1st attempt at any appliance repair. :o !! Drum belt was broken so replaced it yesterday but when I reassembled and turned the dryer on, the drum dragged when it rotated and there was a burning rubber smell and a strange noise. Wonder if idler pulley tension is correct or needs replacing as the "S" formation of the belt on the backside seems like the belt comes awfully close to itself as it curves back around (unlike the repair.com video) and am not sure the belt isn’t rubbing against something or itself. How do you know if the pulley needs tightening or replacing. I’ve had the dryer 18 yrs and this is its first problem. I’m NOT handy but am trying! 
Is this a simple problem to fix or should I start shopping? 
What is the part number of the new belt?
Can you describe step by step how did you replace the belt?
The idler pulley tension is spring loaded and is not adjustable. The following is the belt diagram for your dryer.
Gene.
— Begin quote from Gene;695316
What is the part number of the new belt?
Can you describe step by step how did you replace the belt?
The idler pulley tension is spring loaded and is not adjustable. The following is the belt diagram for your dryer.
Gene.
— End quote
Thanks, Gene, for responding! I will have to check on the part # but I ordered thru local appliance store–will call them and double check. I did line it up with the old ripped belt and it was even in length. The picture above is as if looking at the parts from the rear side of the dryer but of course I’m working from the front to back and can’t see all this so am working in reverse. Very confusing! I removed the 4 screws (2 each side of front of dryer) holding the big metal plate (bulkhead?) that secures the drum into the dryer casing then slipped belt over the drum with the smooth side of the belt against the drum and double checked that when done. Got lower part of belt that is not in the drum groove to the back part of the dryer.I watched ************************.com 18 times before and while doing this procedure but it was still SO awkward doing it in reverse without being able to see anything! Next-while the belt is "loose" and not against pulley wheel-yet I made sure that the portion of the belt in my left hand (the right side of the picture above)that does not do an "S" formation was slipped into the metal groove brace thingy that keeps it in line going straight up to the left (right in picture) side of drum. OK, then I used my right hand (left side of picture) and slipped the belt around the outside of the white plastic wheel pulley, then lifted the spring up so that I could shove that whole pulley wheel upward and connect the belt around the small metal wheel that’s above the white wheel and seems to be attached to the motor. Are you still with me? At that point I felt I was home free so rotated drum clockwise a couple of times, reattached bulkhead, plugged in dryer and turned motor on. The drum turned very slowly and made a noise (not too loud) but when I smelled burning rubber I stopped the operation. Then I called a handy girlfriend, she came over and we started all over. 2 things I noticed. 1) There is a lot of back and forth play (front to back of machine not side to side) in the white plastic wheel along with the metal plate that holds it in place. We didn’t know how much play should be there but noticed in videos that there seems to be a little. We tried tightening it but couldn’t really. 2) The part of the belt that goes straight up on my left side (right in drawing above) seems awfully close to the belt as it "S’s" back around and could possibly be touching the belt or could be touching the metal small wheel. It seems all too close together back there. That’s why I wondered if the tension on the pulley or maybe the coil spring isn’t right. The metal plate that the top of the coil springs are attached to (in the picture above) does not sit as high as shown in the diagram picture above so that when the whole belt is in place it pulls the white wheel further down to the left (in picture) and therefore pulls the right side (in picture) of the vertical ascending belt closer in to the rest of the operation. If that is the problem, which is what I’m believing, then I don’t know WHAT to replace! Many thanks for your help here. I really don’t want to have to call a repairman–never say die!–but will if you suggest that. OR buy a new dryer. It is 18 yrs old but I feel this is ultimately not very complicated it’s just I’ve no experience. Any help’s surely appreciated! :o
If you pull the dryer out of the wall, then you will see the access cover (#18 on the [B]diagram[/B]) on the right side. Remove the screws secured the cover to the rear panel and you can easy access the belt and pulleys.
Gene.
