Appliance Spares
Quick answer: The most common cause of a Simpson 39S500M, 39S600M or 39P400M dryer squealing, or the drum turning slowly or not at all while the motor runs, is a worn drum belt, a stiff idler pulley or a dry rear drum bearing — usually more than one at once. Replacing all three is about a one-hour job with the front panel off, and one kit covers the trio for the 24 Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux models below. If the motor only hums, test the run capacitor first. Here is how to confirm the fault before buying anything.
Last updated August 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. That is why one belt, pulley and bearing kit is listed against Simpson EziLoader and EziSet dryers, the SDV series, and their Westinghouse LD and Electrolux EDV equivalents.
Our Simpson dryer service kit guide covers the fan belt, bearing support and capacitor for the same dryers. This article is about the drum-drive trio: the belt that turns the drum, the idler pulley that keeps it tight, and the small rear bearing the drum spins on.
Which Simpson, Westinghouse and Electrolux dryers this kit is listed for
Match the model number on your model sticker to the table. If yours is not there, send us the model number and we will check before you order.
| Brand | Model numbers the kit is listed for |
|---|---|
| Simpson | 39S500M, 39S600M, 39P400M, SDV401, SDV501, SDV601, SDV556HQWA |
| Westinghouse | LD352A, LD353A, LD503A, LD504A, LD505A, LD515A, LD500B, LD505EB, LD605EB |
| Electrolux | EDE605A, EDV505, EDV5051, EDV5552, EDV6051, EDV605HQWA, EDV605S, EDV6552 |
 Kit for all 24 models above | Simpson Dryer Belt, Idler Pulley & Rear Drum Bearing Kit — 0198300010 drum belt (1930 mm, 6-rib) + 0197300040 idler pulley + 0542377026 rear drum bearing |
The three parts are identical across the three brands. The kit is priced $10 below buying the three parts separately and sits in our Repair Kits range.
The symptom ladder: what the noise is telling you
These dryers fail in a recognisable order; the rung you are on decides what you need.
- Squeal or screech on start-up that eases after a few minutes. Almost always the idler pulley or the rear drum bearing running dry.
- Constant chirp, or a rhythmic rumble from the back of the drum. The rear bearing is worn enough that the drum runs rough, drops at the rear and starts to rub, and the belt begins to slip.
- Drum turns slowly, stalls with a full load, or clothes come out warm on top and damp underneath. A stretched or glazed belt slipping on the motor pulley, often because a stiff idler is no longer holding tension.
- Burning-rubber smell, sometimes with black dust inside the cabinet. The belt is dragging over a pulley that has stopped turning freely. Stop using the dryer until it is fixed.
- Motor hums but the drum does not move — or the drum spins freely by hand. A free-wheeling drum means the belt has snapped or come off. A hum with a drum that still has drag points at the run capacitor rather than the belt (see below).
How to confirm the fault before you order
Unplug the dryer at the wall first; all but the hand-spin check need the front panel off.
- Hand-spin the drum. Smooth and slightly firm is normal. Free-wheeling with no drag means the belt is off or broken. Gritty, notchy or noisy means the rear bearing.
- Look at the belt. A healthy six-rib belt is matt black with sharp ribs. Shiny glazed flats, cracks across the ribs, frayed edges or missing ribs mean it is finished.
- Spin the idler pulley by hand with the belt slid off it. It should turn silently and freely. If it chirps, drags, feels rough or rocks on its pin, it is worn.
- Check the rear bearing. With the drum out, look at the bearing where the drum’s rear spindle rides. Scoring, an oval hole or a ring of fine dust means it is worn.
Why replace all three at once
The three parts wear against each other, which is why fitting one at a time keeps bringing the same fault back:
- A new belt on a stiff idler pulley squeals again within weeks and glazes itself on the pulley that will not turn freely.
- A rough rear drum bearing makes the drum drag, which stretches and slips the belt even when the belt is new.
- A new idler pulley under a glazed belt still slips under a full load.
