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Hangar Door Motor help

Dave S

Active Member
Looking for some help and education. My hangar door has a Dayton motor with a gearbox running on 110V with an adjustable limit switch on it.

The Motor is no longer made but lists as a general purpose motor. (model 5K340Z)

When I open the door I can stop the door any where I wish.

However when I lower the door, if I hit the stop button, I can hear the motor shut off, but the door keeps coming down from the weight of the door and will actually put slack in the wires when fully closed.

I am having a professional come out to take a look, but in the mean time I have heard several different suggestions as to what is wrong.
One though is the gear box is bad, the other thought is that the motor is bad.

If the gear box s bad, how does the brake inside the gear box work to stop it when raising and lowering? What would cause it to work when raising but not lowering?

If the motor is bad, how does that brake work and why isn't it working in both directions?

Better yet, anyone else have the same situation and what did you do to fix it?
 
It might help to know the door brand.

Sounds like there might be a brake that needs adjusting.
 
I wish I knew the door brand, and front what I understand from the previous owner, the door was originally used a counter weight, the motor was added later.

The only labels I see are Dayton on both the motor and the gearbox. The gear box shows model 6Z128.

Other than the limit switch I'm not seeing anywhere to adjust anything.

I know vague information, but hoping someone had the same issue or knows exactly what is happing based on the description.

I assume there is a brake somewhere but not sure if its in the motor or gear box, and not quite understanding how mechanically either would work and why in only one direction
 
I have a Hifold brand bifold door. There is a motor brake wired in parallel with the door motor leads. When the motor is energized the brake opens. When the motor is Deenergized the brake sets. I have tested my door without the aid of the motor brake. The worm drive itself generates enough friction to bring the door to a stop midway down if you like. The worm drive and motor brake are kind of a belt and suspenders arrangement. Motor brake will have a solenoid and some linkage to release the spring that is setting the brake.
Did the door suddenly stop working?, have you already installed a new motor?.
 
There is a motor brake wired in parallel with the door motor leads. When the motor is energized the brake opens. When the motor is Deenergized the brake sets.

I'll have to take a closer look at the wiring to see if there is a brake incorporated somewhere. At initial glance I see an electrical box on the back of the motor, power from the switch goes in, there is a conduit to the limit switch box, and I assume directly to the motor.

The worm drive itself generates enough friction to bring the door to a stop midway down if you like.

Explains why some think its the gearbox.

I have not replaced anything yet, as I said I have a professional coming to take a look. even as a DIY a heavy hangar door and the potential damage it could do is beyond my comfort level. I think its been getting worse, but not sure since I have only tried lowering the door as opposed to closing it a few times. I have only had the hangar about a year.

Thanks for the help
 
Gearbox

A friend decided to service his motor/gearbox and put synthetic gearlube in it and it did what you are experiencing. I know you didn’t do that but it shows how close the tolerance is for the gears stopping the door. The door will stop on the way up but the kenetic energy when coming down will overcome the gear friction and maybe the brake too if it has a break.
 
Looking for some help and education. My hangar door has a Dayton motor with a gearbox running on 110V with an adjustable limit switch on it.

The Motor is no longer made but lists as a general purpose motor. (model 5K340Z)

When I open the door I can stop the door any where I wish.

However when I lower the door, if I hit the stop button, I can hear the motor shut off, but the door keeps coming down from the weight of the door and will actually put slack in the wires when fully closed.

I am having a professional come out to take a look, but in the mean time I have heard several different suggestions as to what is wrong.
One though is the gear box is bad, the other thought is that the motor is bad.

If the gear box s bad, how does the brake inside the gear box work to stop it when raising and lowering? What would cause it to work when raising but not lowering?

If the motor is bad, how does that brake work and why isn't it working in both directions?

Better yet, anyone else have the same situation and what did you do to fix it?

A worm drive (the gears) really has no way to slip by design.

worm.JPG
Look at the spools on the shaft that the cables or straps wrap around.
 
This ^ ^ ^


The primary premise of the worm drive is to prevent counter-forces from driving the mechanism and/or fail in place. I wouldn't trust working around any overhead door that relied solely on a motor brake. Ever wonder why most all flap actuation is via such?
 
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