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View Full Version : Clothes dryer drum screws fell out; How to align to replace?


NineLions
Jul 23, 2007, 11:33 AM
I've had this happen years ago with another dryer I had, but this one has been tough.

Older model Beaumark clothes dryer. Inside the drum, three screws attach the drum through a round metal plate (with circular "vent" holes) and screw into a small circular piece that rotates the drum.

Over time apparently the screws have been falling out; I found one sitting next to the dryer. Yesterday, the last one fell out. Now, is there a trick to get the holes to align so I can get the screws back in?

I've taken the top and the front panels off. The back and sides are one piece construction. Taking the top and front off allow me to see the round metal plate and the small circular piece that ultimately the screws must reach, but I cannot hold these items in alignment and slide the drum close enough to screw in all at the same time.

I tried feeding an old metal guitar string through the holes and back through another set of holes, thinking that that if I pulled while moving the drum back, the third hole would become aligned and I could get that first screw started, but no luck.

Perhaps I need one, long, thin, strong metal rod to align one set of holes, and then slide the drum back into place? Or, how else can I do this? What's the trick? :confused:

NineLions
Jul 25, 2007, 12:38 PM
Okay, solved the problem myself, so I thought I should reply in case someone else has the same problem.


I used a metal clotheshanger, cut so that I had two prongs, fed them through two of the holes of the drum, then the metal plate, and into the screw holes. Then carefully, without letting them slip out, pushed the drum backwards until the third hole showed that it was aligned. Put one screw in, and then getting the other two back in was easy.