Click here to order your own Liftmaster 8500! www.amazon.com... This is a complete installation tutorial on the Liftmaster 8500 Jackshaft garage door opener.
Thanks dude you just save me some money, local guy wants $200 to install mine. Watching your video gave me the confidence to just do it myself. Mine is now installed and working good so far thanks again.
I am about to replace one of my three 2004 iDrive controllers (third and probably final failure) with a Liftmaster 8500 controller system (I checked out eBay, too) and wanted instructions JUST LIKE THIS! Thank you very much for taking the time to video your installation sequence. You're a polished craftsman! Kudos on the finish work with the conduit. That is a rare step but sure beefs up the installation longevity.
Excellent instructions overall but there is a big error leading to the instructions for mounting the 8500 onto the garage shaft that could lead to future failure and the 8500 falling off of the garage door shaft. The 8500 should slide over the garage door shaft as much as possible. Just make sure the locking knuckle does not touch the bearing plate that supports the garage shaft. The garage shaft actually SUPPORTS the 8500 so the more garage door shaft that is inside the tube of the 8500, the better support you will get. Also, the way this video shows it being installed, starting at 31:30, and only gripping 1/2" of the garage shaft, that is dangerous in two ways. (1) By only attaching to 1/2" of the garage shaft tube, the tube may collapse under the pressure of the set screws since it has less structural integrity at the end of the tube vs 3 or 4 inches further in on the solid tube section. (2) Now that it is installed this way, the small black bracket at the bottom, that is mounted to the wall, may be the only support if the garage tube collapses after some use. I highly recommend that the 8500 be re-positioned closer to the bearing plate of the garage shaft for FULL SUPPORT. Within 1/4" of the bearing plate is perfect. I just want to help and I'm not trying to put down the owner of this video. It's a great video.
I will be installing this opener this weekend, thank you Gary D for this comment and thank you to the original video owner! Both will be immensely helpful!
Absolutely excellent video, I initially thought "Man, I don't have an hour and a half to watch this whole video" but in the end I watched it in its entirety and I really appreciate your attention to detail and narration. I'm buying a new (older) house with an ancient Craftsman opener and it is hitting the dumpster the day after we move in. I've been going back and forth between the Sommer Direct Drive and this Liftmaster 8500, and your video has made up my mind to go with the 8500. I really prefer the clean, uncluttered look of the jackshaft setup but having never installed a garage door opener, let alone a jackshaft style opener, I was a little hesitant and not sure how the jackshaft units worked. This 8500 unit seems top notch. It seems like your video got cut off before you covered the install of the remote light, I was a little bummed we didn't get to see that part but I'm sure I can figure that out. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to make this video.
This was very helpful for me because i was having trouble reconnecting after being in manual mode. It was evident from the video that I needed to pull the emergency cord harder - not something you can really understand from from written instructions. Luckily the video was not edited down too much and so it included that. Thanks for saving me a service call.
You have to be in a relaxed mood to watch this. I liked it a lot and I had a Sunday with nothing to do. A little editing might have tightened things up just a little (a whole lot).
Nice instructional video. Just a tip... no need to go full speed on your drill. For the steel you were drilling a best speed would probably be around half speed of the drill. It will cut better, less heat on the drill bit, and give you more control. Folks will be surprised how slow you can go when drilling steel and still cut fast. Also, a quick squirt of WD40 on the steel helps the drill bit last longer as well. Thanks for the vid!
@24:00 I have that problem too. While not a professional, I have the proper tools and some experience, so my plan is to unwind my springs and level it. However, your solution is a good one. If I were to install mine without leveling it, I would probably flex the motor left and right by hand, mark each extreme, then mount it in the middle. Whatever position puts the least stress on the bearings is the best one. Hollow residential torsion bars are very flexible. It doesn't hurt them to be a little crooked, although it probably doesn't help the end bearings or middle bushing.
I have three (3) 8500's in the garage. Your video is very clear and informative; and I;ve used it numerous time to swap out a logic board and/or adjust the units. Thx.
