Kenmore Elite Dryer - model 63932

[goprog]

Or in "Sears speak" 110.63932101. I hate their website.

So I picked up a free Kenmore Elite today (didn't work).
Heavy duty, King size capacity, Quiet Pack II. Too much of
a pain to actually get it to the outlet (electric dryer).
Thought I could test it at the kitchen range outlet, but
the plug was not compatible (and found out there is no
voltage to the outlet anyway - stove is gas.)

So, just started taking it apart. The guy said he was to
afraid of messing with 240 volts. What I know is someone
had taken something apart before. Numerous sheet metal
screws missing (or half-way installed.) Springs for the
door were no longer connected.

The dryer vent where the heat is "inserted" was half full
of moldy dog food - so heat could get through the upper
half without the dog food but can't imagine what the clothes
would smell like (or mice did that after it was moved to the
garage?) Definately needed a good lint/trash cleaning.

Main problem (or at least as far as I've gotten) is the
heating element was burned out.

Question is: is it worth it to spend $60-$70 for a new
heating element from Sears? Seems to be an outrageous
price for what you get. Are there alternative sources?

Would hate to spend that much to find out the electronic
circuit board or something else is shot.

 

[jaxsunst]

Use repairclinic.com or partstap.com

I just ordered a universal join kit which includes a leveler, and inner wash plate and all the seals for my calypso for what Sears wanted for the u-joint alone.

 

[goprog]

Repair Clinic was the same cost. Partstap didn't have it (at
least their website didn't show it.) Have sent email to
Appliance Factory. Got a response from Affordable Appliance.
$10 less for new or $25 for "good quality used". I'm sort of
leaning towards the "good quality used". Or is that a bad
idea?

 

[goprog]

But found it "new in box" on ebay - $16.90 (though I think
shipping of $9.55 is high). But it might be here by Thursday.

McCombs Supply Co in Lancaster, PA.

ebay website: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/supplystuf

Just perusing their ebay shop, the prices look great. Talked
to them on the phone and they said if you need a part not listed,
you can send them an email and ask them to list it. Currently
396 various appliance parts listed.

 

[goprog]

Okay. Here is a picture of the dog food.

 

[goprog]

And a picture after removing the motor and cleaning the
cabinet. (Why stop when you've started something?)

Of course after doing this, now I have to put paint over
the bare metal places. But since the new part won't be
here until Thursday or later... There is the smallest
start of rust in the lower left bottom rail of the cabinet.
Just how hard would it have been to actually put paint on
everything when it was manufactured?????

 

[goprog]

And getting carried away - here's the one Big Bird bandaged
cut from cleaning the sharp metal edges. (It's the only one
of three that bled.)

 

[goprog]

And will it ever get back together?

 

[goatfarmer]

It wouldn't be hard to paint things when they're manufactured. But when you figure the cost to paint one base X say 20,000 dryers manufactured, it gets cost prohibitive.

With that much of the vent system clogged, I'm surprised the thermal limiter didn't go out first.

kennyGF

 

[goprog]

Question at bottom.

Further progress and "revelations".

The door safety switch was disconnected. One reason it would
do "nothing" when the start button was pushed as the guy said.

The thermal limiter was held with one screw instead of two.

The high limit, thermal cut-off switches and the thermal fuse
test good on the VOM.

Thermistor tests within limits.

So it is possible the vent blockage happened after the
machine had been stored for a year (my understanding).
Or if it happened before, perhaps some of the dogfood
came to rest against the heating element and caused it
to burn out before the thermal safeguards blew.

Door mechanism was "sprung". After reassembly, the door
would pop open. Someone had "solved" that problem by not
tightening one (or both) of the screws that held the door
on so it had some give (and thus the door rubbed against
the front panel.) This may have been because the springs
had been disconnected and the door was allowed to flop
open bending the front panel enough to keep the door from
closing and latching properly.

Can't think of what to call them, the three "shelves"
(tumblers?) in the tub - took them all out and removed
the lint buildup and lint balls from inside. The dark
shapes inside just looked too disgusting.

Cleaned up tar-looking buildup from various places.

Disassembled the front panel and repositioned the foam
gaskets that were just flapping away doing nothing.

Front two tub support idlers (at least my name for them)
were almost froze with hair/lint buildup. Below is a
picture of one of the cleaned idlers. Turns a lot better
now, but wondering.

Should there be any lubrication on the shaft or would it
just attract dirt. It appeared one of the idlers might
have had a grease of some sort, but I don't know if that
was intended or just an accident of all the crud and it
looked like grease? I would think the tub and idler
wheel would turn slow enough that it wouldn't need
a lubricant, but???

All-in-all, a lot of work on something that I don't even
know will work yet. It looks hopeful, but mostly worried
about the electronic board. We'll see. I'll have to
haul it somewhere to test it since it will probably be
easier than trying to make room to get it moved next to
my dryer outlet. (I will keep my gas dryer and put this
somewhere else.)

 

[goprog]

And any hint on the year of manufacture?

Mod: 110.63932101
Ser: MM3115797

 

[goprog]

Looking at the console, it has something saying "Tumble Free
Dryer Rack". What is this?

 

[goatfarmer]

It's a rack that fits inside the dryer, for drying items like shoes, etc.

I use a dab of "Sil Glide" on roller shafts.

kennyGF

 

[goprog]

Does the rack rotate with the dryer drum or is it a
"stationary" rack that fits inside an outer cage that
rotates with the drum?

 

[goatfarmer]

Stationary.

 

[goprog]

Part arrived from ebay seller listed above. Monday, not
Thursday as hoped. I guess it will do. The metal frame
is a bit lighter. (Might not be that big a deal unless
it warps with heat.) The construction itself is slightly
less robust. The most worrying part is the heating
element wire is 6% thinner than the original. Resistance
at least is about the same - 10 ohms.

All back together - now if I just had a place to plug it
in and test it.

 

[stricklybojack]

Hmm..

so many of these old dangling threads calling out for resolution through update by the OP.