How to Troubleshoot & Replace Whirlpool AP3790434 / 280114 Dryer Drum Felt Seal

Replaced the seal. Was an exact fit, came with sealant too ! 

Watched the video tutorial online at Appliancepartspros.com. The video for our model showed a version of the appliance that was different than ours (control board, cabinet assembly). Still, it was close enough that the video was helpful in demonstrating the steps involved in the repair. Figuring out how to disassemble the appliance as needed to remove the drum was not too difficult. 

The felt seals appear to have worn badly which caused a drag, which in turn caused the belt to slip on the motor pulley. Both the pulley and belt were ruined. Replaced the rollers at the same time, no brainer at the time. The seals, rollers, pulley, and belt were pretty simple to replace--actually very easy to repair. We have another dryer like it here and I will probably do the same to it before it has a problem. 

Replaced idler pulley, 4 drum support rollers and drum belt 

As it evolved, the felt gasket failed because the drum carriage came undone from the rear panel. It was a difficult repair, despite my mechanical skills. Lots of fasteners, of many types made disassembly a chore. After that-a breeze! Allis good. 

YouTube the repair and did it myself. 

I went on line to see what was going on, and came upon your site. GREAT resource. Found a tutorial about taking the unit apart and getting to the offending piece. Also found a chat about the wheels and other moving parts needing to be periodically changed and figured, why take it apart twice. Ordered the pully and belt replacement kit and a replacement felt drum liner. They arrived quickly, and the online tutorial was spot on. Went in quick and was easy to follow online instructions. What did we do before the internet....oh yeah, cal the "Guy". and spend $$$$. 

Installed dryer repair kit and new dryer drum felt. 

Replacing the felt seals were a bit more of a challenge than expected. They are held on with adhesive, so you have to rip the old ones off, sand off all the stuck felt and old adhesive with sandpaper and then put the new one on. It's easy to make a mess quickly with the adhesive. The best way to install the new set is to put the seal on first and then carefully lift the edge and squirt adhesive under it, doing 6 inches or so at a time. That was much, much easier than trying to apply the adhesive first and quickly put the seal on...that method takes at least 2-3 sets of hands to keep the seal from dragging through the adhesive! Other than that, the repair video was spot on... 

I spent a week looking locally for the part, not wanting to wait for it or pay shipping. No local store stocked it, including Sears Parts Direct, who you might think has everything for a Kenmore. I have referenced this site's repair videos before, so I gave them my business. The correct seal and adhesive was in my hands 2 days later. I liked being able to double check the part against the model #. The dryer video was pretty helpful. I used a power wire wheel to take the old glue/felt residue off the drum, instead of chemicals or a wire brush. The power wire wheel worked quick and thorough. I warmed the adhesive tube in hot water prior to use; it was cool weather outside. used the excess adhesive to tack parts of the front seal that looked like they were coming loose. While the dryer was apart, I thoroughly cleaned the inside cabinet, ducts, exhaust, etc. I'm surprised there aren't more dryer fires... Taking smartphone pictures of how the drive belt was configured and how it looked before disassembly (wire connections, etc.) was helpful. I ran the dryer with no load, high heat for the first time to help ensure the adhesive set without a heavy wet load of clothes in the drum. Everything seems to be working like new! Saved $250 repair call which is half the cost of a new dryer, which is what SOMEONE in the family was politicking for. I successfully resisted the 'throw away' mentality!