I recently received from Chamberlain this model 8500 operator. It arrived as a "replacement" for a 3800PLD I purchased in Feb 2013 but DID NOT install until Thanksgiving 2015 because as a homeowner and away from my home, electrical was not applied in the 2nd garage until just before Thanksgiving. Nothing but problems after paying $450 to a local firm for the 3800PLD. Overhead Doors in Knoxville, TN were good when I purchased the door and opener but lousy for follow-up unless I looked to pay $85/hr for labor charges for someone to come to my home. Having built the 2 story garage myself as I did years ago in Florida and also elsewhere and having done both mechanical engineering/design and home remodeling for at least 40 years, I know how to install a garage door and opener. NEVER have I had as much trouble with an installation and setting as I have had with both the 3800 and 8500 and went thru over a month of calls with tech support to finally get a straight answer. As others may have experienced, (1) full door height can NOT be achieved with this jackshaft operator. Noting one recent reply in this forum/spot that to get better height and extension would have to be added to the vertical shaft will become the ONLY resolution. Used to belt/chain driven center mount door openers where this is a no brainer, literally losing 9 inches of available travel should have been indicated by the sales force selling me this operator "or" Chamberlain. The issue was I could NOT get but within 4 inches "below the seam where the vertical track meets the arched track. Anything 2 inches from that seam or 1 inch above...still 7 inches from the underside of the door frame meant the tension monitor device caused the unit to freeze and the failsafe LED light would flash 9 times indicating the tension monitor was not working. As pointed out, going even 1 inch above the seam meant slack appeared in the cable. The unit would go in the "up" position when wanting to go down, causing the torsion bar spools to unspool. Very frustrating but am appreciative that Chamberlain replaced the 3800PLD with the 8500 after my waiting for a travel module to be replaced...then a logic board and finally the choice by Chamberlain to send the replacement. Sadly....the 3800PLD was probably functional 100% but indications were that the unit was faulty. The 3800PLD worked "if" I kept the bottom of the door and bottom roller "below the seam in the track by 4 good inches. In the case of an 8 foot door where the opening is 96 inches, to make the door opener work, the door bottom is at 83.5 inches when I had hoped to be at 90 at a minimum. Finding out this information "after" the choice of buying this I could remove the track and raise it one foot as suggested....but should NOT have to do this. It remains to be seen just how functional this unit will remain. Going through at least 6 tech support people, all were friendly and professional. My hat is off to Chamberlain for offering US based support instead of reaching China or Mexico...sorry folks if this appears biased but really.....I am grateful to find at least one company offering English speaking responders. But I still have YET to hear from the local company. To see the trouble I received with this unit that should have taken less than 3 hours to complete start to finish and instead struggle for 30 days when expected to pay $85/hr for a service charge by someone who more than likely would be sitting there with a thumb up their.....means I would not recommend the firm locally either.
Thanks Chasiu75 for the quick feed back. I would like to see the mechanism how it works for my own installation, it would be much appreciated. Thanks again.
Great video. Installed the complete unit and wired it up myself. Decided to use you programming and set up portion. Works great, thanks for your video!! :)
Very nice and detailed installation video. I have to install two of these and your video was extremely helpful. Using the old sensor and controller wiring to satisfy the need for the new controller was a great idea. I was thinking of mounting the controller just under the opener so I wouldn't have to run wires and just buy an extra car remote to operate it from the wall going into the house. Using the existing wires will allow me to put it where it is supposed to go without having to run new wires. Thanks again for putting this out.
Actually you can slide that torsion bar all the way out to the other side, The opener is designed for left and right hand operations so there is a clear path throughout the body of the opener, Actually I have two collars on mine on both sides of the motor holding the torsion bar.
Nice job. Complete DYI was an understatement - lol. I thought I/R the sensors were supposed to be installed further up, about 3' or so ... being at floor level, someone could step over the beam without tripping the beam, or the beam could shoot under a vehicle that's straddling the door opening.
