Hi - I made a reply comment above because I was still in the discovery phase of my dryer, a Kenmore 800 series…I think also referred to as Elite. But that doesn’t matter….here are the findings and resolution on mine in case it is helpful for you.
# My motor was bad. These dryer motors don’t use a “starting capacitor” like some of us electrical types might expect. Instead it uses a separate “Start Winding” on the motor to get it going. Bad start winding…motor needs to be replaced. As everybody agrees, if your drum runs normal after a manual push….the start winding is bad….period.
# It’s important to consider the root-cause of the start winding going bad. Turns out my dryer had a seized idler pulley. The pulley was completely seized and the belt was dragging across the pulley and wore through most of it. My wife reported strange drum/rotation sounds many months ago. So my conclusion is that the pulley started seizing MANY months ago and the motor has had to endure those tough starts for all that time…..and continued to dry that way without ever breaking the belt or failing!! So we can credit the great motor and kevlar belt for doing all that extra work…..and no credit for the piece of crap pulley that used to last 50 years on old dryers!!
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CONCLUSION: if your dryer hums, but the drum will start running with a manual push (while holding door switch), then you need the motor…probably a #279787. Unless your motor failed because you’re throwing 150-LBS of wet clothes in it…there is probably another issue in there, so I would recommend an automatic change of the belt and the pulley. If you’re taking the whole thing apart…you might as well have the parts you will probably need.
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CONCLUSION: if your dryer hums, but the drum will start running with a manual push (while holding door switch), then you need the motor…probably a #[link|https://www.ifixit.com/products/whirlpool-dryer-drive-motor-279787|279787]. Unless your motor failed because you’re throwing 150-LBS of wet clothes in it…there is probably another issue in there, so I would recommend an automatic change of the belt and the pulley. If you’re taking the whole thing apart…you might as well have the parts you will probably need.
Hi - I made a reply comment above because I was still in the discovery phase of my dryer, a Kenmore 800 series…I think also referred to as Elite. But that doesn’t matter….here are the findings and resolution on mine in case it is helpful for you.
# My motor was bad. These dryer motors don’t use a “starting capacitor” like some of us electrical types might expect. Instead it uses a separate “Start Winding” on the motor to get it going. Bad start winding…motor needs to be replaced. As everybody agrees, if your drum runs normal after a manual push….the start winding is bad….period.
# It’s important to consider the root-cause of the start winding going bad. Turns out my dryer had a seized idler pulley. The pulley was completely seized and the belt was dragging across the pulley and wore through most of it. My wife reported strange drum/rotation sounds many months ago. So my conclusion is that the pulley started seizing MANY months ago and the motor has had to endure those tough starts for all that time…..and continued to dry that way without ever breaking the belt or failing!! So we can credit the great motor and kevlar belt for doing all that extra work…..and no credit for the piece of crap pulley that used to last 50 years on old dryers!!
CONCLUSION: if your dryer hums, but the drum will start running with a manual push (while holding door switch), then you need the motor…probably a #279787. Unless your motor failed because you’re throwing 150-LBS of wet clothes in it…there is probably another issue in there, so I would recommend an automatic change of the belt and the pulley. If you’re taking the whole thing apart…you might as well have the parts you will probably need.