ALE331RCW Amana Dryer - Instructions

At first i thought i had to buy new dryer, because i did not know what to do.I said, i never done this kind of repair before, well i put everything apart and notice that the idler pulley was worn out, then i said this is something that i can fix it if i get the part. I made several calls and couldn't find it. so went in internet and found it with you.

I followed the instructions found on this site. The hardest part was figuring out how to release the clamps at the front of the dryer so I could remove the top.

The key was to unbolt the clamps at the back of the dryer first, then to use a putty knife to release the two clamps at the front of the dryer that hold the top to the front.

The rest was easy by following the steps already listed on this site and removing the two front pieces, then the drum and replacing the parts. Putting it back together was simple since I placed things in order and had taken pictures with my cell phone as I went through the process.

The time I took, included vacuuming the inside of the dryer thoroughly. Now it runs like new.

Unpluged dryer from outlet, disconnected vent, positioned dryer on side, removed screws from bottom panel, pulled pannel away from dryer body to gain access to motor. Disconnected drum belt from motor pulley, disconnected wire harness from motor. Removed motor mounting bracket assembly and placed entire assembly on floor. Removed clamps and blower assembly from old motor, installed new motor and reassembled. Very easy project, hardest part requires some trouble shooting knowledge to determine the exact cause of problem.

After taken apart to replace high limit thermostat fuse and limit thermostat took about 5 minutes. Also our dryer always ran very hot no matter what setting it was on. Replaced idler pulley wheel also because seemed not to rotate very well. Put all back together and worked perfect. Ran and does not overheat now.

watched video for Each Part

Replaced the two drum rollers and the tensioning arm roller. NOTES: 1. There are two drum rollers, the diagram seems to show only one. Recommend replacing both drum rollers and the support bracket shaft assemblies since the shafts might be scored. 2. The tensioning arm roller was actually much worse and frozen, so once you are in it is best to replace ALL three rollers. 3. I also replaced the belt since it was worse for wear from the frozen rollers. 4. The PartSelect video for the procedure is for the Whirlpool branded version of this dryer. The internal parts and construction are identical, however, the initial steps for opening up the dryer are different. On the Amana the top also tilts up, but is held down by two bolts, and not just the spring clips. Steps are: a) Remove bottom kick plate which is held in by two bolts on the lower front edge. b) remove the retention bolts that are now exposed on the front panel and remove the front panel by pulling it down from the top spring clips. c) Unbolt and remove the front drum retention panel. d) The two bolts that hold down the top can now be removed and the top panel tilted up so the drum can be lifted out after the belt is loosened. The whole process is very quick and easy. Only tricky part is fumbling around behind the motor to move the tensioning roller and arm to remove and re-install the belt. Also, I had cheap spring clip pliers so I was fumbling with the spring clips that hold the rollers on their shafts.

The belt tensioner was the problem and the belt had very fine cracks in it so I ordered four parts: the belt tensioner, belt and the two drum rollers. I had to work to clean the fan and the LARGE dust bunnies. I'm writing this to encourage others to consider installing new duct work, mine was becoming a fire hazard. At a minimum clean all the duct work. Your dryer will work so much better. Thank you for your printable help!??

Using instructions from your website, I was able to remove access covers from my driver & find the pieces that needed to be replaced. It was a simple repair job & now my dryer is working properly again.

Door switch was very easy to replace as it simply snaps in for the outside and you just clip on the two control wires that already have clips on them.

All you need for a Maytag is a snub nose Philips screw driver. The screws on the front panel are at the bottom angled down, so a regular length Phillip's won't work. Just unscrew the 2 screws, then lift the panel up and out. Careful not to pull out too far, there are 2 wires attached to the switch. The replacement switch is NOT an exact copy of the old one. My Maytag is over 30 years old and it only had 2 prongs on the switch. The new one has 3. Don't let that throw you. It is the same size. Just attach, 1 wire to the bronze connector & the other to the silver. Push the switch into the door opening, re-attach the door. Total time 20 minutes. Saved well over $100 in a service call. Anyone with an IQ above freezing can do it.

1.Unplug unit
(gas model, did not shut off)
2. Remove bottom front panel-2bolts
3 Remove main front panel-2 bolts (no need to remove door)
4. Make note of wire colors on door switch and light, disconnect
5. Remove 3 screws that hold air duct assembly(that lint filter rests in) then set main front panel aside
6. Remove lower air duct (to blower motor)-3 bolts
7. Lift and tilt-up top lid/panel of dryer and wedge wood or ? (this will give you easy access and better light)
8. Reach back behind motor to move idler pulley and remove belt from motor & idler pulley
9. Remove 4 bolts and lift up and out front bulkhead frame that holds drum in place
10. Slowly pull straight out & slightly up entire drum
11. Remove circlip/retaining ring, washer, roller, washer and shaft assembly.
12. Vacuum entire unit
13. Light lubricant on shaft when reinstall in reverse order.

