Paul for Model Number MDG6200AWW My dryer has been having trouble tumbling. When the dryer starts, the drum will turn 3/4 way and then almost come to a complete stop, then repeat that motion. As first I thought the belt might have slipped into one of the grooves on the drum, that however was not the case. Under normal operation, does the idler pulley itself turn freely, or is it fixed in a certain position? If indeed the pulley has to move, then I can say that the pulley in my dryer has seized up. The idler pulley on the dryer is a little odd in its design. Instead of having a complete circle groove around, the pulley has a angled cutout that only goes around a bit less than half way around. The rest of the pulley is flush with no groove. Here is what I think is happening. After I repositioned the belt back into its proper alignment on the drum. I believe the idler pulley is causing excessive rubbing on the belt (hence it being seized up) thus causing the sudden rotation slowdowns. Will replacing the idler pulley be sufficient enough? Or will the idler arm with washers and c-clamp also need to be replaced? Thanks.
Answer Hello Paul, The idler pulley (AP4373393) should in no way be stationary. If it is seized, you should probably replace the belt (AP4043963) and both drum rollers (AP4008534), (two of these), at the same time since they tend to fail within 3 months or so of each other. Be sure to clean the sticky residue off of the roller shafts for both the idler pulley and the drum rollers with rubbing alcohol and paper towels. If flat spots are worn on the drum roller shafts you can loosen the 1/2 inch nut on the back of them and rotate them to a position that is round and they will not have to be replaced yet. Be careful doing this since they can be tight and you can get a nasty cut when they break loose. WEAR GLOVES! The idler arm will not need to be replaced unless a flat spot is worn on it also. Read More... Answered by AppliancePartsPros.com | Friday, June 28, 2013