Replaceing Garage door opener, need to fit current rail and chain??

[strangways]

Hello I have a sears crafstman garage door opener 1/3 horsepower. I guess it could be 20 yeas old, i think the motor died. The door stopped half way up. It just makes a grinding noise and doesn't move the chain so I think the motor and housing need to be replaced. The chain and rails seem to be fine, they will move if i pull them, so not jammed.

I looked up the model online and it looks too old to get replacement parts. So i'm happy to buy a new garage door opener, but I really just want to replace the motor and housing and use the existing chain and rails. Otherwise its a bigger job.

-Are garage door chains a standard size?

-Would It be best to stick with Sears Craftsman brand to get a proper fit?

Thanks

[Rick]

Take the cover off and see if has a plastic worm gear that has failed. Easy to replace, parts are available on line.

[DerbyDad03]

Take a look at how the current opener is installed. If it's anything like mine, the only real differences between a motor replacement and a complete replacement are the 3 lag bolts where the rail attaches to the header and the 4 bolts used to connect the 3 rail sections, making it one long rail. Everything else will need to be taken apart anyway, so there is not very much worked saved by replacing just the motor, assuming you could even find one to match.

In addition, I doubt you'll get a warranty if you mix and match parts.

Finally, look at the newer options available (belt drive, screw drive, etc.) GDO's have improved significantly in 20 years. I suggest a complete replacement to ensure that there are no mix and match issues.

Here's a trick that I used when I hung my GDO. There is a room above my garage and the noise from the GDO was transmitted through the joists when it was hung directly from the angle iron that spanned the joist opening. I hung the GDO from 2 pieces of conveyor belt material to isolate it from the joists. It cut the noise by about 75%. It used to wake my kids up but after I added the rubber hangers they slept right through the noise. It's been hanging that way for more than 20 years.

[Rick]

Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Craftsman..pretty much the same thing parts wise

[krw]

It's probably the nylon gear in the motor unit. They should be fairly easy to find.

If you go for a replacement, replace the whole thing. It's easy - probably easer than cobbling something together out of two kits. There are only a couple of screws holding the other end of the track and a couple more holding the arm to the door. All of the work (not much) is assembly and mounting the motor end. You need to do that, anyway.

I'd go with Sears. I've never had trouble with them. They're Chamberlain, IIRC. But pick one with the features you want. These things last almost forever so that shouldn't be a major concern.

[Art Todesco]

As others have said, check for parts on-line. Many sell a baggie of "frequently stripped" gears. My son did that for his unit and we had it fixed in about an hour. Also, if you replace the unit, some of the new units have extra feature goodies, like auto down, if you forget and house light controls.

[bob haller]

first disconnect the opener and make certain the door moves easily with the drive unit disconnected.

one time i found a bolt had dropped out of the cieling somehow and jammed the door.

be aware new openers are much safer with detectors so a child or vehicle cant get crushed......

ignore those who suggest you disconnect them, as a neighbors kid or pet can get hurt

[clare]

Mine is fastened to the wall above the door with the pin and bracket supplied with the unit, and hung on 2 chains at the motor end. Replacing the whole thing was a whole lot easier last time than it would have been to replace the motor or even repair it. Just unhooked

2 chains, pulled the pin, pulled out the old one, lifted the "pin" end

- stuckin the pin, lifted the motor end, connected 2 chains, connected the link to the door and plugged it in. Less than half an hour total. Went from an old Stanley chain drive to a Genie Tape Drive - or ribbon drive.

[clare]

Craftsman was made by Chamberlain for decades.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Ditto since motor is OK. Or Call Sears or original manufacturer to see if there is direct replacement current model.

[woodchucker]

It's probably not the motor if it is grinding. They probably have plastic gears. Open it up, and order them....

I have a different brand but $10 was better than replacing the unit.

[krw]

It's the features. I've not seen any others with the features and models that are available from any local Sears. It's about the only thing I'd recommend from Sears, anymore.

[krw]

Yep. They're designed to be the weak spot; sacrificial.

[clare]

Lots have current sensors instead of "magic eyes"

[clare]

I've replaced several of them over the years for friends and customers. They can be a pain, but if the rest of the unit is good, it sure beats the heck out of buying a new unit.

[Meanie]

Still is. Liftmaster makes Chamberlain and Craftsman openers.