hand.

Does it turn easily, smoothly ?

Can you give the Motor Shaft a twirl and will it continue to turn a little by itself ?

 

I installed the maintenance kit today and so far that seems to have done it.  The motor does seem to turn pretty smoothly.  I can spin it by hand and it will continue to spin a bit by itself.

 

Word of warning to anyone else installing this maintenance kit:  the worst part, by a long, long way, was dealing with the plastic tri-rings at the base of the shaft.  There has to be a better way, because there is no way the pros would spend about 10 minutes per shaft working with those things.  I can see a need for the perfect tool - some sort of three-pincer pliers that equally compress the three corners of the triangle to expand that ring out enough to slide down to the base of the shaft.  Because, of course, it's easy to get it onto the first indent, but getting it past that was just freakin awful.  I finally just manhandled it enough to get it down there.  After four times I did not find any good technique.  Hopefully I did not shorten the life of the material.  It was also tough getting the old ones off the base of the shaft.  But I finally decided that I didn't care since I had replacements, so I either broke them or stretched them way out to remove them.

 

Everything else went very smoothly and the videos and the help here were really key.  I suspect the issue was either or both of the belt tension pulley or one of the drum rollers in the back.  Thanks everyone for the help.