I loved this. But, I agree it should slide over the torsion shaft. It's obvious that it's there for that reason. As far as the bow in the torsion shaft, It's too bad the installer was lazy and didn't get it right but nothing will be hurt except possibly a bit more bearing wear of the torsion bar bearings. I would recommend to hold the Liftmaster all the way to the right and to the left and mark the free play in both directions, then mount the Liftmaster exactly 1/2 way between those two marks. You will reduce the chance of binding and subsequent wear and premature failure of the Liftmaster. Also if you had the bar inside the Liftmaster it would reduce the chance of the torsion bar scraping against the inside of the Liftmaster tube (can anyone say "mystery squeak"?) as it goes up and down. I
A real simple job my grandson 12yrs old did mine easy ... nice Vid if you use the fast forward button to much making a simple job rocket science for me
Not sure if it's been mentioned but at 24:48, you never want to do what is being mentioned unless you take tension off the spring first. Many have broken their arms by doing this.
Thanks for bringing that up. I didn't get into any details to explain the safety aspect. I know better but some people may not know to release the tension in a controlled fashion first.
Agreed. I had to replace the torsion spring recently. The guys at the door company wouldn't sell me the torsion spring tension bars, I had to make a pair out of 1/2" coated welding rod. Watch a half a dozen different videos, each one will show you the right/wrong way of doing things, and will most likely point out the obvious safety concerns because everyone does it a little different. I have the 8500 sitting across the room from me, because it is no doubt the best technology on the market. I was only disappointed with his homemade wiring job. I would have preferred to see that part from A to Z, because I am dealing with a finished garage and the wiring is going to be difficult enough without the guess work.
Federal law requires that the photo eye be between 4 - 6 inches from the floor. What I saw was half-assed. Remove the old operator photo eye brackets FIRST, then install the snappy brackets, then install the photo eyes (which are now held in place by a bolt and wing nut onto a smaller bracket). Before I install my eyes I wrap about 18" of the wire lead around the round shank of a screw driver, creating a "spring" that allows wire movement without pulling the wiring taut. If you want to lock the brackets in place drilll a 1/4" hole through the track into the center hole of the bracket, then use a track kep bolt and nut to bolt the bracket in place.
Thank you for the video. Very helpful to see an installation. Probably going to buy one. Still unclear if it hurts if the door shaft protrudes deep into the opener.
Those 2 bolts in the middle of your torsion bar are holding all the tension of the garage door spring. Those 2 bolts holding that plate which you said looks adjustable are painted red for a reason. DONT remove those bolts, or even loosen them without relieving the spring tension. The spring will probably send you to the hospital if you do. And great video. I am finally retiring my Wayne Dalton I-Drive units with the 8500's. Hope they last as long as my I-Drives did. Put them in when we built our house 9 years ago.
Regarding removal of the torsion bracket lag bolts. (1) when the door is in the "down" or closed position, ALL of the torsion spring wound force will be there. The comment about going to the hospital applies! I know for I was one that did this without thinking it through and climbing a ladder first to release the tension in the wound springs. Instead I was looking to install sheetrock that had not been done prior to the garage door being installed. On a bright/sunny Sunday afternoon late in the day, I was undoing both lag bolts when at the last minute I thought "I really shouldn't be doing this" and "boing" the last bolt came out, the bracket spun with full force and CUT the 2 major tendons in my left wrist, causing me to be in surgery 4 hours later and $12,000 poorer. I lived in Pensacola, FL where Wayne Dalton had a factory and sad to see they no longer supported the sale of the opener they had and now in a home in TN am still using the same torsion bar and rewound although the drive unit went bad. I chose to go with a Chamberlain belt dive unit....but in a 2nd garage I am working with, chose to buy in to a 3800 PLD unit in Feb 2013 but did not install this until Thanksgiving 2015 due to having no electricity in the newer garage until then.
