Thanks so much for these videos! I was absolutely able to make my Genie Bluemax opener work again by doing the clutch roughing you showed. I thought for sure I would have to replace my garage door opener but now I have a totally functioning old Genie!
Great Video, got my pet 1993 Genie Blue Max working again with one turn of a wrench., thanks to this video. OK so, as this video explains, the door would start to close, then stop and go back up. I never knew anything about a clutch, but before disassembling the clutch (sticking out the back end of the opener), roughing up the surfaces with sandpaper, then reassembling the clutch, as this video explains so well, I just tightened the big nylon nut sticking out the back of the clutch about a turn or two, and the clutch worked properly after that. Then I did follow the instructions in this video to be more thorough - took it apart and roughed up the mating surfaces. After reassembly, with the nylon nut at the same position as I originally found it, the door was back to its old trick of going down a little, then "chickening out" and going back up. So, I tightened the nylon nut once again, probably about two turns tighter than it had originally been, and now it works great. I also oiled all the hinges on the folding sheet metal door and it seems quieter. Still, it's louder than I would hope for. I had greased the long drive screw a few months ago, which made it noticeably quieter, but it got louder again. Wondering if I need a new carriage? - trolly? whatever the unit that rides along the screw is called - would a new one help with the noise?
@@dougselsam5393 It really depends on how loud it is vs just the spinning screw. pull the red rope and put the door on manual the activate the genie and if it’s still noisy i would try a thicker grease like an axle grease but don’t over do it you’ll bog down the screw. sometimes that will quiet it down, if that doesn’t work then spend the money on a new trolley. 👍🏽
As to what posses me to make the video's...it's you guys out there. I had no idea people would want to watch video's on garage door openers either, but figured hey I got some pretty nice camera gear for other projects why not give it a shot and the response was pretty darn good especially from other techs and installers. So now I use these video's to practice my editing and special effects, I like doing them and they are fun!!
Update: I got a new start cap at Grainger and hooked it up a few days ago. The door works great now ! Evidently, the new start cap was a dud ! To Grainger's credit, they replaced it at no charge. (a lot of companies will NOT return electrical parts) So, thanks to you, I put off a much more expensive fix for a few more years yet. Thanks a lot man !
In all my 46 years I never thought of scuffing the clutch surfaces. Well I did try it years ago but found what was really happing. The Genie screw drive has been the most service friendly garage door opener that I have ever worked on, simple and like you said predictable.
Put up my new Chamberlain today. I took down the old Genie Blue Max and was able to get to the front of the motor, which I could not do with it in place. Sure enough the E clip was broken just like you mentioned. I don't really see where the clip is supposed to go exactly. Just fished it out as it was floating around. I guess I could have fixed it and put it back up thinking about it but the new one has all the bells and whistles, belt drive, etc. Fun troubleshooting with your video!! Guess I'll fix it and try to sell it. :-). Cheers. Thanks again!
Thanks to your advice on YOU TUBE I did the reluctor adjustment and my Genie works fine again. I had fear that the bearings were worn out, but now I am lucky. My Genie is almost 30 years old and I have a heavy garage door.
Thanks! Problem solved! I’ve tried it several times for 3 days. Following up on after I drilled the two reluctor holes larger and moved the reluctor closer to reluctor hub was my main problem but doing the clutch while here is simple!The only difference on the pro 88 was that both holes are round so no adjustment was possible until I drilled them out. I wish you guys lived in the Phoenix area because you would be my first choice for something I don’t want to tackle!!
We used to do alot of those little tune ups back in the days of the clutched machine. It will be interesting to see how many more yrs you’ll get out of that pro 88!
I recently had to do this, and without any sandpaper, or even wire brushes, I had a brilliant idea to rub the clutch and hub on concrete. Worked great. Now I realize I wasn't such a genius after all. You guys are awesome, btw. I came into your Santee store and the guy talked with me and helped me troubleshoot what could be wrong with my opener for part of the day. All I had to do was replace the reluctor, of which he had an extra one. But on my hunt to find what was wrong, I watched a ton of your videos, and they're all the best when it comes to garage doors and openers. I wish more companies would put detailed videos about their trade on UA-cam to help DIY guys like me. Then when it comes time to actually get the part, or buy the door, or buy the hardware, guess where I'm going to go?
Well Justyn... your still a genius since brilliant minds think alike! I do believe that was Langdon you dealt with at the shop, he usually has it covered! You wouldn't believe how many so called door companies are not very happy about me putting this information out for everyone to see, but I out rank em so I do as I please. A good example is the Holmes E-900 video... didn't take long for a "door guy" to start giving me crap about the videos, oh well...you take the good with the bad and hope its more good than bad. Glad you got your machine issue fixed and glad to be a part of helping out! The other companies should get with the program and start helping out!
Thanks very much for these 2 how-to videos! I did your clutch burnishing and reluctor mounting mod on my BlueMax and found a loose push-on wire connector on the reluctor while removing it. After reassembly, applying lube on the screw track and rollers it's back working like new! Thanks again!!
Fantastic. My garage door would not open in cold temps below 45 F. Scuffed up the Clutch Pad and the Reluctor Hub, reassembled and it now works. Looked like my clutch pad was contaminated by a variant of WD-40. Thanks for the assistance!
I'm pleased to find this most useful video. I have a GXL9550 which is almost identical. Scuffing up the clutch parts was just what I needed. Thanks for the top quality advice.
