Squeaky Maytag Dryer

[AJ]

Complaint: Dryer makes a loud squeaky noise

Unplugged the dryer and removed the front panel. Next I removed the tumbler front and pulled the drum forward just enough to see the back drum rollers. A turned the drum rollers by hand and the one above the heating element made a bad squeaky noise.


Solution: Removed the old rollers. Cleaned up the shafts with some WD40. Replace both Drum Rollers with a couple new ones.

Model DE212

[JWWebster]

Them dang rollers are costly aint they? I woulda oiled that sucker. what is that part number 303383 or something like that? 18 bucks apiece. Pretty hefty.

[AJ]

Factory part number is 12001541
Sometime you can get by with just some WD40, but seems like anytime I try that a month later I'm right back there again for the same thing. New drum rollers the first time around works wonders for call backs.

[theoldstoveguy]

I have found Royal Purple gun & fishing reel oil works better than any oil I have ever used. It is all synthetic & holds up under heat & cold better. That roller being above the element gets excessive heat & this oil will hold up better. Hope that helps.

[JWWebster]

I will remove the roller and see if it is OK. I will sand down the shaft and oil it with zoom oil. It will be better than new.

[BrntToast]

the squeeks come from minor wear on the wheel or shaft creating a small friction point that causes stress and noise, any lube job is a temporary fix, i always change the roller, i wont change the shaft unless there is noticable wear

[theoldstoveguy]

I used zoom spout for the better part of 25+ years until I found this oil.Zoom spout will overheat above that element & is usually a call back within 30 days.I have since used this Royal Purple & never gone back on any in over a year.

[Repair-man]

That roller over the heating element will NOT overheat if the dryer has the correct exhaust hose on back and the vent run is clean. Ever notice the little sticker on back that says "Do not use duct with a thin foil wall or plastic duct"?   If the vent run is restricted, the roller above the heater will fry in a week or so.  (This also means that the dryer is likely cycling on hi-limit as well.)

Notice the brown rusty powder on top of the heater box??  That is from all the excess moisture that the dryer cannot vent out due to a restriction which causes corrosion on the bearing shaft....very clear evidence the vent is blocked. The excess moisture blown back thru the rear felt drum  seal causes the roller lubricant to be displaced very soon.

Zoom oil is still the best recommended product for drum roller shafts. If you get called back, it's because you missed a venting issue.

Here's an excerpt from page #1 of the installation instructions:


I fought this battle with many of the local retail dealers here in Austin who had become complacent with their installs, and were using foil slinky duct on the new dryers. Since I was with Customer Service at the time, I got to see all the failures that occured (usually within 8 months) due to vent problems. We finally began contemplating charging these dealers back for the service calls where the installation was not done according to the book. I started carrying the flexible metal vent on my truck just to help some of these folks out, since the dealers were still being hard-headed about using the right stuff. (They said the foil junk was cheaper to buy)

Yeah it might be cheaper, but those dudes don't have to go back and fix the dryer when it failed 8 months later. Their favorite line is "Its under warranty, you have to call Maytag"    That gave me the opportunity to see this form of abuse first-hand. Of course, there's always the dark side...perhaps these dealers wish to inspire a little "planned obsolescence" into their service program. Rest assured, there will be repairs needed soon enough with the wrong setup. The good stuff is pictured below, and while it might cost a buck more, will serve the dryer well over the years.