If you have a chain driven garage door opener, you will likely need to replace your plastic gears at some point. The team here at 1st Rate Garage Doors has made this repair for our customers many times. If your gears need to be replaced, this is what has to happen for the repair to be made.
Determine if The Gears Need to Be Replaced
To start with, you should determine if your gears are too worn out to function properly. An indication that there is a problem with the gears is that your opener is running, but your door isn’t moving.
Here is what you need to do to examine the gears:
1. Unplug the opener
2. Pull the emergency release cord
3. Shut the door by hand if it is open
4. Take the garage door opener cover off
5. Look at the gears and inspect the edges
6. If you notice the edges are shredded or worn down, then they need to be replaced
7. Look at the opener to find the make and model to buy replacement gears
Once you determine that the gears are the problem, you’ll need to purchase a kit that comes with two new parts, washers, and grease.
How to Remove The Gears
After you get ahold of the replacement kit, you will need to get together a couple of tools. You’ll need a hammer, flathead screwdriver, socket or nut driver and a punch.
Here are the steps to remove the old gears:
1. Unscrew the circuit board and let it hang.
2. Loosen the nut on the tension rod that is attached to the chain.
3. Unscrew the screws that hold the gears in place.
4. Take the helical gears out of the shaft.
5. Use the hammer to tap the pin out of the helical gear to get it out.
6. Loosen the worm gear using a hex wrench.
7. Take the gear off along with the washers and unscrew the retaining screws from the motor.
How to Install The New Gears
Get the set of new gears so that you can install them onto the motor. Here is what you need to do:
1. Put the new worm gear on the shaft.
2. Reassemble the motor.
3. Place the new helical gear inside of the assembly.
4. Add a bit of grease to the helical part.
5. Tighten the chain.
6. Put the cover back on the opener.
7. Plug it in and test it.
If you have done the replacement correctly, but the door still doesn’t work, something else is keeping it from working. You should consider calling our team to come out and troubleshoot the problem.
Call us For Repair Services
If your gears need to be replaced and you can’t do it yourself, call the team at 1st Rate Garage Doors. We’ll send one of our technicians out to your home ASAP. Our technicians are skilled and can take care of your repairs right away. Call now so we can help you. We can’t wait to hear from you!
