Liftmaster 1280/2280 Opener

I have a 10 year old Liftmaster 1280/2280 Garage Door belt opener. The belt wore out and was coming apart. I Bought a new belt off Ebay. I Removed the old belt. I quickly found that my 90 year old legs wouldn't support me on my stepladder. I enlisted the aid of my younger neighbor. I dunno what he did, but before he connected the new belt, he played with the two 'up and down travel limit' controls on the side and the two 'Force adjustmnt controls' on the back and messed them up. Then he quit on me. I need to try to correct the control settings. I want to reset them back to their starting point. They certainly are not what they were when we started.

Has anyone out there had to mess with this problem? Maybe I need a 'professional' for this? Thanks Murphy

Reply to
murphy
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Did you Google for "Liftmaster 1280 Installation Instructions"?

Reply to
trader_4

Thanks for your response. Yes - There is a copy of the installation manual at

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other places of which I have had a downloaded pdf copy. As I read it, the 1280 has two controls for door travel distance up and down and two other controls for the force put on the door as it goes up and down. It talks about one control knob turn equals 2" of door travel.

The thing is - right now the new belt is not on the opener at all. Neither is the old belt. Ergo, the 'gear' on the top of the motor is not engaged. When I press on the remote to run the opener, the 'gear, runs, naturally. But it won't stop (unless I press on the remote again). That 'gear' always spins in the same clockwise direction tho, so I fear that if the belt were connected to the 'gear' and the slider on the track, the belt would break when when the slider reaches its limit (ie the door is closed). And so, I fear to go on.

Help? Murph

Reply to
murphy

After looking at some of the Utube videos on this opener, I still don't know what causes the motor 'gear' mechanism to flip from door-open to door-close (ie reverse direction). One video I found shows the actual travel distance control mechanism which reveals how it works, but what reverses the direction? Maybe mine is broke. I hope not. Murph

Reply to
murphy

The door opener has sensors that would presumably tell it when the door is closed or fully open. Those would be adjusted with the two limit and two force controls. Right now it makes sense that the motor would just keep spinning, because it's not connected to the drive so the sensors think it's not at the end of either range of motion. I thought jr put the new belt on? Why did he start fiddling with the adjustments? Was it working correctly before? Seems if it was working, one would just replace the old belt without screwing with anything else and it should work as it did before. If it didn't, maybe he screwed something, like a sensor, while changing the belt. I can see as a last step, fiddling with the sensor adjustment, if needed for some reason. Is the door balanced, moves freely when disengaged?

Reply to
trader_4

Ohboy!

First thing first - I must have said something that indicated that my son was involved. That is not the case. It was my next door neighbor. My poor son is always getting blamed. Just ask him. Haha.

My neighbor has not returned by the way.

You are right on that one w/should replace the belt positioned just the way the old one was. All the relative Youtube videos say just that. But my old belt broke some time ago, and the motor kept running st the time with the belt and slider mechanism amok. So I have no idea where things were.

That said, when my neighbor said and did what he did (adjusting the sensors) I couldn't see what he was doing exactly because he was on the ladder, and I was on the floor, as I said before. He said he knew what he was doing. Blind faith got me in trouble.

I would really like to be able to try the sensors to base settings (ie factory settings), and try from there. Like, u know, at zero. minimum, all the way clockwise, or some such.

Murph

Reply to
murphy

I'd probably get the belt on. Then you'd be able to stand there with the control in hand to see what the door does and go from there.

Reply to
Dean Hoffman

Hi

I thought of that. But if the motor does not stop, then I was afraid when the belt reached the end of its travel length, wouldn't the new belt just snap in two or at best pull apart? Maybe if I stood there with thumb on the remote 'on' button to try to stop the damned thing (assuming it would)? Why is this so hard? Maybe I should just call Liftmaster on 1-800-578-5880 tomorrow?

Murph

Reply to
murphy

If you get the kid to disconnect the traveler arm from the door and then remove two bolts from the powerhead that hold it to the ceiling brackets, the kid can then pivot the powerhead down to waist level so it's easier for you to work on.

Reply to
bill

Sounds like something to try. Wud at least get me off the damned ladder. If I just knew how the up and down travel limit controls and the two Force adjustment controls were set when new from factory, then maybe it all wud run right when connected to the belt assembly. Otherwise I fear the motor will pull the new belt apart. I have no way of knowing what stops the motor 'gear' on the top of the motor from pulling on the belt. Does it stop when the belt moves a prescribed distance (ie travel limit)? Or does it stop when the belt pulls against the 'gear' pull? I have no idea.

I am surprised the factory settings for the controls aren't specified somewhere. It probably matters.

I need to find out what a pro wud charge me to do all this? Thanks Murph

Reply to
murphy

Maybe this manual will help?

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Reply to
A noiseless patient Spider

Thanks

I already have it, and printed a copy. Pages 24/25 seem to apply. The belt spins on a so-called motor unit sprocket which I have been watching as I played with the controls with my screwdriver. I need a factory starting point for these controls.

Thanks Murph

Reply to
murphy

Geez. Set the four adjustments to the middle of the range and put the belt on.

Reply to
trader_4

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Reply to
devnull

I see no mention of the 'force' and 'travel' controls tho. They are what I am woried about. I fear my neighbor has left them in a damaging position? Murph

Reply to
murphy

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