Thanks Colt, I also should mention that the problem with the end bells down here in San Diego was caused by a guy who used to install them wrong by replacing the curved drive arm with a straight piece of conduit, which changes the angle and on a one piece wood door and the door would buck real hard at start up on the way down eventually cracking the end bell.
You're awesome! I rewound the springs (door felt heavy), cleaned 30+ years of dried out/caked grease and reapplied fresh, but my dads garage door still stopped, and then reopened, a foot into travel. I wish I knew it was a problem with the clutch to start with (instead of thinking something was sticking or out of adjustnent in the travel)! I don't mind breaking out the winding bars (freaks out my wife though), but cleaning out all that caked on grease from the worm drive was a messy and VERY time consuming job. Anyway, thanks for the great explanation and DIY solution. Much appreciated.
Watched a video on youtube on a blue max which looks very similar to my 30 year old pro 88. Thank you for explaining and showing an excellent teardown and description. My 88 recently started behaving like this: it opens fine but when I hit the button to close it goes about a foot and intermittently reverses. I cleaned and scuffed up the clutch pack but it still intermittently misbehaves. I just now removed the reluctor and drilled the holes out to get it closer to see if that maybe solves it. Regardless thank you so much for sharing your expertise!!
I really like your stuff mike! On this one you were off though. Found out years ago that the first, or "A" series of this unit, the "end bell" casting was too thin in the area surrounding the bearing. It was corrected, but still would dome outward causing the reluctor mounts to move away creating that extra gap. That crack usually would run from hole to hole. As to the clutch, that nickel or chrome coating would break down and not allow movement. The fixit for the gap is just five seconds.
You are amazing. On the one hand what in the world would possess you to make such creative and informative videos, and on the other hand thank goodness for me you did. My BlueMax motor runs but the screw doesn't turn. I watched your video and found out the front E clip is broken. Now the big question for me, way up here in frigid Canada is where in the world do I find a replacement. Thanks a million for your awesome video and wealth of knowledge.
OK...so now there are two of us (me and you) that can agree, that I am amazing!! Thank God I got that in writing now as proof. Glad the video helped because it was a common problem that perplexed many. Now finding the e-clip might not be that hard, you can take the one off the rear of the screw for comparison because the front and rear are the same size and run it into a hardware store or home depot and look for one in those big drawers they have for odd hardware near the nuts and bolts section.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I just fixed my garage opener that would not open in cold temps (stops closing below 65 F) using the steps in this video.
Well the start cap basically is like the starter on a car it jump starts the motor then shuts off once it's done it's job, so I would lean towards a bad or old start cap. where did you get this start cap? and does it have the same MFD rating as the old one? the MFD# should be stamped on the side of the capacitor. I could see this happening with a smaller start cap or an older one.
Thank you so much! I have a Blue Max CM 7500. And just as you mentioned the E clip, in front of the motor, had worn and snapped thus allowing the screw drive to pop back causing the screw drive not to engage.
Okay, I tested the close limit switch and it is good. I tapped on the circuit board as I hit the remote switch and it closed. I put my eye loupe in, climbed the ladder and took a look at the circuit board with a high powered flashlight. I found a cold solder joint, never understood why they call it that, I call it a cracked solder joint, usually from vibration or shock (impact). It was on one of the relay legs so I pulled the board out and hit it with the soldering iron and some fresh solder. It's working fine now. Thanks for your video so I knew where to look for the problem.
+manstersr I can say for sure that I have had that exact same problem many times myself and yes I have also traced it to a "cold solder joint" on the post that leads to the limit switch. It's not an easy find, luckily you have a loupe and a soldering Iron. Most times it's the limit so even though your problem was harder to find, it was easier to fix and cheaper too!! Good luck in the future with your B-max and when it finally goes out on you DON'T buy another Genie...the B-Max was the last good machine they made, the newer ones are junk. Go with a Liftmaster.
Great video, thanks for posting. Would you have any thoughts about one that runs in the open direction but not down? I noticed it started turning the light on but not running the motor with either the button on the wall or the remote. I would have to hit it a second time. Then it quit running in the close direction. The open limit switch seems to work as the motor stops if I move the lever as it is opening. Since I can't get it to run in the close direction I haven't tried the close limit switch. I will check it with a meter as soon as I can. I am wondering if there is a relay on the circuit board to run the motor in each direction and the contacts burn or get dirty. I saw four relays I think. I figure one is the light.
+manstersr Start simple and check the down limit which always has failures, then move on to the board, while its in the open position tap the three relay boxes with the fat end of a screwdriver and then try the remote, if that doesn't get it to go down then move on to the wiring harness, follow the down limit wire (which I think is brown) into the wiring harness and ck the connection if thats ok then keep going to the board and the solder joints.
My problem is a dead remote, do you know of any replacements that I could program (with the dip switches)? Or a replacement that copies the code (from my car that came with the learning garage door opener option). The original is a big grey remote with a single big blue rectangular button and 390 freq. Thanks for the video, at least if I have any of the problems you mentioned I'll know what to look for and hopefully your video will still work. I will need to adjust my clutch since it bent the door panel bracket it's attached to when I tried testing the reversing mechanism. I guess someone tightened it up too much or maybe they vibrate tighter over time.
Get a 365LM plug in receiver and a 371LM remote to match it or go with a 635LM plug in receiver and a 971LM remote and you’ll be good to go. The clutches don’t tighten themselves over time but they do stick and that can cause reversing problems so to get around any liabilities genie would put in their manuals that you need to test the reversing system monthly… that would keep the clutches free from sticking.
