Help needed, garage door not staying up

[Rocket1k78]

My warehouse guy decided to spray our garage door opener with some wd40 to lube the areas and now when we open it up, it doesnt stay open and just drops down slowly til it closes. Its the lift master side mount med duty. Tried everything and google but i guess this is not common or im a moron and cant search properly. Anyone know the potential causes or have a trusted repair guy? Thanks in advance

[ExtraSlow]

Tony at Best doors inc.

[firebane]

Lubing a track won't cause this. Sounds like either the emergency pull isn't fully reset or your springs have failed.

[Rocket1k78]

Calling Tony now, Thanks!

They lubed the unit itself too, the pulley wheels and around there

[Rocket1k78]

Lubing a track won't cause this. Sounds like either the emergency pull isn't fully reset or your springs have failed.

I also dont see an emergency pull but this is a commercial door and if the springs failed would the door still be able to be opened? The door opens like normal but once it opens all the way it stops as normal and then just slowly drops down, tried to stop it mid way and same thing.

[bjstare]

Disclaimer: this won't be helpful at this point, but it bears mentioning...

WD-40 is not really a lubricant, it's a penetrant. It might have some lubricating properties, but I wouldn't using it for that purpose.

[firebane]

Disclaimer: this won't be helpful at this point, but it bears mentioning...

WD-40 is not really a lubricant, it's a penetrant. It might have some lubricating properties, but I wouldn't using it for that purpose.

It also sucks as a penetrant and really serves no purpose I have found.

[88CRX]

It also sucks as a penetrant and really serves no purpose I have found.

Dust and grime collection.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

WD-40 is great at displacing. Use it to clean out areas before using the real lubricant. The solvent flushes old shit out really well, when the solvent flashes off it leaves behind the light oil as a temporary protectant. Then use your preferred lubricant as a final step.

[mr2mike]

Usually it's the spring that needs tightening.
Caution should be used. Enough force to end your life if done wrong.

Lube to keep your door up? Laughed at the premise.
Works for other stuff, why not the door? Lol

[littledan]

if lube is not working to keep it up, you may need some time of over the counter or prescription medication.

However, If the door stays up for more than 4 hours, call your health care provider.

[Thaco]

likely needs the spring tension adjusted, might be one of the set screws isnt completely right and it's slowly backing off the tension, cant really see how this would be related to lubing it, maybe just coincidental.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

If the door is connected to a jackshaft opener as you say, I don't see how the door could fall even with an undertensioned spring. Jackshaft openers are worm-gear driven and it should be basically impossible to backdrive one. There should be a double-clamp that connects the opener to the jackshaft, make sure it's tight and and lubricant-free. If he went buck wild with the lubricant he may have gotten it into the clamp and it's slipping on the jackshaft or opener output shaft.

[firebane]

If the door is connected to a jackshaft opener as you say, I don't see how the door could fall even with an undertensioned spring. Jackshaft openers are worm-gear driven and it should be basically impossible to backdrive one. There should be a double-clamp that connects the opener to the jackshaft, make sure it's tight and and lubricant-free. If he went buck wild with the lubricant he may have gotten it into the clamp and it's slipping on the jackshaft or opener output shaft.

My main door has a side lift and when its up it will creep down ever so slightly. Haven't been bothered to look at it.

[bjstare]

if lube is not working to keep it up, you may need some time of over the counter or prescription medication.

However, If the door stays up for more than 4 hours, call your health care provider.

You are on fire today.

[Rocket1k78]

It also sucks as a penetrant and really serves no purpose I have found.
Agreed


if lube is not working to keep it up, you may need some time of over the counter or prescription medication.

However, If the door stays up for more than 4 hours, call your health care provider.
I was actually going to say something viagra related but figured yall would derail this lol


likely needs the spring tension adjusted, might be one of the set screws isnt completely right and it's slowly backing off the tension, cant really see how this would be related to lubing it, maybe just coincidental.
I actually saw 1 thing mentioning the spring but yeah i aint messing with that.


If he went buck wild with the lubricant he may have gotten it into the clamp and it's slipping on the jackshaft or opener output shaft.
I was thinking something very similar or it could be the same because i have no idea what the parts are called but there was a rubber belt that goes around 2 pulley wheels and i thought that was slipping but it wasnt.


Thanks for all the replies but i got a guy coming tomorrow AM. Ill update this once we figure it out

[suntan]

WD40 is a cleaner that evaporates quickly. It has no other use.

