MDE16CSAZW Maytag Dryer - Overview

From the first time the motor buzzed (but dryer tumbler then started to turn), 2 weeks elapsed for the dryer drum to stop turning altogether. If this occurs, DO NOT continue to push the start button because the motor armature wiring will heat up and the insulation will begin to melt and smell - a SAFETY HAZARD. Unplug dryer and lockout/tagout as appropriate.

Through basic troubleshooting, discovered the motor had seized up. Since the unit was about 10 years old and it had to be disassembled for replacement, the decision was made to replace "likely to fail mechanical components including motor, belt, both rear drum rollers/shafts, idler arm pulley/assembly/wheel, associated washers, snap rings and both front glides. Reviewed the PartSelect website and drawings, ordered the parts and they delivered on time. Buy the correct sized snap rings at a local hardware, they're much less expensive. Also once inside your dryer, you'll likely find alot of lint to vacuum out...have fun.

I went online and Googled several resources that showed how to remove the front dryer panels, as well as PartSelect repair stories. From that point on, I took photos as I was disassembling so I would know how to put it back together. Utilize pictures or whatever system you prefer to keep track of taking something apart and putting it back together.

Remove the dryer door, then the front panel Disconnect wires to the light, dryness sensor and door switch. Note belt and pulley configuration that is near the motor-this will help you later when reinstalling the belt. Also note if the ribbed side or the flat side of the belt is against the outer drum wall. Remove the door shroud.

Slip the belt off the idler pulley wheel. Remove front drum support, then dryer drum Note which end of the dryer drum is the front and the orientation of the glides on the drum support. Discard old belt. Drill out and remove the old front glide supports, then install/rivet the new glides.

Remove both old rear drum rollers/shafts, washers, etc. The rear drum roller shafts are secured to a back bracket by a hex nut....feel around you'll figure it out. Replace new roller shafts. Lightly grease using a high quality silicon grease, then replace new washers, roller, snap ring, etc

Carefully unplug wiring harness on motor, there are fragile clips on each end. Don't forget a separate ground wire from the harness is attached to the motor mount bracket. Carefully release tension on the idler arm spring. Using the correct size nut driver, remove three screws (on this model) then take out the motor/idler arm assembly. Remove the old idler arm/pulley assembly. Remove the motor mount clips on each end of the mount (I used a wide blade screwdriver). Remove and replace the motor. Motor configurations changed after Whirlpool bought Maytag, so orient it correctly insuring mounting gasket "nubs" on each end of the motor correspond to the cutouts on the motor mount. Reinstall the motor mount clips. Replace the new idler arm assembly/pulley wheel; grease moving parts with high quality wheel bearing grease. Replace motor/mount bracket assembly back into the dryer. Replace ground wire to motor mount bracket and plug wiring harness back in. Reinstall idler arm spring.

Place belt back on the dryer drum and move into place on rear rollers. Reinstall front drum support. Dryer drum should turn relatively easy. Insure belt is oriented on the drum correctly before connecting belt to motor shaft end and idler arm wheel pulley (the picture you took comes in handy here).

Reinstall the rest of the parts in reverse.

removed door, removed screws to lift top panel, removed screws that held old baffles, replaced with new baffles, took off front panel and cleaned out excess lint while I was in there.

I've never even opened this dryer before so I looked at one of the installation videos PartSelect has. I found one using my model, which made it really easy. I removed the front panel and door, then lifted the top of the dryer up on it's hinges: that's a great feature because you need the top out of the way to remove the drum. I took the belt off the drum, lifted it up and pulled it straight out. I did buy a pair of snap ring pliers to remove the snap ring off the drum support shaft. I think you really must have those to remove and replace the rings. Be careful when removing the snap rings. I shot the first one across the room like it was a rubber band. We had a good laugh. I used a wrench to hold the nut on the backside of the roller shaft and unscrewed it. I screwed the new roller shafts on, slipped the drum rollers on them, then carefully used the snap ring pliers to place the rings on the front of the shaft to hold the rollers on. While I had the unit opened up, I figured I should go ahead and replace the multi rib belt. I put the ribbed side on the drum and sat the drum on the rollers . The tricky part is now getting down on the ground, reaching under the drum for the belt. Make sure the belt isn't twisted anywhere on the drum or in your hands while you pull the belt under the idler pulley. Hold the belt ribbed sides together while feeding the belt under the pulley. It takes a good deal of strength to move the pulley over so you can hook the end of the belt on the shaft. Once you've gotten that attached, put your hand inside the drum and rotate it a few times to make sure you connected it properly and that you placed the belt in the right spot on the drum. It was easy to see the black stripe around the drum where I'd taken off the old one.