All three are reachable in the same strip-down. Once the drum is out, swapping the pulley and the bearing adds minutes, not another hour — which is the case for one kit covering all three: one order, one job.
The kit contains the same three items we sell individually — the 1930 mm EziSet and EziLoader drum belt, the idler (tension) pulley and the rear drum bearing. A single part still makes sense if the belt has simply snapped on a dryer whose pulley spins silently and whose drum turns smoothly with the belt off. Anything with a squeal or rumble behind it is a kit job.
One limit: the kit does not include the support the rear bearing sits in. If that is cracked, there is a separate rear drum bearing and support listed for the 39S500M, 39S600M and 39P400M.
Fitting the kit: about an hour with the cabinet open
You need a screwdriver set, a torch and a phone for photos. Allow an hour, more if the dryer has to come off the wall — a two-person lift.
- Unplug the dryer. If it is wall-mounted, lift it down onto a towel on the floor with a helper.
- Photograph the belt route around the motor pulley and the idler before you touch anything.
- Remove the front panel (on some of these cabinets the top comes off first), unclipping any door-switch wiring as the panel comes away.
- Ease the idler pulley against its tension to slacken the belt, slide the belt off the motor pulley, then lift it off the drum.
- Lift the drum forward and out, noting how it sits at the front and back.
- Fit the new rear drum bearing where the old one came out, and check the support it sits in for cracks while it is exposed.
- Swap the idler pulley for the new one on its bracket.
- Loop the new belt around the drum with the ribbed side against the drum, refit the drum, then route the belt past the idler and around the motor pulley exactly as your photo shows. Spin the drum by hand: smooth, quiet, even drag.
- Refit the door-switch wiring and the front panel, plug in and run the dryer empty for a few minutes.
Not keen? Many owners buy the kit and hand it to a local repairer, which keeps the labour to a single visit.
When it is not the belt: the run capacitor
If the drum has proper drag by hand, the belt looks healthy and the idler spins freely, but the motor only hums when you press start, the drive parts are not your problem. The motor’s 8 uF run capacitor helps the motor start and run; when it fades, the motor hums and may trip off. Do not fit one “just in case” alongside the kit unless the hum test points to it. Our capacitor vs belt vs bearing guide covers the full decision tree. No hum at all means the fault is upstream of the motor — door switch, thermal cut-out or timer.
See also our guides to the idler pulley and drum belt squeal fix and to replacing the drum bearing on the same Simpson and Electrolux dryer families.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is the same kit listed for the Westinghouse LD and Electrolux EDV dryers, or only the Simpson models?
A: The kit is listed for all 24 models in the table — seven Simpson, nine Westinghouse and eight Electrolux — because all three brands use the same 0198300010 drum belt, 0197300040 idler pulley and 0542377026 rear drum bearing. If your model is not in the table, send it to us and we will check.
Q: How do I tell whether it is the belt, the idler pulley or the rear bearing?
A: Unplug the dryer and hand-spin the drum: no resistance means the belt is off or broken; a gritty or notchy feel means the rear bearing. Then slide the belt off the idler and spin the pulley alone — any chirp, drag or rocking means it is worn. Because the three wear together, the belt, pulley and bearing kit is the usual answer once the dryer is a few years old.
Q: The motor hums but the drum will not turn. Is that the belt?
A: Only if the drum spins freely by hand. If the drum still has drag and the belt is intact, the hum points to the 8 uF run capacitor (part 0588400004 on these dryers), which is a separate part and not in the kit. If the dryer is completely silent, look at the door switch or thermal cut-out instead.
Q: Can I just replace the belt and leave the pulley and bearing?
A: Yes, if the belt has snapped on a dryer whose idler spins silently and whose drum turns smoothly with the belt off. If there was any squeal or rumble before the belt went, a new belt on a stiff pulley or a rough bearing usually squeals again within weeks — which is why the kit is priced $10 below buying the three parts separately.
Q: Where is the model number on these dryers?
A: On the model sticker — check around the door opening first, then the back of the cabinet. Photograph it and compare it with the table above before you order.
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.