Snap ring pliers and a mental note of how the belt is routed on idler will prevent unwanted profanity.
This is an inferior/substandard unit before Maytag bought them. Spend the money and replace both rollers with new shafts (about 50.00). I have spent over 140.00 in parts to keep this unit running (less than 8 years old). So do the math before you start pouring money into this model.

Replaced glides and assy idler pulley cleaned all parts fron dust and debree, vaciumed heating eliment to remove all excess lint and wool to make sure I did'nt have a fire in the lower unit.
Job was'nt all that hard just have to watch what you're doing.

Changed, got in aimed wrong direction-best to take a digital photo before you disassemble. Overtightened bolt and nut in assembly, it seized. Attempted to drill/grind it off, should have removed motor. Drill skipped up into motor windings. Could have replaced dryer, decided not, fixed by ordering motor, mount, nut and bolt and new belt idler. Reassembly was a snap till the gremlins hit again and I lost one of the drum glides. After a trip across town, I reassembled and it was good to go. Disassembly, use a screw driver to pry up the top, use the nut driver to remove upper front left and right screws, lift front forward and off bottom hooks. You have to release the wiring harness, it has four connectors. Use a sharpy marker and write the wire colors next to the plug-ins connectors you pull gently off and set the door aside. The second wires are two wires for the inner assembly which again need to be marked for color and then pulled loose. Pull them through the plastic hold down so they're out of the way. Use nut driver to remove four screws from inner drum holder, pry gently off dryer blower. Reaching around both sides of the blower housing find the belt tensioner, pull it to the right, push the belt out of it. Lift the drum out, up slightly over the back rollers. Set aside. Use the nut driver to remove the screws into the base holding the motor mount down, now lift the motor/blower assembly forward and pull gently loose from the dryer vent pipe. Set it up where you can work on it. Using the nut driver, take the screws off the blower housing, use a vise grip to secure the motor and use a 7/8 inch turning counter clockwise to remove the turbine. Use the nut driver to remove the screws holding the turbine housing in place, pop the motor clips off. Pull the motor off and remove the nut and bolt of the belt idler assembly using a wrench on the back and a socket wrench on the other side. Reverse order to reassemble, when tightening the idler arm tighten it to where you feel it stop but not any further. Put the belt around the drum again, get it in the previous location on the drum, feel around the drum to make sure belt isn't twisted, bring belt in from the back between the idler wheel and the vent pipe in a loop (Make sure the belt is behind the tension spring rather than in front), Tip the idler arm upward, use the other hand to slide the belt loop up over the motor pulley. One final note is this being a Maytag you might write these direction on the inside of the front panel for next time.

(Used joe From Beacon Falls Instructions)
UNPLUG THE DRYER FIRST
1. There are two bolts on the back of the dryer that connect the control panel and the dryer. Remove these bolts with a socket wrench and their brackets. Set aside.
2. Lift up rear of dryer top a few inches to locate two metal flanges on the front top of the dryer. Lower the back side. Now on the front of the dryer, insert the flat head of a large screwdriver (cover flat head with rag to prevent scratches) where the flanges are located and pry upward, one side at a time. It does not take much pressure until the top “pops” open. Repeat prying motion on other side of front dry to free the top.
3. The top of the dryer is now loose and can be slid backwards enough to see down the front of the dryer. Locate two screws (one on each side) inside the front panel a few inches down. Use the same socket size with wrench to remove these two screws.
4. Notice there are three wires that connect for the light on the right hand side. With care, these can remain attached. Alternately, take the time to write down the color and order and remove these now
5. Pull the front panel towards you slightly and lift up. The front panel will now come free and can be set aside. If you did not remove the wires, the front will need to be propped up close enough to the dryer so that the wires are not ripped out.
6. Remove the three Phillips Head screws located inside the dryer drum that attach the Lint Duct Assembly. Pull out the old assembly. Vacuum out if necessary.
7. Insert the new Lint Duct Assembly and secure with the three screws.
8. Reattach dryer front and top.
9. Done.

Took dryer apart, and found that the idler arm pulley was in pieces. Ordered the replacement from Partselect.com. Received part very promptly. Decided to also order a new belt, and that arrived in a very timely manner also. Put the parts in, and assembled the dryer. This was for my 90 year old grandmother, and she is ever so pleased that it is up and running again. Completed the repairs for about $50, and saved big money by doing it myself versus a service call, that would have boiled down to replacing the unit for the price it would have cost to fix. Will use partselect in the future for all my appliance repairs, as they offer a great selection of parts for all different appliances. Very pleased with satisfied with quality, and service from Partselect.com