I'm into this at a minute and 34 seconds. "Sears" Craftsman and Liftmaster are manufactured by Chamberlain. Back in the day any current Sears Craftsman product was compatible with any current Liftmaster / Raynor / AccessMaster product. I do NOT use any of the "Max" remotes - the Max line are universal, and the problem is that they tend to work most of the time. I have my own reservations about controlling any overhead door from a remote location using a remote device - I've been in business for over 35 years, and my personal feeling is that if you left your door open when you left for the airport the burglar deserves everything he can carry off because you were inattentive to ensuring that the largest door in your home was left open. For everyone who thinks buying operators from an online seller is a good idea - do you honestly think any online seller is going to come to your home to repair your operator? My customers who bought their products from me get my undivided attention - customers who bought their products elsewhere and now want me to raise the dead get a trip charge.
Btw the collar should be pushed in further I work for a big door company as an installer and definitely recommend that its pushed in further and just on the tip of the doors shaft. and also the detention pins in the collar need to be pushed in before hand about 1/8 of an inch to not lose traction on the shaft, so when you tighten them on the operator and shaft they will not move or shear the metal after repeated use.
A vix bit (self centering drill bit) will make installation a bit easier too...no need to take it down to drill holes, just to put it right back up again. Just an idea.
Awesome video. Thanks for the detailed instructions and I do appreciate that you used torque wrench to secure collar to the shaft. I also love how you went way overboard with the liquid tight electrical conduit for low voltage wires :)
If you come back to this video, be fore warned, you should consider a SURGE PROTECTOR at the plugin receptacle box. The main logic boards is very sensitive, this a know issue that a SURGE PROTECTOR is recommended.
Use a shop vac or any vac with a removable hose and suck some twine through. Take the twine and tie a sandwich bag or ballon (Ect....) to it and then suck it through,tie the wire to the string using electrical tape of what ever tape you have then pull the wire's through. Food for thought: It's easier to pull than push.
Just some advice, not code but because how close that outlet is to the outside wall where water could venture in from rain I would put a gfci in. Little more costly but could save someone from electrocution. Great detailed video and probably the best on TH-cam otherwise.
Great advice on not leveling a left master system. However, I cannot start the up limit. Held down button, yellow light blinking and It just has an motorized sound, and then doesn’t lift the door….
Excellent idea. The only thing missing I see is when you have a powerful failure, how do you release the gear so it can free wheel. Just an observation.
Only downside to this opener is how do you install or hookup a keypad on the outside to get in? Most overhead openers come with a keypad so you can punch in a code and you can open or close if you are standing outside?
crazy question.. Do you know the distance measured from the top to the bottom mounting brackets on the sides of your 8500 opener box? I am working with the mounting bracket for the unit (3950MB) and cannot seem to find the measurements for the length between the mounting holes top and bottom and the width of the box itself. I assume it is 5.25" but nobody has any specifications that I can find. Could you measure yours possibly? thanks! Its a great video!
Thank you for the comprehensive video. One question. Jackshaft operators rely on gravity to lower the door. The door hangs on the cables. When the door is all the way up, it laying flat. So there is no gravitational force for it to begin going down. How is it going down?
Helhoot...I have the same question. When fully open, my garage door stays open...meaning it's balanced in the fully opened position. And I fear that this garage door opener will simply uncoil the wire on the drum since no force is being applied on the door to get it moving from its balanced flat open position. Did you figure out this issue? I suppose I could have the door rebalanced so that the torsion spring pulls the door downward while in the open position...but am trying to avoid that.
At 1:27:15 he really ought to file the edge of the hole so the edge isn't sharp. That rubber grommet will likely be slowly cut as it presses against the side of the hole.
The torsion bars on my garage were not level. I contacted the people who installed my garage door. The came out and adjusted the center carrier piece which in turn leveled the torsion bars
I know this is sort of old, but maybe you'll see my comment. I ordered one of these 8500's and waiting on arrival. I'm not real thrilled about the solenoid locking pin. I can see that being a failure point. Does it send a signal to motor if it doesn't retract? Also, if that isn't installed, can you lift the door and move the motor shaft? thanks.