I scuffed up the clutch pad and spaced the reluctor to the credit card width. It would go up, then down a few inches, then cut out. I replaced the capacitor(the old one burned up, emitted some black, burned debris) still it didn't work. So I tightened up the plastic nut on the end of the screw to depress the spring and put more pressure on the plate. Then, it worked, BUT, the capacitor is burning up again(make a sizzling noise and emits ooze) Any ideas ? Thanks.
My Blue Max 7500 opens normally but once it hits that shut off lever in front of the motor box and the motor stops, it won't reverse direction and close when I press any of my remote controls. Not even a click. No sound from the unit at all. However if I pull the rope and disengage the garage door from the screw drive, the motor comes on all by itself without using the remote control. But even then, the screw drive is turning in the "open the garage door" direction. The screw drive doesn't want to reverse and close the door. The photoelectric sensors appear to be working as they should. I've run out of ideas. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey dude, thanks for the great tip. My door was doing the exactly thing and I was able to do what you did in this video and it worked like a charm.. Thanks again for the great tip on what to check and fix.
A friend's Genie Blue Max CM 8500-S: car remote - only opens door. Garage button opens and closes door ... button will open door when pushed, push button again to stop function, then push again to close. Was told someone rewired something to make it this way. Any ideas? Thanks
Yea...probably I-beams out of alignment, when the remote sends its signal and the opener responds with any movement at all then the remote has done its job and the machine doesn't distinguish nor care where the signal came from and it starts to go. However if the beams don't see each other then the remote will open the door but won't close it, the wall button will do the same unless you keep your finger on the wall button the entire time then the opener will go down.It's an I-beam over ride buit into the system so your machine can close the door until you get it aligned or repaired. I doubt anybody with any skills would take the time to re-wire the machine only to make it an inconvenience to work.
Hi, thanks for the great video. I have a question I lost my remote and when I look to buy another one all asking for 12 digits setup. I opened the cover and I cant find any 12 digits to match it with my remote. Do you what remote is compatible and how I can make it work. Thank you and god bless
The key way is in the Reluctor hub just not engaging clutch, scuffing the clutch a lot of black soot came off. If Reluctor is bad can it be checked If bad do I scrap the whole garage opener since you said replacement Reluctor no longer available.
They have been obsolete for so long I don't even remember if there is a way to test them, although the symptom of a bad reluctor is the opener will only travel 6" max in either direction and they rarely go bad. make sure there is VERY little play in the screw, if you grip it and pull back and forth the assembly in the rear should only push and pull about an eigth of an inch, if it goes more than that the reluctor hub will be out of the range of the reluctor and it won't work, too much play in the screw means you broke an e-clip off that front of the screw. If you don't think it's that then take a video of what it's doing and send it to me at Info@allproqgd.com so I can see whats going on.
I did find the Reluctor on eBay and also test info. I found my problem the C clamp on the other side of motor was missing causing the Reluctor hub to back away from the clutch disk when tightening spring. Thanks for your help.
Thanks, if you ever have any questions let me know, I got a 404 in the pile I think I will strip down next, it has an unusual type of clutch I'd like to re-visit.
Yeah I had some channel locks and a gentle hammer and it came off eventually but after I sort of ruined the clutch facing. Any idea where on earth I can get one of those...I tried online but they canceled my order and said they won't get any more in...is there possible another option besides Genie part 25686A.S?
tmbrye2 Well, if its the clutch pad itself that got messed up keep in mind that unless its broken in two then it could be resurfaced on a sander, it may be thinner but will still work. If not I'll keep an eye out for one, shouldnt take to long to come across one.
That's pretty strange, Ive never seen a clutch pad break up like that because it was stuck to the reluctor hub. I'll keep an eye out for one if you still need it.
Yea, as I ponder this problem...I always end up back at the start cap. You might try something in the range of 50-60 or just 50 and up, and just make sure the same color wires go on the same post. I'll try and look at a few genie start caps tomorrow when I get into the shop and see what they say.
I got the starter cap brand new at Grainger. It's rated at; 43-53 MFD, 220-250 VAC, 60/50 HZ. The original I took off was rated at: 50 MFD, 220VAC, and 60HZ. So it seems like the new one I got a Grainger should work(by the way, it's a Dayton model 2mer2) Maybe it was just a dud and I should go get a new one and try it ? (I put the wires back onto the capacitor in the same position as I took them off, so I don't think that would be the problem) Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hey man, I’m having an issue with my garage door and I tried most of the things you have in this video. Is there any chance I could connect with you and send a video of what mines doing and get your advice?
+Stephan. inSJ I do believe it's long discontinued BUT it's still fixable by taking the e-clip off the back of the screw for sizing porposes and any hardware store that has an odd assortment of fasteners could possibly have one, Harbor Freight sells e-clips but you gotta buy the whole assortment case, I would imagine home depot of Lowes might have e-clips in their specialty drawers next to the fasteners. It's a question that gets asked alot so I've gotta get out there and remember when i go to depot or lowes to look for them so I can get an answer for you guys.
the clutch pads don’t go bad, why would you need one? But if you do i would venture to say it’s doubtful you will find one online but id check anyway. otherwise you would have to find multiple local garage door companies in your area and find out where they put their old openers they take down and you might be able to salvage one.
