How should I clean and lubricate the chain and the sprockets on a 30-year-old Stanley garage door opener with a chain drive?

"gary" wrote in message
...

How should I clean and lubricate the chain and the sprockets on a
30-year-old Stanley garage door opener with a chain drive?

Gary Home Depot has spray cans of Garage door Lube. My door opener company
recommended it when I had the door serviced. Also he wiped along the side
seals with wax to cut down friction ...WW

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:18:12 -0800 (PST), gary
wrote:

How should I clean and lubricate the chain and the sprockets on a 30-year-old Stanley garage door opener with a chain drive?


Any kind of oil or chain lube will keep the chain moving freely. Spray
or wipe with an oily rag. Be sure to lube the rollers on the door
also.

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:54:47 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:18:12 -0800 (PST), gary
wrote:

How should I clean and lubricate the chain and the sprockets on a 30-year-old Stanley garage door opener with a chain drive?


Any kind of oil or chain lube will keep the chain moving freely. Spray
or wipe with an oily rag. Be sure to lube the rollers on the door
also.


I've been using WD-40 for all but probably there is something better
for the chain or screw drive. All I know it works for me for some
time. I guess something is better than nothing.

On 1/22/2013 8:32 AM, Doug wrote:
On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:54:47 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:18:12 -0800 (PST), gary
wrote:

How should I clean and lubricate the chain and the sprockets on a 30-year-old Stanley garage door opener with a chain drive?


Any kind of oil or chain lube will keep the chain moving freely. Spray
or wipe with an oily rag. Be sure to lube the rollers on the door
also.


I've been using WD-40 for all but probably there is something better
for the chain or screw drive. All I know it works for me for some
time. I guess something is better than nothing.


Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

On Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:36:19 -0500, Frank wrote:

Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

I never understood WD-40.

But, nobody yet has mentioned that the best way to maintain the garage
door opener is to maintain the door itself, such that it isn't an undue
load on the opener.

That means lubricate the bearings, the torsion spring (assuming it's the
torsion type), and make sure the spring hasn't lost its tension, over
time, due to fatigue.

Here's a picture of a friend's bearing, recently gone bad.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12036166.jpg

The way I just did that was to paint a solid line on the fully wound
spring. If/when that solid line begins to waver, I'll know the spring has
lost its tension a bit (which, admittedly, will take years to occur).
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/12049998.jpg

In addition, for noise reasons, lubricate the hinges and roller moving
parts and the TOP of the bar on some garage door openers.

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:17:38 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:36:19 -0500, Frank wrote:

Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

I never understood WD-40.

But, nobody yet has mentioned that the best way to maintain the garage
door opener is to maintain the door itself, such that it isn't an undue
load on the opener.

+1 on that. I've seen the look on a friend's face when I opened my
16' wooden door one day when the power was out. 1 finger will do
it. ????He says??? "I can barely lift my 8' door."


That means lubricate the bearings, the torsion spring (assuming it's the
torsion type), and make sure the spring hasn't lost its tension, over
time, due to fatigue.


Don't know torsion springs-- but adjusting the other ones is a piece
of cake and worth the 30 minutes you might spend on it.

Check the pulleys- and all the bolts holding the door sections
together.

Jim

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:27:00 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:17:38 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:36:19 -0500, Frank wrote:

Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

I never understood WD-40.

But, nobody yet has mentioned that the best way to maintain the garage
door opener is to maintain the door itself, such that it isn't an undue
load on the opener.

+1 on that. I've seen the look on a friend's face when I opened my
16' wooden door one day when the power was out. 1 finger will do
it. ????He says??? "I can barely lift my 8' door."

+2.
I just had a new door installed. The installers just counted turns on
the springs. Since they seemed to know what they were doing, I didn't
butt in. A couple days later I pulled the detach cord to test manual
operation. Maybe 40-50 pounds effort needed to lift the door.
I'm going to adjust the springs soon.

On Jan 28, 10:48*am, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:27:00 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:





On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:17:38 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:36:19 -0500, Frank wrote:

Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

I never understood WD-40.

But, nobody yet has mentioned that the best way to maintain the garage
door opener is to maintain the door itself, such that it isn't an undue
load on the opener.

+1 on that. *I've seen the look on a friend's face when I opened my
16' wooden door one day when the power was out. * *1 finger will do
it. * *????He says??? *"I can barely lift my 8' door."

+2.
I just had a new door installed. *The installers just counted turns on
the springs. *Since they seemed to know what they were doing, I didn't
butt in. *A couple days later I pulled the detach cord to test manual
operation. *Maybe 40-50 pounds effort needed to lift the door.
I'm going to adjust the springs soon.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'll add that a lot of the garage door openers have plastic gears in
the final drive stage to the chain sprocket. They are what usually go
first. Keeping the door springs adjusted will help prevent that. You
can also put a little grease on the plastic gears occasionally.

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:20:29 -0800 (PST), jamesgang
wrote:

On Jan 28, 10:48*am, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:27:00 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:





On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:17:38 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:36:19 -0500, Frank wrote:

Guy that installed mine said to use WD-40 too.

I never understood WD-40.

But, nobody yet has mentioned that the best way to maintain the garage
door opener is to maintain the door itself, such that it isn't an undue
load on the opener.

+1 on that. *I've seen the look on a friend's face when I opened my
16' wooden door one day when the power was out. * *1 finger will do
it. * *????He says??? *"I can barely lift my 8' door."

+2.
I just had a new door installed. *The installers just counted turns on
the springs. *Since they seemed to know what they were doing, I didn't
butt in. *A couple days later I pulled the detach cord to test manual
operation. *Maybe 40-50 pounds effort needed to lift the door.
I'm going to adjust the springs soon.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'll add that a lot of the garage door openers have plastic gears in
the final drive stage to the chain sprocket. They are what usually go
first. Keeping the door springs adjusted will help prevent that. You
can also put a little grease on the plastic gears occasionally.

That's why the plastic gears are there. They're sacrificial gears;
easily replaced.