How to Install a Maytag Dryer Belt With the Lint Door in the Front

Basic Belt Installation Information

• The placement of a lint door on a Maytag dryer won’t prevent you from being able to replace a worn-out belt. It just means that you need to complete a few more steps to perform the replacement. The actual belt replacement process won’t change once the lint screen and housing are removed.

Obtain a New Belt

• You can order a new belt for your Maytag dryer model directly from Maytag. You also should be able to obtain a new belt for your dryer from a retailer that sells Maytag replacement parts. Regardless of where you purchase a replacement belt, you should be able to contact Maytag for belt replacement instructions or to receive guidance on how to perform the replacement without being charged for a service call.

Dryer Disassembly

• Unplug your Maytag dryer and slide it out from the wall. Lift out the lint tray and unscrew the lint door housing with a Phillips head screwdriver. Use a putty knife to separate the top access panel at one corner of the dryer and raise it up. Repeat the process at the opposite corner and lift off the panel. Use the putty knife in the same way to remove the bottom access panel: place it in one corner and twist the knife to release the clamp then repeat on the opposite side. Remove the panel and set it aside. Repair 2000 recommends that you slide a board beneath the drum to provide extra support once the panels are removed. Loosen the screws at the bottom of the front panel but don’t remove them. Remove the screws at the top of the front panel on the interior side and pull the panel toward you, as if you were opening an oven door.

Belt Installation

• Note the placement of the existing belt around the drum then slide it off. Slide the replacement belt, groove side down, around the drum. Replace the front panel’s top screws and tighten them at the bottom. Make sure the drum’s back lip rests against the seal at the rear of the dryer. Adjust the drum if it doesn’t. Start at the bottom of the dryer and wrap the doubled-up belt around the idler pulley -- a wheel attached to the dryer by a bracket. Then slide the belt around the motor next to the idler pulley. Manually rotate the drum, after the belt is completely installed, to ensure that it turns properly. Reinstall the bottom and top panels as well as the lint door housing and lint screen. Plug the dryer back into its power source and move it against the wall.