Old comment, but: A) good question. you could probably test that, but my guess would be no. B) yes, hence the lock, _but_ the spring will be "locked out" by the motor so you have to lift the entire weight of the door which is really not going to be a great challenge for thieves in the case of uninsulated residential doors as even a double door is usually under 150#. If you are inside the garage, you can "release" the opener by pulling on the red cord on the bottom of the opener, then you lift the the door manually with spring assist.
Im confused, trying to figure out how to connect an actual light (i have this opener, no light on it) when this opener is engaged, are you using the old opener light? where do you connect a light?
Got 3800 liftmaster that i need help with. In your video you said that mounting bracket bolts are 10/32 (bracket that mounts onto the unit) . I tried 10/32 and 10/24 but none of them are right size. Can you please confirm what is wright screw for mounting bracket. Thanks
Hello, I didn't have a chance to watch the whole video so excuse me you mention it, I'm considering getting this, but would this unit alow me to raise my rails up so that I get a more head room when the garage is open? If you don't know that's fine also. Obviously I would need longer cables and a torsion spring possibly.
240sx owner Raising your door up past its specs is highly advised against Im a professional installer and I can say its not a good idea to raise it higher. This is due to the fact that the cables can come off of the spring assembly and throw your door into a unworkable condition with unwound cables... Unless you give yourself a high lift on the door itself, which raise the horizontals on the door dependent on the amount of room you have from the top of the door opening to the ceiling and back room in the garage.
Hi, Thank you for your video. I did installation using your video as a guide. When the door opener is working I noticed it is shifting right and left! In your video I saw the same it moves a little bit. Is this normal? Thanks Ashot
I was very happy to hear that you use zwave. I am looking for a way to lock my garage door with a deadbolt all the while keeping the door manual. Now I'm pretty sure that I need the deadbolt part (the one that you have a video on that broke) , a 12 v transformer and a zwave device to trigger the deadbolt on/off. Would you know of a way to tie all these together?
Michael Hinchey You should be able to order the deadbolt separate. You can use a zwave relay and a power supply. I need to check the voltage of the deadbolt for you.
Thank you. I was thinking a zwave relay as well. The relay will be able to power the bolt open or closed right? Then I will need a zwave door sensor so that the zwave knows if the door is open or closed. I wouldn't want the bolt to lock while the garage was open.
Michael Hinchey They have a zwave tilt sensor for garage doors you can use. I need to check if it uses a holding voltage to keep open but the relay should work. Just depends on voltage required. Google 41A6102 for the lock. Sears is the cheapest now for $27.
chasiu75 Where would you find out if it needed holding voltage to stay open. I'm assuming that would be fine as the switch being on would supply the voltage and the switch turning off would turn voltage off.
I tried calling liftmaster. They don't have any specs on this device. Matter of fact they couldn't even find it at first. Is there a way to actually find out what the device needs to operate. I can't believe they won't give me the info.
My garage door not opening up as it should and i have had to set the limits a few times already in the past couple months.... and from testing it seems that the torsion bar is not properly being held by the opener.. i think that it was not torque to spec. The shaft spins slightly different when it is opening... It has been less than a year that it was installed.... Have you heard of an issue of this sort or anyone... I just need to go buy myself a Torque Wrench - any recommendations?
Got it to work now but the collar isn’t as flush as in your video. The set screws on the back the one closer to the unit was really tight and ended just leaving that along and ended up tightening the collar for the shaft and it was loose. Thanks again!!
Meanwhile, greatbidea, but I've heard the electronics are not very sophisticated nor flexible and it's really too expensive. Insufficient ROI, got-dangit!
What seller did you purchase this from? will all kits have all accessories included in your package? It's been almost a year, is your opener still working as designed and have you upgraded to the wireless app for remote access and notifications? Thank you!