@@ALLProGarageDoors I'm helping my neighbor, the door stopped working after a garage door company came in and changed the spring for the door. The door will start to work and then stop because the reluctor hub (i hope I spelled that correctly) stops spinning. I have checked the dap between the reluctor hub teeth and the sensor and the gap is a little less than credit card thickness. The clutch pad is glued to the motor side clutch. After watching your video, I assumed it wasn't supposed to be connected, so I thought maybe I should try and replace it.
@@RobertBranch-FL I would take the clutch pad and put a textured surface on both sides… in other words rough it up. then after you reassemble it tighten the plastic nut down fairly tight and try it, if it slips then tighten it even more, if you tighten it all the way with the same results then possibly the door spring is not right.
my problem is completely opposite. Unit is a SD5050, since new, ‘91, the motor would cease to lift when detecting an obstruction: latch still engaged in side rail. Now the motor stays energized ripping the trolley to shreds. Something changed over the years, can it be salvaged? BTW, great videos!
Yes that idea was used by my dad back in the late sixties. The plan was to get the trolly closer to the motor head were the braces are so that when closing the door there would be less rail flexing and bucking of the door. But still wouldn't you agree that if the motor end had been cast heaver on that generation of genie screw drive it would have been a brut of a garage door opener. Also the clutch hub would tend to grip the screw shaft and not allow free movement thus clutch pressure would wane
These are great videos, I just subscribed! I have a company in the Bay Area and will soon by ordering many of my doors instead of going to a local supplier. From my experience in this area C.H.I makes the best doors I've seen so I may go with them. What would you recommend?
+Kyle Sisco Hey there Kyle, thanks for watching! CHI has a lot of positives that the others don't, Amarr for example makes a great door but your going to be waiting for a month just to get a door in brown, CHI stocks brown. CHI has a MASSIVE selection of doors and colors and they deliver weekly. I haven't found another mfg that can get you what you want as fast as they can. Their woodgrain paint jobs are fantastic, you can order a mural on the inside if you wanted, or even a major league baseball logo...that's a bit crazy for most applications but hey...at least they are giving you options the others can't. So yeah, CHI is a very good MFG!!
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. I have used some amarr doors but they are kinda far so I end up using Northwest door which is OK but not the greatest. Thanks for the reply!
No problem buddy, any questions on anything let me know. I got a network of guys just like you and me all over the country and we all pass around info, check out The garage door geeks youtube page, Matt is a good guy.
+manstersr I'd start with the limit switch first cause it has more failures than the board and is easier and quicker to check than a full examination of the circ brd.
I would certainly agree that if the end bells were cast heavier that there would be less problems if any at all and that putting the trolley closer to the motorhead does make sense, but strangely enough I've never had a cracked end bell when the normal drive arm was used, stripped trolly's...yes, smoothed out clutch pads...yes, rail bucking....yes but no cracked end bells. It does seem that mfg's do not consider California 1pc doors into their equation very often.
12 years ago and it’s still out there helping people!! Thanks man!!
Thanks so much for these videos! I was absolutely able to make my Genie Bluemax opener work again by doing the clutch roughing you showed. I thought for sure I would have to replace my garage door opener but now I have a totally functioning old Genie!
Appreciate your heartbeats in putting this together. Cleaning the clutch fixed my old Genie and save me cash and time. Thanks!!!
Thank you! Two different servicemen wanted to replace the entire unit. 22 years and going strong after taking your advice!
Robert Gangi fantastic brother! Keep it going!
Great Video, got my pet 1993 Genie Blue Max working again with one turn of a wrench., thanks to this video. OK so, as this video explains, the door would start to close, then stop and go back up. I never knew anything about a clutch, but before disassembling the clutch (sticking out the back end of the opener), roughing up the surfaces with sandpaper, then reassembling the clutch, as this video explains so well, I just tightened the big nylon nut sticking out the back of the clutch about a turn or two, and the clutch worked properly after that. Then I did follow the instructions in this video to be more thorough - took it apart and roughed up the mating surfaces. After reassembly, with the nylon nut at the same position as I originally found it, the door was back to its old trick of going down a little, then "chickening out" and going back up. So, I tightened the nylon nut once again, probably about two turns tighter than it had originally been, and now it works great. I also oiled all the hinges on the folding sheet metal door and it seems quieter. Still, it's louder than I would hope for. I had greased the long drive screw a few months ago, which made it noticeably quieter, but it got louder again. Wondering if I need a new carriage? - trolly? whatever the unit that rides along the screw is called - would a new one help with the noise?
@@dougselsam5393 It really depends on how loud it is vs just the spinning screw. pull the red rope and put the door on manual the activate the genie and if it’s still noisy i would try a thicker grease like an axle grease but don’t over do it you’ll bog down the screw. sometimes that will quiet it down, if that doesn’t work then spend the money on a new trolley. 👍🏽
As to what posses me to make the video's...it's you guys out there. I had no idea people would want to watch video's on garage door openers either, but figured hey I got some pretty nice camera gear for other projects why not give it a shot and the response was pretty darn good especially from other techs and installers. So now I use these video's to practice my editing and special effects, I like doing them and they are fun!!
Update: I got a new start cap at Grainger and hooked it up a few days ago. The door works great now ! Evidently, the new start cap was a dud ! To Grainger's credit, they replaced it at no charge. (a lot of companies will NOT return electrical parts) So, thanks to you, I put off a much more expensive fix for a few more years yet. Thanks a lot man !
