Mend > Washing Machines

How to replace the belt on a Hotpoint WT761?

I have a Hotpoint Ultima WT761 Washing machine. The belt has not broken but is damaged and the edge is stripping off. It has come off the drum and motor spindle. Clearly its time to get a new one which I will do tomorrow.

However as a practice I tried to refit it and its very short and "impossible" to get back on. There is no elasticity in it. Do new belts have more give in them, or is there some trick to refitting? It didn't look like unbolting the motor, fitting it and then refitting the motor was that practical.

Thanks in advance!

PeterGMc
October 2010

Hotpoint Hotpoint WT761 Household Appliances, Washing Machines Replace Hotpoint Washing

Thanks wirecutterman. I am familiar with both of these ways but neither would work.

For 1) the casing on this model is "solid" ie no removable rear panel that gives access to the drum pulley and insufficient room from the top.

2) wouldn't work with the way the motor is fixed to the drum casing.

In the end I fashioned a tool from a metal pipe to draw the belt down onto the motor pulley after having fitted it onto the drum pulley. Then it was very easy

Thanks again

PeterGMc
October 2010

2 ways to fit a drive belt
1) stretch version
2) adjustable swivel gate on motor

1) the belt is placed centrally on the small pulley then fed on to the large pulley wheel up to the point where belt looks to small to fit (usually the last 6 inches) you now grab the large pulley arms (with gloves) and now turn the large pulley wheel to make the belt STRETCH on the last bit.

2) the belt is placed around the large pulley the motor gate and motor bolts are slackened then MOTOR pushed inward the belt is then fitted around the little pulley, the belt is then re-tensioned by pulling the motor outward you tighten the gate bolt then tighten the motor bolts.
this is same as adjusting a dynamo/alternator belt on a car

wirecutterman
October 2010