How to Replace the Idler Pulley, Drum Belt and Rear Drum Bearing on a Simpson, Westinghouse or Electrolux Vented Dryer

Quick answer: Replacing the idler pulley, drum belt and rear drum bearing on a Simpson, Westinghouse or Electrolux vented dryer is about an hour’s work with the front or top panel off. Unplug the dryer, open the cabinet, photograph the belt routing, lift the drum out, swap the rear bearing and idler pulley, fit the new belt to match your photo, then reassemble and test. All three parts come out in the same strip-down, which is why they are sold as one kit for the 39S, SDV, LD and EDV families.

Find your exact part

Last updated September 2026

A single 8 uF dryer run capacitor fits 67 documented dryer models across Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux — and the same three brands share the 0542377026 rear drum bearing.

Which kit matches your dryer

Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux vented dryers share one platform and the same three wear parts: a 1930 mm six-rib drum belt (0198300010), an idler tension pulley (0197300040) and a rear drum bearing (0542377026). We bundle all three into one kit per brand family, priced $10 below buying the three parts separately. Check your model number on the model sticker against the list below.

Brand and models	Kit
Simpson 39S500M, 39S600M, 39P400M (EZIset and EZIloader) and SDV401, SDV501, SDV601, SDV556HQWA	Simpson Dryer Belt, Idler Pulley and Rear Drum Bearing Kit
Westinghouse LD500B, LD505EB, LD605EB, LD352A, LD353A, LD503A, LD504A, LD505A, LD515A Electrolux EDV505, EDV5051, EDV5552, EDV6051, EDV605S, EDV605HQWA, EDV6552, EDE605A	Westinghouse & Electrolux belt, pulley & bearing kit

Pick the kit listed for your brand; both carry the same three parts. If your model is not in the table, use the part finder or send us your model number and we will check. All bundled kits sit in the Repair Kits category.

Before you start: safety and tools

1. Unplug the dryer at the wall — do not rely on the on/off switch or the door switch — and let it cool if it has just run.
2. If the dryer is wall-mounted, get a second person and lift it down onto a bench or the floor; do not work on it overhead.
3. You need Phillips and flat screwdrivers, a socket or nut-driver set, a torch, a vacuum, a screw container and your phone camera.
4. Unpack the kit and compare each old part against its replacement as it comes off: belt length and rib count, pulley shape, bearing form.

Phase 1: Open the cabinet

1. Photograph the outside first: panel joins, screw heads, door and control panel.
2. The front panel or the top panel comes off first depending on the model, and fastener positions differ between the 39S, SDV, LD and EDV families — note the screw positions, photograph each stage before removing anything, and keep each panel’s screws separate.
3. Where a panel carries wiring (door switch, drum lamp, control loom), photograph the connectors, then unplug them or rest the panel aside without straining the wires.
4. Vacuum lint out as the cabinet opens; lint packed around the motor and idler pulley is a fire risk and hides fasteners.

Phase 2: Take the drum out

1. Photograph the belt routing from two angles — where it sits on the drum, how it drops to the motor pulley, which side of the idler pulley it passes — even if the belt has snapped.
2. Ease the idler arm against its spring to release tension and slip the belt off the motor pulley, noting which way the spring pulls.
3. Support the drum with both hands and draw it clear, taking care not to tear any front support pads or seals it rides on.
4. Inspect the belt track for glazing, rust or a worn groove, and the rear shaft for scoring; a new bearing on a scored shaft will not run quietly.

Phase 3: Replace the rear drum bearing

1. The rear drum bearing sits at the centre of the back panel, where the drum’s rear shaft rides. Photograph it in place: which way round it sits and whether it is held in a separate support.
2. Lever or pull the old bearing clear without cracking the support, and compare it with the new 0542377026 rear drum bearing to confirm the shape and size match.
3. Clean the seat and shaft. If the support is cracked or worn oval, a bearing alone will not cure the noise; a combined bearing-and-support assembly is listed for the Electrolux EDV505 and EDV605S.
4. Seat the new bearing fully, the same way round as the old one. Do not pack it with ordinary grease, which thins in dryer heat and migrates onto the belt.