In all my 46 years I never thought of scuffing the clutch surfaces. Well I did try it years ago but found what was really happing. The Genie screw drive has been the most service friendly garage door opener that I have ever worked on, simple and like you said predictable.
Put up my new Chamberlain today. I took down the old Genie Blue Max and was able to get to the front of the motor, which I could not do with it in place. Sure enough the E clip was broken just like you mentioned. I don't really see where the clip is supposed to go exactly. Just fished it out as it was floating around. I guess I could have fixed it and put it back up thinking about it but the new one has all the bells and whistles, belt drive, etc. Fun troubleshooting with your video!! Guess I'll fix it and try to sell it. :-). Cheers. Thanks again!
Thanks to your advice on YOU TUBE I did the reluctor adjustment and my Genie works fine again. I had fear that the bearings were worn out, but now I am lucky. My Genie is almost 30 years old and I have a heavy garage door.
Glad to be of some assistance there Erhard, maybe with that adjustment you can get a few more yrs out of it.
Thanks! Problem solved! I’ve tried it several times for 3 days.
Following up on after I drilled the two reluctor holes larger and moved the reluctor closer to reluctor hub was my main problem but doing the clutch while here is simple!The only difference on the pro 88 was that both holes are round so no adjustment was possible until I drilled them out.
I wish you guys lived in the Phoenix area because you would be my first choice for something I don’t want to tackle!!
We used to do alot of those little tune ups back in the days of the clutched machine. It will be interesting to see how many more yrs you’ll get out of that pro 88!
I recently had to do this, and without any sandpaper, or even wire brushes, I had a brilliant idea to rub the clutch and hub on concrete. Worked great. Now I realize I wasn't such a genius after all.
You guys are awesome, btw. I came into your Santee store and the guy talked with me and helped me troubleshoot what could be wrong with my opener for part of the day. All I had to do was replace the reluctor, of which he had an extra one. But on my hunt to find what was wrong, I watched a ton of your videos, and they're all the best when it comes to garage doors and openers. I wish more companies would put detailed videos about their trade on UA-cam to help DIY guys like me. Then when it comes time to actually get the part, or buy the door, or buy the hardware, guess where I'm going to go?
Well Justyn... your still a genius since brilliant minds think alike!
I do believe that was Langdon you dealt with at the shop, he usually has it covered!
You wouldn't believe how many so called door companies are not very happy about me putting this information out for everyone to see, but I out rank em so I do as I please. A good example is the Holmes E-900 video... didn't take long for a "door guy" to start giving me crap about the videos, oh well...you take the good with the bad and hope its more good than bad. Glad you got your machine issue fixed and glad to be a part of helping out! The other companies should get with the program and start helping out!
Thanks for this video - you helped me fix my Genie Blue Max door that wasn't closing. The clutch plates were slipping. You rock!
Quito Banogon no problem Quito, glad you were able to keep the B-max going a little longer!!
Thanks very much for these 2 how-to videos! I did your clutch burnishing and reluctor mounting mod on my BlueMax and found a loose push-on wire connector on the reluctor while removing it. After reassembly, applying lube on the screw track and rollers it's back working like new! Thanks again!!
Excellent!!!
Fantastic. My garage door would not open in cold temps below 45 F. Scuffed up the Clutch Pad and the Reluctor Hub, reassembled and it now works. Looked like my clutch pad was contaminated by a variant of WD-40. Thanks for the assistance!
That's fantastic BT!! Glad it worked out for ya.
I'm pleased to find this most useful video. I have a GXL9550 which is almost identical. Scuffing up the clutch parts was just what I needed. Thanks for the top quality advice.
Glad the video was of some use to you John...datz why weez do em!!
Thanks Colt, I also should mention that the problem with the end bells down here in San Diego was caused by a guy who used to install them wrong by replacing the curved drive arm with a straight piece of conduit, which changes the angle and on a one piece wood door and the door would buck real hard at start up on the way down eventually cracking the end bell.
You're awesome! I rewound the springs (door felt heavy), cleaned 30+ years of dried out/caked grease and reapplied fresh, but my dads garage door still stopped, and then reopened, a foot into travel. I wish I knew it was a problem with the clutch to start with (instead of thinking something was sticking or out of adjustnent in the travel)! I don't mind breaking out the winding bars (freaks out my wife though), but cleaning out all that caked on grease from the worm drive was a messy and VERY time consuming job. Anyway, thanks for the great explanation and DIY solution. Much appreciated.
Thanks Johnie!! glad to help out buddy!
Thanks a million for showing how to tune up the Blue Max. I did the clutch and reluctor tuneups to solve my garage door not closing issue.
dparson excellent! Glad it worked out for you!!
Watched a video on youtube on a blue max which looks very similar to my 30 year old pro 88. Thank you for explaining and showing an excellent teardown and description. My 88 recently started behaving like this: it opens fine but when I hit the button to close it goes about a foot and intermittently reverses. I cleaned and scuffed up the clutch pack but it still intermittently misbehaves. I just now removed the reluctor and drilled the holes out to get it closer to see if that maybe solves it. Regardless thank you so much for sharing your expertise!!
The reluctor shouldn’t allow travel of more than 6 inches but i’d guess that’s your problem… let me know how it went.