[Rocket1k78]

Usually it's the spring that needs tightening.
Caution should be used. Enough force to end your life if done wrong.



likely needs the spring tension adjusted, might be one of the set screws isnt completely right and it's slowly backing off the tension, cant really see how this would be related to lubing it, maybe just coincidental.

You guys called it! It was the spring tension or lack of. Found a guy on FB to come yesterday just to tell me he had no idea and to call lift master(which i shouldve from the start) and had another guy booked for this afternoon but it was a $250 charge just to come out.
You'd think this would be a more common thing but i searched all over and only found one mention of potentially the spring so i thought it wasnt but when my trusted beyond brothers mr2mike and Thaco mentioned it I had to try. Went up and had the bars in and not gonna lie it was pretty intimidating knowing how dangerous it could be but once i loosened the tightening bolts there was little to no pressure on the bars so i turned it a 1/4 turn twice and tried the door and you could tell right away it was holding better but still slipping a bit so i did another 2 turns and bingo.

PM me your email mr2mike and Thaco, ill send you guys some e gift cards for your help. Really appreciate this boys

[firebane]

LOL I originally said the spring may have failed :banghead: Ok fine it didn't but it still had issues.

[bjstare]

LOL I originally said the spring may have failed :banghead: Ok fine it didn't but it still had issues.

112043

[Rocket1k78]

LOL I originally said the spring may have failed :banghead: Ok fine it didn't but it still had issues.

Nobody likes a sore loser lol Please accept bjstares runner up award:D

[03ozwhip]

Nobody likes a sore loser lol Please accept bjstares runner up award:D

He did mention it first lol

[Rocket1k78]

He did mention it first lol

He said broken spring which is quite different from the actual fix. In good faith ill hook him up too because at the end of the day he offered some help.
firebane my post about the sore loser was just poking fun. PM me your email too, Thanks!

[ExtraSlow]

Maybe the real fix is friendship?

[Rocket1k78]

Maybe the real fix is friendship?
They'll be better off with with a gift card but ill give them that option too lol

[03ozwhip]

Maybe the real fix is friendship?

Gross

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Out of curiosity, got a picture of your jackshaft opener? I'm still curious how it was able to be backdriven. I was thinking of a Liftmaster 8500 style, yours may be a different drive system, especially since you mentioned belts.

[AndyL]

112057

Depends on the era; but it'll look something like that.

Now "hosing down with wd40" can be problematic, yeah there's a belt drive on there - the standard non gearhead operators will back drive, it's just a chain reduction system; yes I think the residential jackshafts use a worm gear like the old residential openers thus can't be backdriven. Belts don't like lube. 50/50 on it could have a brake that needs adjustment (or lube washed off it), and there's a clutch on the inner face of the larger belt pulley as well.

Usually the operators in maintained condition can hold a fair bit of torque - I was just looking at a 24x16 today running on 1/3 of its springs - but the brake/clutch/belt didn't get a healthy dose of random lube. Even out of balance and no brake - it'll generally provide enough drag to not allow a door to creep.

Aka there's a bunch to look at.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Depends on the era; but it'll look something like that.

Now "hosing down with wd40" can be problematic, yeah there's a belt drive on there - the standard non gearhead operators will back drive, it's just a chain reduction system; yes I think the residential jackshafts use a worm gear like the old residential openers thus can't be backdriven. Belts don't like lube. 50/50 on it could have a brake that needs adjustment (or lube washed off it), and there's a clutch on the inner face of the larger belt pulley as well.

Usually the operators in maintained condition can hold a fair bit of torque - I was just looking at a 24x16 today running on 1/3 of its springs - but the brake/clutch/belt didn't get a healthy dose of random lube. Even out of balance and no brake - it'll generally provide enough drag to not allow a door to creep.

Aka there's a bunch to look at.

Aha that is different than what I had in mind, I'm not at all familiar with the commercial units. A straight-gear reduction set could definitely be backdriven if the clutch/brake/belt got hosed down in random lubricant. OP increasing spring tension probably balanced it well enough at full-open to avoid creep but just covered up the real issue - it was no coincidence this started happening immediately after random lubrication.

[Rocket1k78]

Heres what mine looks like.

[danno]

Tony from best doors came by today and fixed my broken spring on my door. Nice guy, fast and seems to be a reliable source. Saved me from hurting myself so that’s a plus.

[ExtraSlow]

My mother had Tony from Best Doors Inc. out to look at her door. One wheel had jumped the track in an improbable way. He got it all running again without selling her anything. Also gave her some advice if it shits the bed permanently. Great guy, no fuss, no scams. A+ would reccomend.