Phase 4: Replace the idler pulley

1. The idler pulley is the small wheel on a spring-tensioned arm near the motor. Photograph the arm, pulley and spring before touching anything.
2. Spin the old pulley by hand: stiff, gritty, wobbling or with a flat worn into the rim explains a squeal or a belt that keeps stretching. The new 0197300040 idler pulley should spin freely and silently.
3. Release whatever retains the pulley on its arm (your photo shows what and where), swap in the new pulley and refit the retainer. The arm must swing freely and the spring must return it.
4. Spin the motor pulley by hand too; a rough or noisy motor shaft is outside what this kit fixes.

Phase 5: Route and fit the new drum belt

1. Loop the new belt around the drum on the same track as the old one, ribbed face against the drum, before the drum goes back in — far easier than threading it afterwards.
2. Slide the drum back so its rear shaft sits in the new bearing and the front rests on its supports; it should sit square and turn by hand without catching.
3. Route the belt around the motor pulley and idler pulley exactly as your photo shows: ease the idler arm against its spring for slack, slip the belt on, then let the arm take up the tension.
4. Turn the drum through several full revolutions. The belt should stay centred and not walk toward either edge; if it creeps, the routing is wrong or the belt has a half-twist. A twisted belt, or ribs facing outward, feels fine by hand and screams under load — fix it now, not after the panels are on.

Phase 6: Reassemble and test

1. Refit the panels in reverse order using your photos, reconnecting every connector and any earth lead you disturbed.
2. Before the last screws go in, plug in and run the dryer empty for two or three minutes: a squeal points to belt or pulley, a rumble to the rear bearing, a thump to an unseated drum. Unplug again before touching anything.
3. Fit the remaining screws, then run a damp towel through a cycle and check for steady drum speed and heat.
4. Refit to the wall bracket if used, and clean the lint filter.

Why replace all three in one go

The three parts load each other. A stiff idler pulley drags on the belt, so a new belt squeals within weeks and glazes its ribs. A rough rear drum bearing makes the drum harder to turn, so the belt stretches and slips. Fit a belt alone and you may be opening the cabinet again inside a year, and the strip-down is the same whether you change one part or three. That is the case for the Simpson kit and the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit.

The honest exception: if the belt snapped on a low-hours dryer, the pulley spins freely and the drum has no play at the back, a belt alone is reasonable — the Simpson and Westinghouse 1930 mm belt and the Electrolux sensor-dryer drum belt are the same 0198300010 part sold singly, and our belt-only replacement guide covers that job. The kit also does not fix a drum that will not turn while the motor hums — that usually points to the run capacitor; see our capacitor-versus-belt-versus-bearing guide and the 8 uF run capacitor these brands share.

If you fitted a belt already and the noise came back, our idler pulley and belt squeal article explains what was missed; for vented, condenser and heat-pump dryers in general, see the drum belt replacement guide.

Related guides: Westinghouse spare parts guide · dryer spare parts guide

Frequently asked questions

Only my belt snapped. Do I really need the pulley and bearing as well?

Not always, but check both first. Spin the idler pulley: stiffness, grit or wobble will chew a new belt. Rock the drum at the back: play or a rumble means the rear bearing is going. If either fails, the kit saves a second strip-down and is priced $10 below buying the three parts separately.

How long does the job take?

About an hour with the front or top panel off. Most of that is opening and closing the cabinet; the swaps are quick once the drum is out.

Which way round does the drum belt go?

Ribbed face against the drum, on the same track as the old belt, routed around the motor pulley and idler pulley exactly as your photo shows. A twist, or ribs facing outward, is the usual reason a new belt squeals straight away.

Is the Simpson kit the same as the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit?

Both contain the same three parts — the drum belt, the idler pulley and the rear drum bearing — because the brands share the platform. Choose the Simpson kit for 39S500M, 39S600M, 39P400M and SDV models and the Westinghouse and Electrolux kit for LD, EDV and EDE605A models, then confirm your model number on the model sticker against the kit’s model list.

I fitted a new belt and it still squeals. What did I miss?

Almost always the idler pulley or the rear drum bearing: a stiff pulley squeals against the belt and glazes it; a dry rear bearing squeals as the drum turns and drags the belt into slipping. Spin the pulley, rock the drum, and replace whichever is rough — or both while you are in there.

Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.