I really like your stuff mike! On this one you were off though. Found out years ago that the first, or "A" series of this unit, the "end bell" casting was too thin in the area surrounding the bearing. It was corrected, but still would dome outward causing the reluctor mounts to move away creating that extra gap. That crack usually would run from hole to hole. As to the clutch, that nickel or chrome coating would break down and not allow movement. The fixit for the gap is just five seconds.
DEFINITELY some good information. I'm gonna pull my 850 in the near future and see if any of these tips will help me get it running right again.
You are amazing. On the one hand what in the world would possess you to make such creative and informative videos, and on the other hand thank goodness for me you did. My BlueMax motor runs but the screw doesn't turn. I watched your video and found out the front E clip is broken. Now the big question for me, way up here in frigid Canada is where in the world do I find a replacement. Thanks a million for your awesome video and wealth of knowledge.
OK...so now there are two of us (me and you) that can agree, that I am amazing!! Thank God I got that in writing now as proof. Glad the video helped because it was a common problem that perplexed many. Now finding the e-clip might not be that hard, you can take the one off the rear of the screw for comparison because the front and rear are the same size and run it into a hardware store or home depot and look for one in those big drawers they have for odd hardware near the nuts and bolts section.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I just fixed my garage opener that would not open in cold temps (stops closing below 65 F) using the steps in this video.
No problem RedKnight, glad it worked out for you and thanks for watching!!
No problem, glad to see your up and running for a few more yrs!!
Hi. Could you tell how I could purchase the eclip mentioned at 7:30. I can't find it and its broken. Thanks
the e-clips are obsolete but harbor freight has an e
clip kit that has the size you need.
Well the start cap basically is like the starter on a car it jump starts the motor then shuts off once it's done it's job, so I would lean towards a bad or old start cap. where did you get this start cap? and does it have the same MFD rating as the old one? the MFD# should be stamped on the side of the capacitor. I could see this happening with a smaller start cap or an older one.
Thank you so much! I have a Blue Max CM 7500. And just as you mentioned the E clip, in front of the motor, had worn and snapped thus allowing the screw drive to pop back causing the screw drive not to engage.
No problem, glad the video helped. The E-clips would often wear and pop off, it was a common problem back in the day.
Okay, I tested the close limit switch and it is good. I tapped on the circuit board as I hit the remote switch and it closed. I put my eye loupe in, climbed the ladder and took a look at the circuit board with a high powered flashlight. I found a cold solder joint, never understood why they call it that, I call it a cracked solder joint, usually from vibration or shock (impact). It was on one of the relay legs so I pulled the board out and hit it with the soldering iron and some fresh solder. It's working fine now. Thanks for your video so I knew where to look for the problem.
+manstersr I can say for sure that I have had that exact same problem many times myself and yes I have also traced it to a "cold solder joint" on the post that leads to the limit switch. It's not an easy find, luckily you have a loupe and a soldering Iron. Most times it's the limit so even though your problem was harder to find, it was easier to fix and cheaper too!! Good luck in the future with your B-max and when it finally goes out on you DON'T buy another Genie...the B-Max was the last good machine they made, the newer ones are junk. Go with a Liftmaster.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. I appreciate you sharing your expertise.
Thank you for your help! Finally able to fix things by following your instructions with the clutch.
MikeNovato Glad to help out Mike!👍🏻
Great video, thanks for posting. Would you have any thoughts about one that runs in the open direction but not down? I noticed it started turning the light on but not running the motor with either the button on the wall or the remote. I would have to hit it a second time. Then it quit running in the close direction. The open limit switch seems to work as the motor stops if I move the lever as it is opening. Since I can't get it to run in the close direction I haven't tried the close limit switch. I will check it with a meter as soon as I can. I am wondering if there is a relay on the circuit board to run the motor in each direction and the contacts burn or get dirty. I saw four relays I think. I figure one is the light.
+manstersr Start simple and check the down limit which always has failures, then move on to the board, while its in the open position tap the three relay boxes with the fat end of a screwdriver and then try the remote, if that doesn't get it to go down then move on to the wiring harness, follow the down limit wire (which I think is brown) into the wiring harness and ck the connection if thats ok then keep going to the board and the solder joints.
I need to replace an E clip that broke . Where can I buy it? I couldn't find it....
Thank your an excellent teacher. I followed your direction and did a tune up on my Blue May. Thank you again
My problem is a dead remote, do you know of any replacements that I could program (with the dip switches)? Or a replacement that copies the code (from my car that came with the learning garage door opener option). The original is a big grey remote with a single big blue rectangular button and 390 freq. Thanks for the video, at least if I have any of the problems you mentioned I'll know what to look for and hopefully your video will still work. I will need to adjust my clutch since it bent the door panel bracket it's attached to when I tried testing the reversing mechanism. I guess someone tightened it up too much or maybe they vibrate tighter over time.
Get a 365LM plug in receiver and a 371LM remote to match it or go with a 635LM plug in receiver and a 971LM remote and you’ll be good to go. The clutches don’t tighten themselves over time but they do stick and that can cause reversing problems so to get around any liabilities genie would put in their manuals that you need to test the reversing system monthly… that would keep the clutches free from sticking.
I scuffed up the clutch pad and spaced the reluctor to the credit card width. It would go up, then down a few inches, then cut out. I replaced the capacitor(the old one burned up, emitted some black, burned debris) still it didn't work. So I tightened up the plastic nut on the end of the screw to depress the spring and put more pressure on the plate. Then, it worked, BUT, the capacitor is burning up again(make a sizzling noise and emits ooze) Any ideas ? Thanks.
