You might smell some faint gas from the residue in your gas line. So long as the valve is off, you’re okay. Stuff a rag in the pipe and the opening of the gas line to block the smell if it’s bothering you.
Now is a convenient time to clean any lint stuck in your duct!
Skip this step if your lint filter isn’t on top of the machine. Use a magnetic screwdriver if you can. If those screws fall down the filter, there’s no real way to get them back. You’re going to remove a lot of screws here. To keep track of everything, it may help to label your screws by setting them in labeled sandwich bags.
If you don’t see any fasteners anywhere, you likely have to pop the top panel out first to reveal the fasteners. You may be able to search your dryer model online to find instructions on removing the panels.
Once you’ve unlocked the top panel of the dryer, lift it up off of the dryer. You may need to pull the panel out a bit before you can slide it up. If the panel can’t be completely removed, prop the panel up and tie it to a rafter or fixture using wire. Once that top panel is up, you should be able to see the belt if it’s still attached. It’s the black band running around the middle of the drum. If you don’t see the belt, it probably broke and is sitting at the bottom.
Don’t cut anything. Only remove harnesses. If the wiring looks uniquely complicated or it isn’t color-coded, take photographs of the connections to ensure you can put it back together when you’re done.
You may need to slide the front panel up before you can pull it out. If there’s something holding the panel in place at the bottom, look at the bottom of the machine and remove any fasteners down there. You may need to use a nut driver attachment to remove any hex nuts if they don’t have the divots for a screwdriver on them. There may be a bulkhead supporting the drum at the bottom. If there is, remove the brackets and screws underneath to remove it.
A replacement belt shouldn’t cost more than $5-15. If the belt isn’t broken, take a photo of the assembly where it wraps around the motor. The belt wraps around two pulleys—an idler pulley that connects to the bottom frame, and the motor pulley. The idler pull might be loose and free if your old belt broke.
The sticky, grooved sides normally point down at the drum. Installation will be easiest here if the drum sits and inch or two below the
The belt should still be fairly loose. It won’t be tight until you attach the idler pulley and raise the drum up to fit in the front panel.
If the idler pulley isn’t attached to anything, look on the ground right in front of the motor. Insert the clips at the bottom of the idler pulley into the openings. The round part of the pulley should be on the left of the motor.
Slide the clips at the front of the top panel into the openings on the front panel if you removed them with a putty knife. Reinstall the screws inside of the lint filter last. This will lock your top panel in place. Give your front and top panels a gentle shake with your hands. If you feel any wiggling, reinspect all of the seams to find loose connections.
If you’re replacing the belt because it was making noise, that noise should disappear if you’ve fixed it. If the drum doesn’t spin with a new belt, your motor is probably shot. Unless your dryer is brand new and it’s still under warranty, you’re going to need to buy a new dryer.
