Just replaced the belt no problems.
I got the belt, ordered from http://www.hotpoint-spares.co.uk and they sent it out very quickly.
The replacement was much wider than the old one (which is great).
1.Took the top off (two screws at rear/top), slide to rear.
2.Took the front panel off (two screws on top, plus clips along the bottom of it). Left wires connected.
3.Took the kick board off (carefully unclipped from bottom)
4.Took right-handside panel off. (four screws on rear, 1 screw on top edge behind front panel, 1 screw behind kick plate and 1 on bottom at front). Slide to back to genitally remove.
5.Clear out fluff.
6.Get belt around drum. Carefully slip the belt between front edge of drum and the felt (you'll get a gap as you pull the front panel forward). Take your time and don't pull the panel too far as it's holding the drum up, you can rotate the drum around, also open the door and gradually get it in place (groves down). Slide it over to where the old one was - shiny strip, line it up all the way around.
7. Stretching the belt to the motor...to do this I used a hair dryer to warm it up (the drum holds the heat well) & rotating the drum around to keep it even. Next I placed a single round object, such as screwdrivers, medicine bottles, jars between the belt and drum, swapping them and building up the size and continued to heat it. Again take your time. Then once it was stretched enough, transferred it to the motor spindle, ensuring everything was lined up etc.
8. Put everything back together!
TC
May 2010