My Blue Max 7500 opens normally but once it hits that shut off lever in front of the motor box and the motor stops, it won't reverse direction and close when I press any of my remote controls. Not even a click. No sound from the unit at all. However if I pull the rope and disengage the garage door from the screw drive, the motor comes on all by itself without using the remote control. But even then, the screw drive is turning in the "open the garage door" direction. The screw drive doesn't want to reverse and close the door. The photoelectric sensors appear to be working as they should. I've run out of ideas. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It could be one of two things, either the down limit switch is stuck or you safety beams although appearing to be fine aren't working.
1991 pro 88 operating quietly.. thank you!
Found the answer down in the chat. Thank you for placing this video. It was very helpful.
+Graciela M. Lafee de Monroy ...Glad to be of assistance.
Hey dude, thanks for the great tip. My door was doing the exactly thing and I was able to do what you did in this video and it worked like a charm.. Thanks again for the great tip on what to check and fix.
Manny F. Thats great Manny! Glad you were able to find the right video to help solve the problem!!
A friend's Genie Blue Max CM 8500-S: car remote - only opens door. Garage button opens and closes door ... button will open door when pushed, push button again to stop function, then push again to close. Was told someone rewired something to make it this way. Any ideas? Thanks
Yea...probably I-beams out of alignment, when the remote sends its signal and the opener responds with any movement at all then the remote has done its job and the machine doesn't distinguish nor care where the signal came from and it starts to go. However if the beams don't see each other then the remote will open the door but won't close it, the wall button will do the same unless you keep your finger on the wall button the entire time then the opener will go down.It's an I-beam over ride buit into the system so your machine can close the door until you get it aligned or repaired.
I doubt anybody with any skills would take the time to re-wire the machine only to make it an inconvenience to work.
Hi, thanks for the great video. I have a question I lost my remote and when I look to buy another one all asking for 12 digits setup. I opened the cover and I cant find any 12 digits to match it with my remote. Do you what remote is compatible and how I can make it work.
Thank you and god bless
You probably have a Intellicode genie, get a 375UT and it will work on almost any system
ua-cam.com/video/lLqro6aKtck/v-deo.html
The key way is in the Reluctor hub just not engaging clutch, scuffing the clutch a lot of black soot came off. If Reluctor is bad can it be checked If bad do I scrap the whole garage opener since you said replacement Reluctor no longer available.
They have been obsolete for so long I don't even remember if there is a way to test them, although the symptom of a bad reluctor is the opener will only travel 6" max in either direction and they rarely go bad. make sure there is VERY little play in the screw, if you grip it and pull back and forth the assembly in the rear should only push and pull about an eigth of an inch, if it goes more than that the reluctor hub will be out of the range of the reluctor and it won't work, too much play in the screw means you broke an e-clip off that front of the screw. If you don't think it's that then take a video of what it's doing and send it to me at Info@allproqgd.com so I can see whats going on.
I did find the Reluctor on eBay and also test info. I found my problem the C clamp on the other side of motor was missing causing the Reluctor hub to back away from the clutch disk when tightening spring. Thanks for your help.
Thanks, if you ever have any questions let me know, I got a 404 in the pile I think I will strip down next, it has an unusual type of clutch I'd like to re-visit.
Any advice if the reluctor hub won't come off? It moves a small amount but it doesn't just slide off like in the video.
tmbrye2 ...well they can be stuck...tap on it a bit and don't forget that little ring in front of it.
Yeah I had some channel locks and a gentle hammer and it came off eventually but after I sort of ruined the clutch facing. Any idea where on earth I can get one of those...I tried online but they canceled my order and said they won't get any more in...is there possible another option besides Genie part 25686A.S?
tmbrye2 Well, if its the clutch pad itself that got messed up keep in mind that unless its broken in two then it could be resurfaced on a sander, it may be thinner but will still work. If not I'll keep an eye out for one, shouldnt take to long to come across one.
Well being the impatient one I am it is actually in 4 pieces. Didn't realize how brittle it was...thought it was more like a washer.
That's pretty strange, Ive never seen a clutch pad break up like that because it was stuck to the reluctor hub. I'll keep an eye out for one if you still need it.
Yea, as I ponder this problem...I always end up back at the start cap. You might try something in the range of 50-60 or just 50 and up, and just make sure the same color wires go on the same post. I'll try and look at a few genie start caps tomorrow when I get into the shop and see what they say.
I got the starter cap brand new at Grainger. It's rated at; 43-53 MFD, 220-250 VAC, 60/50 HZ. The original I took off was rated at:
50 MFD, 220VAC, and 60HZ. So it seems like the new one I got a Grainger should work(by the way, it's a Dayton model 2mer2) Maybe it was just a dud and I should go get a new one and try it ? (I put the wires back onto the capacitor in the same position as I took them off, so I don't think that would be the problem) Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hey man, I’m having an issue with my garage door and I tried most of the things you have in this video. Is there any chance I could connect with you and send a video of what mines doing and get your advice?
ofcourse Info@allproqgd.com
I great video... I second Graciela's comment. How do i change the E-clip and where can I get it? Is it discontinued?
+Stephan. inSJ I do believe it's long discontinued BUT it's still fixable by taking the e-clip off the back of the screw for sizing porposes and any hardware store that has an odd assortment of fasteners could possibly have one, Harbor Freight sells e-clips but you gotta buy the whole assortment case, I would imagine home depot of Lowes might have e-clips in their specialty drawers next to the fasteners. It's a question that gets asked alot so I've gotta get out there and remember when i go to depot or lowes to look for them so I can get an answer for you guys.
