Garage Door Opener Problems

[pastorpaul]

After spending most of the afternoon mowing the lawn, followed by changing the oil and spark plug in the rider, I decided to call it a day. When I closed the garage door, it was about 6 inches from closed when it stopped. The opener was still trying to operate, but nothing was happening.

I ran every test I knew of and the best I can determine is that the unit is shot. When released from the trolley, the door opens and closes fine. Even with the door released, the opener is noisy and the drive gear doesn't turn at all.

I didn't need this right now, but have to do something because without the opener there is no way to lock the garage door; other than sticking a screwdriver through the door and the frame... and hope someone doesn't get smart enough to break through that and get into my shop.

The opener is at least 10 years old and probably closer to 15. I can't afford either option, but I think my best bet is to buy a new unit at the borg and install it myself (kind of partial to the Chamberlain 3/4 HP belt drive with battery backup that I gave the kids for their anniversary). I think that would be cheaper than the second option, which is calling one of the local installers and have them do it. Then I get to thinking that I had to pay the installer to come and fix a problem that the manufacturer couldn't identify, so maybe leaving it to the professional might be the smarter route after all.

I have to do it yesterday, since I want the garage secure in case I have to make an emergency trip to Omaha. Any thoughts or advice?

PP

[Beamer]

To secure it, stick a c-clamp or vise grip on the rail about half an inch from a wheel - that'll keep the door from getting opened and it'd be real tough to wiggle it free.

As for putting up an opener, i've only done one and it took some fiddling. It was kinda warm up there but it did get done.

[Stretch]

+1 on using a C-Clamp on the track to secure the door. That's how I secured my old shop in New Mexico. I tested it and there was no way I could open the door with that clamp on there. As for installing one, I've never done it so I can't offer anything.

[fredbelknap]

Putting up garage doors is pretty much a DIY project. Lay everything out and read the instructions and you shouldn't have any problems. If I can do it anybody can.

[rrich]

Sounds like something is causing the drive sprocket to jump the threads at the 6" point.

Probably something is loose and jsut needs tightened. Is the track nice and free at the 6" point? With the door disconnected from the drive mechanism, does the opener eventually reach the limit switch and shut off? If not you have a good place to start looking.

[pastorpaul]

May 3, 2010 19:06:29 GMT -6 fredbelknap said:

Putting up garage doors is pretty much a DIY project. Lay everything out and read the instructions and you shouldn't have any problems. If I can do it anybody can.

I installed the one I mentioned for my daughter and son-in-law, but some problems that the manufacturer didn't identify... and couldn't figure out... forced me to hire a local installer to finish it up. My other concern is that the previous owner didn't install the current unit correctly. It may take a professional to figure out how to make a new unit fit correctly.

Of course, in the add-on garage the previous owner had the joists too low and shouldn't have installed an opener at all. The top panel of the door doesn't close to a vertical position, so he just made a couple of swing panels on the door frame to close the gap.

PP

[pastorpaul]

May 3, 2010 23:13:31 GMT -6 rrich said:

Sounds like something is causing the drive sprocket to jump the threads at the 6" point.

Probably something is loose and jsut needs tightened. Is the track nice and free at the 6" point? With the door disconnected from the drive mechanism, does the opener eventually reach the limit switch and shut off? If not you have a good place to start looking.

Everything looks good and I can find nothing loose. It is a chain drive mechanism and there is no sign of the chain coming off the drive gear. The thing just won't move at all; with or without the door connected to the trolley. You can hear the motor trying to operate, but the drive gear does not turn at all.

[pastorpaul]

After cracking open the housing and finding plastic gear shavings all over the place, I called the manufacturer's tech support line. About $35 for a gear kit and shipping ($55+ if I buy from the local dealer) and about 30 minutes work will have me back in business in no time.

I called the local dealer's competitor about 15 miles away to see if I could get a better price. A familiar voice said, "Didn't I just speak to you a few minutes ago?" Turns out the competitor got bought out. Oops! Either way, I'm not spending an extra $20 just to get the part faster. The C-clamp is firmly in place, so I can wait a week or two.

PP

[admin]

My question would be, what's been chewing on that gear? If it chewed one up, it might chew up the second one.

[pastorpaul]

That was one of my first questions to tech support. Being a nylon or plastic gear, it has actually outlasted the expected life. This should give me another 10 to 15 years of use... or until I have to replace the unit for some other reason.

PP