Garage Door Opener issues...

me | today | Cavtrooper21

[cavtrooper21]

I realize that this isn't a conservitive topic, but I could use some help. My automatic garage door opener is dead. I want to replace it myself, but have never done this before. So, should I: A. dive right in. (some hints and tips would be great) B. have Sears do it.

I also don't know what the difference between (good, better, best - etc.) chain drive, screw drive and belt drives are besides the price and the blatantly oblivious. Some help here to would be great. Any help or "It happened to me" stories would be fine. I can't monitor the thread, but I'll try and answer everyone.

[cavtrooper21]

Ain't home ownership grand!!!

[Cobra64]

Call Sears and replace it.

[Arkinsaw]

If you are anything like me you will call Sears rather than have a hole in your garage ceiling and a non-working pile of assorted parts.

[UNGN]

Garage door openers aren't rocket science. If the track/chain are in good shape, you can buy a similar model and re-use most of the original mounting harware.

But, then I'm Cheap.

[Blennos]

I was told by my contractor that Sears had trouble with their work drive units. He told me to avoid them. I have a chain drive and it works well. Good luck.

[EarlyBird]

My mother's garage door died recently and it turned out the plastic gears inside were stripped. She contacted the manufacturer, got replacements, and I switched them out. It wasn't difficult at all and only took about an hour.

This may not be your problem, but before you totally replace, you might want to check for this by peeking inside the gear box.

[Blennos]

correction "work drive" should be "worm drive". same thing as screw drive.

[EarlyBird]

correction "work drive" should be "worm drive". same thing as screw drive.

That sounds like one of the gears I replaced. It was long and looked like a screw. I also replaced a larger, round and flat, normal-looking gear. Both were made of plastic.

[Khurkris]

chain drive, sectional door, and check the batteries in yr clicker.

[SouthMountainBilly]

I've replaced the opener. It's a few hours work, if you can handle other simple household repairs (rebuild automatic transmission, replace tuner in TV, etc) then you can handle this.

Seriously, as long as the tracks/wheels are OK, the opener itself is a snap to replace. Although, it might help to have two people, they can be tricky to hold in place while you bold it in.

[SouthMountainBilly]

Check that... *Bolt* it in....

[cavtrooper21]

Been leaning toward this, but money is always an issue.

[cavtrooper21]

Sounds like the drive gears are stripped(it's a chain drive), and I'll open it up to check it out this weekend, but the unit is at least 8 years old and was the bottom of the barrel when it was new.

I suppose I should count my blessings that it's lasted this long.....

[cavtrooper21]

There in lies the rub...
It looks easy, but there is me, the wife("That's a MAN thing!"), my 5 YO boy ("Whats an ad-jes-tibble wrench?") and me.

BoL and his boy might help, but the drive is about an hour, and they don't like bad weather..
wimps

[SouthMountainBilly]

No Church friends or neighbors?

You'd only need someone for maybe a half hour. Once it's mounted, you hook up the chain drive (or whatever) and start adjusting. I put mine in myself, but it was one of those 'hold it with the shoulder and wrench my arm around to put in the bolts'.

It can be done by one person, but two makes it easier.

[b4its2late]

I just had Sears do mine last week. Less stress and less cursing....

[ThinkingMan]

but not nearly exciting!

[PAR35]

I just got Home Depot to put in a new one for me.

One hint - don't get the lightweight, cheap model if you have a wide door on a two car garage. They should be used only on lightweight (not wood) single car width doors.

If you do it yourself, read all of the instructions carefully before you begin.