Mid-90s Maytag Dryer rumbling noises

[hereitgoes]

My dryer has been rumbling for awhile, but the clothes still got dry just fine. I researched it best I could, and found a number of posts over the net that say it's most likely the blower wheel.

Here's the problem - I just had a job change and hadn't yet gotten the model number of the dryer to order the part. In the past 2 weeks, the noise has diminished. Today I noticed the clothes are not as dry as they should be for the time they were in the dryer. A couple of loads were on auto dry and were not completely dry (jeans and sweatshirts - not unusual but wetter than normal). The last load was put in for 50 minutes and were still pretty wet when I opened the door.

It is still spinning and the clothes are piping hot, but something is affecting the dry time. Even though it's winter, I dry what I can outside, but that's definitely weather dependent for the next month at least.

I'd still like to try and fix it, if I haven't killed it by waiting too long. Any ideas besides that blower wheel?

Thank you!

 

[coldspot66]

Blower wheel is a press fit onto the motor shaft. It does loosen after awhile, and you will notice a rumbling noise on start up and stopping. It sounds like the center of the wheel is not connected at all to the motor shaft. Change the blower wheel; part # is Y303836. It also comes with a new clamp. provide a model # and series # to be sure this is the right blower wheel.

 

[hereitgoes]

That was quick! I will get the model # tomorrow. Could that be the cause of the poor drying now? Or maybe it's the extreme cold and wind coming back through the vent.

Thanks!

 

[stevet]

Yes and yes!

I was having the same noises coming from our dryer but it was still drying well. The motor shaft has a flat on it and the blower wheel has a matching flat. The blower wheel often splits right at that flat due to the starting torque of the motor. Even with the spring clamp on it will still split. I had a dryer back in the early 2000's do that and now this one, both Maytags. I would think other brands could have the same problem at some point in their service lives.

With the wheel not turning as fast as the motor the dryer will not pull the air through the drum and the clothes will not dry or take forever to do so.

The part number mentioned fits many Maytags and I got mine for less than 5 bucks with free shipping on Ebay. Look there first. No need to spend over 30 bucks for it from Whirlpool.

This will be a good opportunity for you to take the blower apart and clean it and the dryer itself while you have the front cover off. Do make sure that you disconnect the power or turn of the circuit breaker before sticking your hands in the machine.

 

[goatfarmer]

Usually takes me a half hour or so to do the job, it's pretty straight forward.

 

[combo52]

Loose Blower Wheels In Home Clothes Dryers

I believe Frigidaire was the first company to use this lousy way to a attach a dryers blower wheel-fan to the dryers motor when they introduced the FD Skinny-Mini around 1969. FD then attached the blower in all their full sized 1-18 dryers this way as well through the 70s.

 

Maytag started this crappy practice of attaching a blower this way when they introduced their new style dryer in 1974 for commercial use and then for all their dryers when the HOH dryer was abandoned around 1976.

 

Maytag had so much trouble with this system that we were even contacted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission about 20 years ago because they were thinking about forcing MT to do a safety recall on their dryers because of the inherent danger of having a gas or 240 electric dryer running where the fan had separated from the motors shaft.

 

Every dryer maker that used this cheap way of attaching the blower wheel in their dryers had problems with it. No decent dryer ever took this cost shortcut, WP GE-HP, Speed Queen, pre 80s Norges, Even Westinghouse never took a short cut like this.

 

To MTs credit when they came out with their 27" wide dryers in the late 90s they improved the attachment by making the flat area on the motors shaft larger which helped keep the blower wheel from stripping loose so easily and they finely got it right in the last year of producing dryers by molding in a threaded metal insert into the BW like WP and nearly everyone else had done for over 50 years.

 

FN; a MT blower wheel is the perfect replacement for a FD 1-18 dryers blower which is NLA, FD did not have as much trouble with loose blowers as MT did due to their use of a better clamp to hold the BW in place, [ also FD 1-18 dryers did not last nearly as long as MT dryers for many other reasons ]

 

John L.

 

[hereitgoes]

Thanks for all the comments!

The model # is LDE8604ACE

I usually get parts from Repair Clinic - you said eBay?

 

[goatfarmer]

EBay is probably cheaper.

 

[askolover]

part # Y303836

$7+change on ebay link below.  On my mother's, I used a small worm gear hose clamp when I replaced it...10 years ago...no problems since.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[combo52]

Maytag Blower Wheel Clamp

You are much better off using the steel spring clamp that MT used because it will keep constant tension on the attachment of the blower wheel on the motors shaft as the blower heats and cools.

 

[hereitgoes]

Fixed!!

Got a chance to do the repair Saturday - the dryer is great now! It just has an odd humming noise from the back (I think).

Clothes are drying quickly and oddly enough, even the lint looks better. It was really fluffy and outside the lint catcher for the past couple of weeks.

Thank you!!

 

[vacerator]

Since you have the thing apart,

also replace the drum rollers and belt while you are at it.
You'll have a like new dryer.
If the igniter or burner solenoids fail, they are accessable through the trap door in the lower right corner of the front.

 

[combo52]

Replace The Drum Rollers While You Are At It ?

There is no point of replacing parts that are not showing signs of wear, the motor is the biggest thing to worry about on an older clothes dryer, replacing parts that are working perfectly well will not make the dryer run any better or last any longer, it only enriches Whirlpool, LOL.

 

John L.