— Begin quote from Liv;695980
Thanks, Gene, for responding! I will have to check on the part # but I ordered thru local appliance store–will call them and double check. I did line it up with the old ripped belt and it was even in length. The picture above is as if looking at the parts from the rear side of the dryer but of course I’m working from the front to back and can’t see all this so am working in reverse. Very confusing! I removed the 4 screws (2 each side of front of dryer) holding the big metal plate (bulkhead?) that secures the drum into the dryer casing then slipped belt over the drum with the smooth side of the belt against the drum and double checked that when done. Got lower part of belt that is not in the drum groove to the back part of the dryer.I watched ************************.com 18 times before and while doing this procedure but it was still SO awkward doing it in reverse without being able to see anything! Next-while the belt is "loose" and not against pulley wheel-yet I made sure that the portion of the belt in my left hand (the right side of the picture above)that does not do an "S" formation was slipped into the metal groove brace thingy that keeps it in line going straight up to the left (right in picture) side of drum. OK, then I used my right hand (left side of picture) and slipped the belt around the outside of the white plastic wheel pulley, then lifted the spring up so that I could shove that whole pulley wheel upward and connect the belt around the small metal wheel that’s above the white wheel and seems to be attached to the motor. Are you still with me? At that point I felt I was home free so rotated drum clockwise a couple of times, reattached bulkhead, plugged in dryer and turned motor on. The drum turned very slowly and made a noise (not too loud) but when I smelled burning rubber I stopped the operation. Then I called a handy girlfriend, she came over and we started all over. 2 things I noticed. 1) There is a lot of back and forth play (front to back of machine not side to side) in the white plastic wheel along with the metal plate that holds it in place. We didn’t know how much play should be there but noticed in videos that there seems to be a little. We tried tightening it but couldn’t really. 2) The part of the belt that goes straight up on my left side (right in drawing above) seems awfully close to the belt as it "S’s" back around and could possibly be touching the belt or could be touching the metal small wheel. It seems all too close together back there. That’s why I wondered if the tension on the pulley or maybe the coil spring isn’t right. The metal plate that the top of the coil springs are attached to (in the picture above) does not sit as high as shown in the diagram picture above so that when the whole belt is in place it pulls the white wheel further down to the left (in picture) and therefore pulls the right side (in picture) of the vertical ascending belt closer in to the rest of the operation. If that is the problem, which is what I’m believing, then I don’t know WHAT to replace! Many thanks for your help here. I really don’t want to have to call a repairman–never say die!–but will if you suggest that. OR buy a new dryer. It is 18 yrs old but I feel this is ultimately not very complicated it’s just I’ve no experience. Any help’s surely appreciated! :o/quote
Then why do all the videos instruct you to access from the front to the rear? That doesn’t make sense for them to not tell you this. And, there is still the problem with the burning rubber, noise and drum not tumbling properly. A proper view of the problem but there is still a problem!
— End quote
— Begin quote from Liv;695980
Thanks, Gene, for responding! I will have to check on the part # but I ordered thru local appliance store–will call them and double check. I did line it up with the old ripped belt and it was even in length. The picture above is as if looking at the parts from the rear side of the dryer but of course I’m working from the front to back and can’t see all this so am working in reverse. Very confusing! I removed the 4 screws (2 each side of front of dryer) holding the big metal plate (bulkhead?) that secures the drum into the dryer casing then slipped belt over the drum with the smooth side of the belt against the drum and double checked that when done. Got lower part of belt that is not in the drum groove to the back part of the dryer.I watched ************************.com 18 times before and while doing this procedure but it was still SO awkward doing it in reverse without being able to see anything! Next-while the belt is "loose" and not against pulley wheel-yet I made sure that the portion of the belt in my left hand (the right side of the picture above)that does not do an "S" formation was slipped into the metal groove brace thingy that keeps it in line going straight up to the left (right in picture) side of drum. OK, then I used my right hand (left side of picture) and slipped the belt around the outside of the white plastic wheel pulley, then lifted the spring up so that I could shove that whole pulley wheel upward and connect the belt around the small metal wheel that’s above the white wheel and seems to be attached to the motor. Are you still with me? At that point I felt I was home free so rotated drum clockwise a couple of times, reattached bulkhead, plugged in dryer and turned motor on. The drum turned very slowly and made a noise (not too loud) but when I smelled burning rubber I stopped the operation. Then I called a handy girlfriend, she came over and we started all over. 2 things I noticed. 1) There is a lot of back and forth play (front to back of machine not side to side) in the white plastic wheel along with the metal plate that holds it in place. We didn’t know how much play should be there but noticed in videos that there seems to be a little. We tried tightening it but couldn’t really. 2) The part of the belt that goes straight up on my left side (right in drawing above) seems awfully close to the belt as it "S’s" back around and could possibly be touching the belt or could be touching the metal small wheel. It seems all too close together back there. That’s why I wondered if the tension on the pulley or maybe the coil spring isn’t right. The metal plate that the top of the coil springs are attached to (in the picture above) does not sit as high as shown in the diagram picture above so that when the whole belt is in place it pulls the white wheel further down to the left (in picture) and therefore pulls the right side (in picture) of the vertical ascending belt closer in to the rest of the operation. If that is the problem, which is what I’m believing, then I don’t know WHAT to replace! Many thanks for your help here. I really don’t want to have to call a repairman–never say die!–but will if you suggest that. OR buy a new dryer. It is 18 yrs old but I feel this is ultimately not very complicated it’s just I’ve no experience. Any help’s surely appreciated! :o/quote
Then why do all the videos instruct you to access from the front to the rear? That doesn’t make sense for them to not tell you this. And, there is still the problem with the burning rubber, noise and drum not tumbling properly. A proper view of the problem but there is still a problem!
