Dryer Blower Wheel Stripped ... a quick solution

My dryer blower wheel shaft "spins out" every few years and rattles when the dryer runs. 

You can tell that blower wheel is lose, or stripped, pretty easily because when you turn off the dryer, you can hear the wheel spinning still ... because it's not really attached to anything now.

It's easy to see why ... plastic wheel ... metal shaft ... the plastic is going to lose every time. They tried to make the wheel more resilient by providing a spring clamp that fits over the plastic hub, but it's still not enough pressure.

Since I needed to get my dryer "back on line", I devised a pretty good solution.  I will order another one and install it but will do this same thing on the new wheel.

Take the old one off (you'll need some snap ring pliers ... like these):

Using a Dremel Drill motor with a 90 degree elbow accessory and an abrasive disk

I opened up the slots that are in the center hub, kind of shows here:

The black marks in the middle show where I opened up the slots.  Then, I put it back onto the shaft, and took a piece of snap blade (about 1/2" long)

and hammered it in between the flat side of the shaft and the wheel (be careful ... sharp ... I used the Dremel grinder wheel to grind the outside straight so I could tap it in).  Then, I took a small hose clamp with a 1/4" bolt head (don't know the exact size as it was just in my junk bin)

and put it over the plastic hub and tightened it.  You'll need a 1/4" closed end ratcheting wrench like this to do the tightening:

Yes ... I know it says 3/4" in the picture ... get one that fits your clamp ... usually 1/4" ... got mine from Harbor Freight.

Anyway, once tight, reinstall the snap ring and put it back together ... good as new ... should last 10 more years until the actual motor burns out.

cheers

tpg