You need to get a kit with everything included comes out cheaper. I purchased from d2ugaragedoors on eBay. pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=151356406084&alt=web
Funny you should ask if it still works okay. Actually the power door lock just started to have problems. The mechanism is binding and it does not always release causing the door not to open. I emailed support and let you know how they handle it.
@@Liftmaster-sw2zy Yes, I still recommend it. The lock is a bad design but they will stand behind it when it fails. The wall remote uses capacitors and not batteries for power backup. When it fails after the capacitors wear out you can't use the opener at all. I recommend you keep one on the ready. But they will replace it for you. The opener itself has been very good so far. That is the expensive bit and most important.
Lord, how much of this do I have to sit through to find how to program the remote? I've scanned through several times and still don't see how to program the remote to the opener.
They do NOT recommend jackshaft operators with doors that when fully open have little or no natural tendency to drop from fully open at the start because when fully open they are laying flat. These panel doors hang from the cables.. With a trolley opener the door is physically attached to the opener mechanism with a chain or belt.. connected with the trolley arm. The trolley opener pushes the door. This jackshaft opener relies on gravity to close the door. Jackshaft openers should only be used with high wall and "follow a vaulted ceiling" track installation. Your install is prone to cable unwrap when the opener begins to rotate the jackshaft and the door doesn't start moving, the cables come off the pulleys. This guy talks about it in the end of his video th-cam.com/video/wtKx0a4a494/w-d-xo.html
Thanks dude you just save me some money, local guy wants $200 to install mine. Watching your video gave me the confidence to just do it myself. Mine is now installed and working good so far thanks again.
+modayski1 Thank you for the feedback. I am glad the video was able to help you.
I am about to replace one of my three 2004 iDrive controllers (third and probably final failure) with a Liftmaster 8500 controller system (I checked out eBay, too) and wanted instructions JUST LIKE THIS! Thank you very much for taking the time to video your installation sequence. You're a polished craftsman! Kudos on the finish work with the conduit. That is a rare step but sure beefs up the installation longevity.
Excellent instructions overall but there is a big error leading to the instructions for mounting the 8500 onto the garage shaft that could lead to future failure and the 8500 falling off of the garage door shaft. The 8500 should slide over the garage door shaft as much as possible. Just make sure the locking knuckle does not touch the bearing plate that supports the garage shaft. The garage shaft actually SUPPORTS the 8500 so the more garage door shaft that is inside the tube of the 8500, the better support you will get. Also, the way this video shows it being installed, starting at 31:30, and only gripping 1/2" of the garage shaft, that is dangerous in two ways. (1) By only attaching to 1/2" of the garage shaft tube, the tube may collapse under the pressure of the set screws since it has less structural integrity at the end of the tube vs 3 or 4 inches further in on the solid tube section. (2) Now that it is installed this way, the small black bracket at the bottom, that is mounted to the wall, may be the only support if the garage tube collapses after some use. I highly recommend that the 8500 be re-positioned closer to the bearing plate of the garage shaft for FULL SUPPORT. Within 1/4" of the bearing plate is perfect. I just want to help and I'm not trying to put down the owner of this video. It's a great video.
^~~This. The shaft should be slide as far in as possible.
No brainer.
yes, that what I think too, thank you for Excellent answer, evryoneshould know by now.
I will be installing this opener this weekend, thank you Gary D for this comment and thank you to the original video owner!
Both will be immensely helpful!
Agree. Both shafts should always rotate together, so inserting the jackshaft another inch would make no difference.
Absolutely excellent video, I initially thought "Man, I don't have an hour and a half to watch this whole video" but in the end I watched it in its entirety and I really appreciate your attention to detail and narration. I'm buying a new (older) house with an ancient Craftsman opener and it is hitting the dumpster the day after we move in. I've been going back and forth between the Sommer Direct Drive and this Liftmaster 8500, and your video has made up my mind to go with the 8500. I really prefer the clean, uncluttered look of the jackshaft setup but having never installed a garage door opener, let alone a jackshaft style opener, I was a little hesitant and not sure how the jackshaft units worked. This 8500 unit seems top notch. It seems like your video got cut off before you covered the install of the remote light, I was a little bummed we didn't get to see that part but I'm sure I can figure that out. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to make this video.