— End quote
— Begin quote from Liv;696629
— Begin quote from Liv;695980
Thanks, Gene, for responding! I will have to check on the part # but I ordered thru local appliance store–will call them and double check. I did line it up with the old ripped belt and it was even in length. The picture above is as if looking at the parts from the rear side of the dryer but of course I’m working from the front to back and can’t see all this so am working in reverse. Very confusing! I removed the 4 screws (2 each side of front of dryer) holding the big metal plate (bulkhead?) that secures the drum into the dryer casing then slipped belt over the drum with the smooth side of the belt against the drum and double checked that when done. Got lower part of belt that is not in the drum groove to the back part of the dryer.I watched ************************.com 18 times before and while doing this procedure but it was still SO awkward doing it in reverse without being able to see anything! Next-while the belt is "loose" and not against pulley wheel-yet I made sure that the portion of the belt in my left hand (the right side of the picture above)that does not do an "S" formation was slipped into the metal groove brace thingy that keeps it in line going straight up to the left (right in picture) side of drum. OK, then I used my right hand (left side of picture) and slipped the belt around the outside of the white plastic wheel pulley, then lifted the spring up so that I could shove that whole pulley wheel upward and connect the belt around the small metal wheel that’s above the white wheel and seems to be attached to the motor. Are you still with me? At that point I felt I was home free so rotated drum clockwise a couple of times, reattached bulkhead, plugged in dryer and turned motor on. The drum turned very slowly and made a noise (not too loud) but when I smelled burning rubber I stopped the operation. Then I called a handy girlfriend, she came over and we started all over. 2 things I noticed. 1) There is a lot of back and forth play (front to back of machine not side to side) in the white plastic wheel along with the metal plate that holds it in place. We didn’t know how much play should be there but noticed in videos that there seems to be a little. We tried tightening it but couldn’t really. 2) The part of the belt that goes straight up on my left side (right in drawing above) seems awfully close to the belt as it "S’s" back around and could possibly be touching the belt or could be touching the metal small wheel. It seems all too close together back there. That’s why I wondered if the tension on the pulley or maybe the coil spring isn’t right. The metal plate that the top of the coil springs are attached to (in the picture above) does not sit as high as shown in the diagram picture above so that when the whole belt is in place it pulls the white wheel further down to the left (in picture) and therefore pulls the right side (in picture) of the vertical ascending belt closer in to the rest of the operation. If that is the problem, which is what I’m believing, then I don’t know WHAT to replace! Many thanks for your help here. I really don’t want to have to call a repairman–never say die!–but will if you suggest that. OR buy a new dryer. It is 18 yrs old but I feel this is ultimately not very complicated it’s just I’ve no experience. Any help’s surely appreciated! :o
— End quote
Thanks, btw, for your answer!
— End quote
The first thing you may want to do is to verify the belt proper installation through that access window. Make sure the belt ribs are facing away from the drum.
Gene.
— Begin quote from Gene;696659
The first thing you may want to do is to verify the belt proper installation through that access window. Make sure the belt ribs are facing away from the drum.
Gene.
— End quote
Yes, I was very very careful about the ribs facing away from the drum–I read several articles before attempting that said Maytags are different from most other manufacturers. So I am sure about that.
Did you verify how the belt goes around the pulleys?
I still need the part number of the new belt. If you purchased it from a local appliance parts store, you have to have an invoice.
Gene.