Do you know where replacement clutch pad can be purchased or what can be used as a replacement?
the clutch pads don’t go bad, why would you need one? But if you do i would venture to say it’s doubtful you will find one online but id check anyway. otherwise you would have to find multiple local garage door companies in your area and find out where they put their old openers they take down and you might be able to salvage one.
@@ALLProGarageDoors I'm helping my neighbor, the door stopped working after a garage door company came in and changed the spring for the door. The door will start to work and then stop because the reluctor hub (i hope I spelled that correctly) stops spinning. I have checked the dap between the reluctor hub teeth and the sensor and the gap is a little less than credit card thickness. The clutch pad is glued to the motor side clutch. After watching your video, I assumed it wasn't supposed to be connected, so I thought maybe I should try and replace it.
@@RobertBranch-FL I would take the clutch pad and put a textured surface on both sides… in other words rough it up. then after you reassemble it tighten the plastic nut down fairly tight and try it, if it slips then tighten it even more, if you tighten it all the way with the same results then possibly the door spring is not right.
my problem is completely opposite. Unit is a SD5050, since new, ‘91, the motor would cease to lift when detecting an obstruction: latch still engaged in side rail. Now the motor stays energized ripping the trolley to shreds. Something changed over the years, can it be salvaged? BTW, great videos!
Is the reluctor basically an RPM sensor?
Exactly
Yes that idea was used by my dad back in the late sixties. The plan was to get the trolly closer to the motor head were the braces are so that when closing the door there would be less rail flexing and bucking of the door. But still wouldn't you agree that if the motor end had been cast heaver on that generation of genie screw drive it would have been a brut of a garage door opener. Also the clutch hub would tend to grip the screw shaft and not allow free movement thus clutch pressure would wane
Clutch will not engage with Reluctor hub. I scuffed clutch and hub. Do I replace something.
Make sure the half moon keyway didn't fall out, it sits inside one of the four slots in the reluctor hub.
Had one of these to service today, had poor lighting but did some video and photo of what I found and how it was remedied.
Good tutorial video
You save me times and money
Thank you
A great video. Sanded the clutch and hub just like shown. Put it back together and it worked great. Thank you.
Good job Jerry!, this video is one of those repairs that seems to cause folks alot of problems, but is actually very simple.
Excellent video and outstanding detail
Dale Strand Thanks Dale!
Thanks for sharing I just fixed mine with the same problem!👌
Excellent 👍🏽
Cool.... you gonna post it?
These are great videos, I just subscribed! I have a company in the Bay Area and will soon by ordering many of my doors instead of going to a local supplier. From my experience in this area C.H.I makes the best doors I've seen so I may go with them. What would you recommend?
+Kyle Sisco Hey there Kyle, thanks for watching! CHI has a lot of positives that the others don't, Amarr for example makes a great door but your going to be waiting for a month just to get a door in brown, CHI stocks brown. CHI has a MASSIVE selection of doors and colors and they deliver weekly. I haven't found another mfg that can get you what you want as fast as they can. Their woodgrain paint jobs are fantastic, you can order a mural on the inside if you wanted, or even a major league baseball logo...that's a bit crazy for most applications but hey...at least they are giving you options the others can't. So yeah, CHI is a very good MFG!!
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. I have used some amarr doors but they are kinda far so I end up using Northwest door which is OK but not the greatest. Thanks for the reply!
No problem buddy, any questions on anything let me know. I got a network of guys just like you and me all over the country and we all pass around info, check out The garage door geeks youtube page, Matt is a good guy.
+All-Pro Quality Garage Doors Inc. Ya I've seen a couple regulars in the comments of the garage door videos I'll keep in the loop.
Yea there's Joe, Matt, Mikey B, Ron, Nick and a few others that I talk with almost daily. Good group of guys.
I think I'll check for bad solder joints on the circuit board first. I find that is always a good possibility with any thing that has vibration to it.
+manstersr I'd start with the limit switch first cause it has more failures than the board and is easier and quicker to check than a full examination of the circ brd.
I would certainly agree that if the end bells were cast heavier that there would be less problems if any at all and that putting the trolley closer to the motorhead does make sense, but strangely enough I've never had a cracked end bell when the normal drive arm was used, stripped trolly's...yes, smoothed out clutch pads...yes, rail bucking....yes but no cracked end bells. It does seem that mfg's do not consider California 1pc doors into their equation very often.
I have been racking my brain to think of who you sound like. I think it's a cross between Bruce Dern and Kurt Russell.
Kurt Russel for sure dude, from Escape from New York. I hear Snake Pliskin.
Seems to help me a lot! Thank you!
Great explanation
I got one more...part III of this same machine I'll finish and put up tomorrow.
Here it is, Not sure how to post this.
Anyway to give me a heads-up on why my lights on my Blue Max garage door
They don't work after changing the light bulbs cleaning both sockets the one I can tell got hot but cleaned up and looks in good shape
Still no lights
PH 😮
Hello any service guys out there help with little troubleshooting
Still goes up and down just like don't come on I don't think it's nothing major
????
Thanks, worked for me!
Well there ya go!
I did put something together, titled GenieScrewReluctor
If all else fails, send me an email and I will mail you a couple.