Do-It-Yourself Story

The very easy diagnosis was motor seizure. Because the machine is about a decade old, I decided to renovate most of the guts. My DIY project included replacing the motor, blower, drum bearing, belt, and door hinge. The end result is a functional dryer with no left-over parts. Lack of parts and hardware challenged the effort. For example, the blower assembly did not have the slide capture for the motor. I had to use the old one which is showing its age. With the exception of the drum bearing kit, no parts come with any replacement hardware. I found during disassembly that a few screws were completely missing (lost to antiquity I suppose). So, multiple trips to the garage sifting through my hardware stash consumed time. Once assembled (motor and blower) the blower housing did not align with the blower fan. I had to shim the blower housing with two # 12 washers to make the new motor/blower assembly work. Of course that time-consuming process required trial-and-error and naturally longer screws. I ordered the door glide thinking that I was ordering the complete guide. Nope. You need to order two of them. So replacing the glide will be for another time. Installing the other parts was mostly intuitive. My suggestions for an extensive appliance repair job are as follows. Be sure you read the APP description for every part you are ordering. Understand that what's NOT specifically listed is probably NOT included -even critical items not firmly attached to the assembly you're ordering (like hardware, clips, clamps, etc). Accumulate an assortment of #8 and #12 sheet metal screws (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch long) before starting any appliance repair project. Use a small fishing lure box to keep the screws sorted for re installation. The actual DIY project is relatively easy, but missing screws and ill-fitting parts add challenge. Take it slow. Do not consider it an evening project unless you enjoy hands-on frustration just before going to bed.