Installing a belt on a GE dryer

The top and front are off the machine and I have the new belt, but, from the front of the machine, I can't get my arm into the half-inch crack to loop it around the motor and idler pulleys. When I lift the front of the drum with a wooden pry bar to get my manly arm in, it raises the drum far enough that the belt won't reach the motor. Is there a special tool needed to do this "easy" job?

Also I have the drawing showing how the belt runs through the idler and motor, but the actual idler is nothing like the drawing. The drawing shows the idler pulley to be mounted on a semicircular bracket with a coil tension spring pulling to the left (as seen from the rear). The idler pulley itself is shown to the left and above the motor pulley about one pulley diameter away. The actually idler is mounted to a "stinger," a single prong mounted to the base of the machine and positioning the idler pulley about 2-3 inches up and to the right of the motor pulley (as seen from the rear). The actual idler would have to be 6 inches away from where it is now to get into that configuration. Is there that much tension on the belt or am I looking at the wrong drawing? If the belt were installed over the motor pulley, it looks like the idler would engage the back side of the belt and apply only minimal tension.

The GE model number is DDE5300BBLWH

 

There should be a acess panel in the rear

 

Thanks! That did the trick.

I was trying to avoid pulling the thing all the way out. Our dryer is in the corner of the garage. We're remodeling so the garage is temporary storage for the things that will go back into the house. There are a couple of door frames right in front of the dryer temporarily.

Boy howdy! They don't want that access panel to fall off accidentally. Considering how few little screws hold the top and front on, that back panel is well secured ten sturdy sheet metal screws.

Thanks again. It is easy when you know how, like most things.