Garage Door Opener Motor Unit Replacement

Written By: Travis Bond
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Garage Door Opener Motor Unit Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

1 - 4 hours

Introduction

This guide will walk you through replacing the motor unit for a garage door opener. This includes taking the opener unit off the mounting rack and the chain rail. This guide will also cover the replacement of the safety laser sensors. This repair might be needed in the event of a failed opener system.

It is important to use caution because your opener unit is a heavy piece of equipment and could be dangerous if mishandled. To avoid any possible issues, it is wise to use a sturdy ladder underneath the unit to support the system throughout the following steps in the procedure. Be sure to unplug the unit before beginning this guide. Make sure you have all of the necessary tools and a few spare hours to get this done (if you haven't done this before). Strap in!

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    • Unplug the unit by removing the plug from the outlet.

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    • There are a few wires connected to your motor unit. These are for the safety laser sensors.

    • Gently remove the safety laser connectors by pressing down the release tabs using a small, flathead screwdriver to release the wires.

    • Use masking tape to label or color-code the wires for reassembly.

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    • There is a handle located at the top of the door for manually releasing the door from the chain rail. Firmly pull this release handle to disconnect the opener from the door.

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    • Your existing motor is mounted on a frame attached to the ceiling. Unscrew the bolts on the mounting frame with a ratchet to remove the opener.

    • Remember to save the bolts and hold onto the motor at all times.

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    • The chain is under a sizeable amount of tension. It is vital that you release that tension safely in this step before continuing with the replacement.

    • Loosen up the nuts and washers that hold the chain to the unit. This loosens the chain and prevents the chain from springing back.

    • This can be a slow step if your power tools can't reach the nuts. Take the time to understand your new motor unit and the garage door infrastructure as you do this.

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    • You are almost at the halfway point. Take the chain off and lubricate it with WD-40.

    • Wipe down the chain with a cloth and put it to the side.

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    • Loosen up the bolts that hold the opener unit to the chain rail.

    • Remove the garage door motor unit.

    • Remember to salvage the light bulb if it still works.

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    • Staple guns can be dangerous to operate. They shoot staples out with a great deal of force. It's important to be sure that you are precise with your stapling location to prevent injury to yourself or others.

    • Some readers may find that they need new laser sensors. Your preexisting sensors are most likely stapled into the wall and ceiling. Remove the sensors from the garage.

    • Install the new sensors and route the wires to the opener. Staple the wires into the wall as neatly as possible.

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    • Your new opener comes with preset bolts that need to be taken off. Once you have the bolts, it's time to follow the steps in reverse order to put the opener back onto the mounting frame.

    • The preset bolts you just took off in this step will be used to reattach the opener into the frame. Your new installation kit will have everything you need to do a complete reassembly.

    • Read the instruction manual to properly set up your garage door opener unit.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order. Make sure to bolt the rail back to the new unit, reattach the chain to the rail and unit, properly bolt the unit back to the rail, and rewire your new (or old) sensors to the unit.

After that, enjoy your new unit! A good motor unit should last you for at least a decade, and the units that can be bought now have plenty of features to keep you as excited as any garage door opener can excite you. At this point, you have likely saved a few hundred dollars on a service that anyone can do on their own with a bit of instruction.

Thank you for reading the guide, and we hope that it's helped you understand your garage more personally.

Author

Travis Bond

Member since: 05/02/18

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