frigidaire model flsg72gcs9 rumbling

[sillyrib]

Frigidaire model FLSG72GCS9. I hope someone can help me because I'm at my wits end trying to fix this thing. The dryer would not turn when I tried switching it on one day. I took the front off and the felt and glides were all messed up. I ordered them and it took quite some time to take them off. The glue was heaped on after what I assume were a few of the same repair. I ended up using as wire rotating brush on a driver. I glued the two pieces on but ended up stretch the felt a little too much and had extra that I snipped off.

I reinstalled the drum and after 10 minutes it started to rumble periodically. I turned it off. an hour later I restarted it and after 10-15 minutes it started to rumble again getting noticeably louder the longer I let it go.

I ordered a rear drum bearing and new belt (no drum rollers on this unit). The bearing I got had a defect in that the bearing had an outie dimple instead of an inner dimple for it to seat with the ball bearing. I installed it anyways. It started rumbling again after a few minutes. I took out the new bearing and reinstalled the old one since it did not look like it was worn out. same result rumbling.

When I finally got the belt I installed it with along with a new pulley since the old pulley had a crack in the wheel. This time it went for about 15 minutes but the rumbling/shaking was very loud and started quite abruptly with a squeak in the background.

I currently have a new rear bearing on order but do not hope that this will fix it. I thought for sure the new pulley and belt would fix the problem. After it runs for a while can the old bearing seize up and cause the rumbling? But when I installed the new one it did the same thing (although it has a defect)?

I got the new bearing but it also has a protrusion at the end. It is kind of rough. I emailed 3 amazon sellers. 2 said there should be a hole and 1 said there is a protrusion. I called appliance repair parts and they said it doesn't matter if its out or in. Can someone with experience here give the correct answer?

 

I just do not understand why it runs smoothly for 15 minutes and then suddenly starts rumbling. If I turn it off and restart right away then it starts rumbling right away. If I restart an hour later it waits 15 minutes before rumbling again. So I have to assume it has to do with the dryer heating up. The back of the drum where the bearing sits is very hot to the touch.

 

 pushed on the rear vent pipe and the rumbling ceased. I removed the vent hose from the back of the dryer and the rumbling noise went away but came back lighter 15 minutes later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBEpPDqODpE

huge rumble at end then the dryer ran ok again for a while.

 

 

I apologize for the long post but I really want to figure this thing out.

 

 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Run it on air fluff cycle so it doesn't heat up and see if the rumble still starts up after 15 minutes of not at all.

I suspect you have a cracked blower wheel, this is the kind of symptom you get, may be just small hair line cracks radiating out from the center hub, as it heats up it expands and starts vibrating.

[sillyrib]

I ran it on air fluff and the rumbling was still there. I ran it with the belt off the pulley for an hour on high heat and it never made a sound. The rumbling was not there until after I replaced the upper felt glides and lower felts. 

[Vance R]

16 hours ago, sillyrib said:

 pushed on the rear vent pipe and the rumbling ceased.

Something in this area is warming up and making your noise.  +1 for blower wheel, crack is most likely. Could be loose housing or on the front of the housing where the incoming duct seals.  Least likely would be motor or motor mount straps loose. You did indicate that it did not happen with belt off - no tension on the motor. 

BTW - usually the rear bearing squeaks or squeals from lack of lube. If the wear bars are still there in the bearing cup and the ball is not rough high temp grease will stop that noise. Yes they wear out and need replacing sometimes just order the whole kit.

[sillyrib]

I took it apart and replaced the drum bearing again. I remember the rear felt that's stapled on was loose at the ends the first time I did this and so I tucked it in because it was exposed to the exhaust. I undid the tuck so that it would be like it was.

I think it has something to do with the drum not being centered so that the left side has no gap and the right side has a large gap between the lower felt(not the back felt or drum guide) and the spinning drum. I tried to balance it but no matter how much I tilt it, the drum does not tilt over to center. I think the rubbing eventually causes it to start banging around.

Is there any way to get the drum centered?

 It seems to be running ok but when I restarted it the machine would run then shut off after hearing like an electrical buzz. I shifted the drum around again and it stopped doin it.

[sillyrib]

The drum will not turn with a load in it now just buzzes. If I spin the drum to help it get started then it shuts off. This is neverending. Is the motor dead now after everything else?

[Vance R]

1 hour ago, sillyrib said:

Is the motor dead now after everything else?

Could be possibly your whole problem motor bearings going out. Unhook the belt and try spinning motor by hand.

[sillyrib]

49 minutes ago, Vance R said:

Could be possibly your whole problem motor bearings going out. Unhook the belt and try spinning motor by hand.

It turns but requires some strength. Should it spin freely when I let go?

[Vance R]

1 hour ago, sillyrib said:

Should it spin freely when I let go?

Yes, the blower acts as sorta like flywheel.  Just do a quick check to make sure nothing is stuck in the blower wheel area.

[sillyrib]

Yes nothing is stuck in there all lint cleaned out. It is easier to spin turning the fan than the other side but they do not continue spinning when I let go with the belt off.

[sillyrib]

Replaced the motor today and that appears to have fixed the problem. Shout out to everyone who helped me out. Feel like I replaced everything in the machine. The hardest part of swapping the motor was removing the fan and blower housing. Lots of hidden screws and the fan does not come off easy. You have to remove the housing in order to get to the front retaining clip on the motor plus they make you buy a whole new housing when you buy the motor even though the one I had was fine.

[sillyrib]

Fail. After a few hours the rumbling is back. Someone mentioned this could be caused by microfractures in the fan blade that expand when it heats up. Is this a possibility?

[sillyrib]

The last possibility is this all started after I put the felt and drum glide on. I remember overstretching the felt so that I had to snip off the felt off about a 1/4". I wonder if this is causing the drum to distort when it heats up? I notice the felt has burn rubbing marks on the left side where it is touching the drum. The other side has a gap.

[sillyrib]

When I press on the rear ball bearing the noise goes away. starts immediately after I let go.