Frigidaire 131863007 Idler Arm Pulley OEM Part

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.

I have hearing in only one ear and assumed it was the drum bearing. Ordered drum bearing kit and drum pads to replace at same time. The replacement was easy and the old bearing and drum pads were well worn but this did not fix the noise. I listened more carefully and determined that the sound was coming from the rear of the dryer which indicated that it was the idler. I ordered the idler and replaced it easily. Now my 25 year old dryer is good for another 10 years. I do recall having done this repair many years ago also. Video instruction was most helpful in refreshing my memory. The difficult part was moving my washer and refrigerator to get access to the rear of the dryer.

Replaced motor and idler arm assembly. Replacing idler arm assembly did not require any tools. Recommend motor replacement and idler arm replacement at same time as both can cause noise when old and worn. See my story on motor replacement on motor information page.

Ordered rear drum bearing kit and idler arm assembly just to cover all the bases. A new belt is a must for a few dollars more.

After determining the most probable culprit was the upper glide, I decided to order that as well as the lower seal, drum bearing kit and a new belt and tensioner. I wasn't sure of the condition of the last two but figured as long as I was tearing into the thing, go ahead and replace those as well. Actually watched a few videos of the process and read some of the comments others had made so when I got to the actual repair there were no surprises. Also took the opportunity to vacuum all the lint build-up.