I live in a small community. We all have garages with the same type of
sheet metal up and over doors. Mine stops opening easily at about 2
thirds open but I'm fairly content to use a walking stick to push it
the rest of the way up.

My 86 year old lady neighbour has a similar problem, plus when the
door is opened fully, it tends to drop down towards the closed
position for some of the way.

the mechanism has metal rod arms that runs up and down a channel on
each side of the door frame and a heavy looking coiled spring the runs
horizontally along the head of the frame for most of its full width.

It looks like the spring has a tensioning fitting at one end with
holes in it for some kind of levering device.

Can anyone please suggest a DIY maintenance procedure to help fix
these problems?

--

Mike

Mike Halmarack wrote:
I live in a small community. We all have garages with the same type of
sheet metal up and over doors. Mine stops opening easily at about 2
thirds open but I'm fairly content to use a walking stick to push it
the rest of the way up.

My 86 year old lady neighbour has a similar problem, plus when the
door is opened fully, it tends to drop down towards the closed
position for some of the way.

the mechanism has metal rod arms that runs up and down a channel on
each side of the door frame and a heavy looking coiled spring the runs
horizontally along the head of the frame for most of its full width.

It looks like the spring has a tensioning fitting at one end with
holes in it for some kind of levering device.

Can anyone please suggest a DIY maintenance procedure to help fix
these problems?

You have to be *very* careful with adjusting these.

First thing (which is relatively easy and risk free) is simply to
clean and lubricate everything, in many cases this is all that's
needed.

If the big tension spring really has lost some of its spring then my
first advice would be to get a 'professional' in to do it. It may not
really be a professional but it will be someone who has the right
tools and who has done it before.

If you want to do it yourself (and this is uk.d-i-y) then:-

Find instructions for the adjustement, it may take a bit of
searching but I eventually found some for mine (Yes, I read all
the warnings but still did do it myself).

Get the right tools, in particular spanners, allen keys, etc. that
fit as well as possible, you don't want anything that's a bad fit
and might slip.

Stand on a very safe platform of some sort so that you're not
stretching to do the job.

Follow the instructions carefully.

--
Chris Green
·

On Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:03:17 +0100, Mike Halmarack wrote:

Can anyone please suggest a DIY maintenance procedure to help fix
these problems?

Your problems sound very much like the ones I've had. Check that the
rollers that run in the channels actually roll and not slide(*).

You may find that lubrication of all the arm pivot points, the
rollers and spring shaft bearings is all that is required. Use a drop
of real oil on each, not something that evaporates and leaves a
sticky gunge behind like WD40...

(*) Replacements are available (eBay etc). The E clips that hold and
set their position which also positions the door in the opening, can
be very good at ping ****it when removing them, especialy in a ram
packe full garage. DAMHIKT... You'll need something to take the
weight of the door and lift it slightly at one side to take the
tension off the wire that side. Provided you always have one wire
attached I don't think you need to jam the the spring. A 6" length of
6 mm is steel rod (aka a 1/4" flat or PZ2 screwdriver) will do that.
You need two so you can add a bit of torsion, insert the "stop" bar,
release the torsion, to ensure the spring/stop bar are jammed into
place.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:33:47 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

Find instructions for the adjustement, it may take a bit of
searching but I eventually found some for mine (Yes, I read all
the warnings but still did do it myself).

The mechanisum is fairly simple to understand just be *very* wary of
that BFO spring. Hence my previous comment about making sure that any
stop bar is jammed/held into postion by the springs torsion.
Something just poked through could fall out. The door is surprisingly
heavy without the spring taking its weight via the wires.

The other bit that can be fun is getting the wire back onto the cone
but provided that you haven't lost or gained the number of turns it
should just go back naturally as the door is opened from fully
closed.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Mike Halmarack wrote:

We all have garages with the same type of
sheet metal up and over doors.
It looks like the spring has a tensioning fitting at one end with
holes in it for some kind of levering device.

I'm sure you'll find websites for e.g henderson doors out there ... with
a warning that a *lot* of energy is stored in those springs, so treat
with care ...

On Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:03:17 +0100, Mike Halmarack
wrote:


Can anyone please suggest a DIY maintenance procedure to help fix
these problems?

Thanks for all the advice but there's too many disturbing possibilites
for an old dodderer.
I'll oil what movinng parts I can get at and if that doesn't improve
the situation, I'll recommend calling "The Man".
--

Mike

On 23/07/2020 13:23, Andy Burns wrote:
Mike Halmarack wrote:

We all have garages with the same type of
sheet metal up and over doors. It looks like the spring has a
tensioning fitting at one end with
holes in it for some kind of levering device.

I'm sure you'll find websites for e.g henderson doors out there ... with
a warning that a *lot* of energy is stored in those springs, so treat
with care ...


I had to release the tension on mine when one of the cables snapped
where it loops round the lateral door slide roller.

Re-tensioning needs needs the correct sized allen key and a pair
of short bars to progressively wind up (or down) and then
while holding the inner bar inside the spring with one of the
pair of 'tensioners', tighten the allen key. The holes are at 90
degrees to each other so you rotate the bar about a quarter of a
turn then insert the other rod/screwdriver (whatever) and remove the
first one, then rotate another quarter of a turn. If he just wants to
slightly increase the tension just a quarter of a turn might be all
that is needed. Take care !.

Difficult to describe without a Youtube video, but once he
gets the knack its easy, but also easy to hurt himself.

I used a pair of punches intended for knocking out the tubular
spring clips that Mk1 Astras used to locate brake pads.
A pair of screwdrivers that will fit snuggly in the winding
holes would be ok.

If the door doesn't go right up, but stays up if it is
pushed with a stick, then probably all he needs to do is to lubricate
the two slider channels and make sure the little wheels that slide
and rotate inside these channels are clean and slidy. A
can of spray grease is ideal.

On 23/07/2020 14:47, Mike Halmarack wrote:
On Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:03:17 +0100, Mike Halmarack
wrote:


Can anyone please suggest a DIY maintenance procedure to help fix
these problems?

Thanks for all the advice but there's too many disturbing possibilites
for an old dodderer.
I'll oil what movinng parts I can get at and if that doesn't improve
the situation, I'll recommend calling "The Man".


Buy a can of spray grease. Wonderful for jobs like these because
you can force it into parts that an 'oil can' cannot reach.

On 23/07/2020 17:06, Andrew wrote:



Buy a can of spray grease. Wonderful for jobs like these because
you can force it into parts that an 'oil can' cannot reach.

Also it's great for getting a campfire to light.

Bill