This was very helpful for me because i was having trouble reconnecting after being in manual mode. It was evident from the video that I needed to pull the emergency cord harder - not something you can really understand from from written instructions. Luckily the video was not edited down too much and so it included that. Thanks for saving me a service call.
You, just saved me $300 install charge. Followed your instructions. Perfect setup.
Thanks, Tim in Dallas, TX.
You have to be in a relaxed mood to watch this. I liked it a lot and I had a Sunday with nothing to do. A little editing might have tightened things up just a little (a whole lot).
Steven Banks I actually liked watching all the mistakes and trials and errors.
Do you mean tie-ten?
T Smith that went over my head.
Nice instructional video. Just a tip... no need to go full speed on your drill. For the steel you were drilling a best speed would probably be around half speed of the drill. It will cut better, less heat on the drill bit, and give you more control. Folks will be surprised how slow you can go when drilling steel and still cut fast. Also, a quick squirt of WD40 on the steel helps the drill bit last longer as well. Thanks for the vid!
@24:00 I have that problem too. While not a professional, I have the proper tools and some experience, so my plan is to unwind my springs and level it. However, your solution is a good one. If I were to install mine without leveling it, I would probably flex the motor left and right by hand, mark each extreme, then mount it in the middle. Whatever position puts the least stress on the bearings is the best one. Hollow residential torsion bars are very flexible. It doesn't hurt them to be a little crooked, although it probably doesn't help the end bearings or middle bushing.
I have three (3) 8500's in the garage. Your video is very clear and informative; and I;ve used it numerous time to swap out a logic board and/or adjust the units. Thx.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I'm certain Liftmaster is indebted to you.
I recently received from Chamberlain this model 8500 operator. It arrived as a "replacement" for a 3800PLD I purchased in Feb 2013 but DID NOT install until Thanksgiving 2015 because as a homeowner and away from my home, electrical was not applied in the 2nd garage until just before Thanksgiving.
Nothing but problems after paying $450 to a local firm for the 3800PLD. Overhead Doors in Knoxville, TN were good when I purchased the door and opener but lousy for follow-up unless I looked to pay $85/hr for labor charges for someone to come to my home.
Having built the 2 story garage myself as I did years ago in Florida and also elsewhere and having done both mechanical engineering/design and home remodeling for at least 40 years, I know how to install a garage door and opener.
NEVER have I had as much trouble with an installation and setting as I have had with both the 3800 and 8500 and went thru over a month of calls with tech support to finally get a straight answer.
As others may have experienced, (1) full door height can NOT be achieved with this jackshaft operator. Noting one recent reply in this forum/spot that to get better height and extension would have to be added to the vertical shaft will become the ONLY resolution.
Used to belt/chain driven center mount door openers where this is a no brainer, literally losing 9 inches of available travel should have been indicated by the sales force selling me this operator "or" Chamberlain.
The issue was I could NOT get but within 4 inches "below the seam where the vertical track meets the arched track. Anything 2 inches from that seam or 1 inch above...still 7 inches from the underside of the door frame meant the tension monitor device caused the unit to freeze and the failsafe LED light would flash 9 times indicating the tension monitor was not working.
As pointed out, going even 1 inch above the seam meant slack appeared in the cable. The unit would go in the "up" position when wanting to go down, causing the torsion bar spools to unspool.
Very frustrating but am appreciative that Chamberlain replaced the 3800PLD with the 8500 after my waiting for a travel module to be replaced...then a logic board and finally the choice by Chamberlain to send the replacement.
Sadly....the 3800PLD was probably functional 100% but indications were that the unit was faulty. The 3800PLD worked "if" I kept the bottom of the door and bottom roller "below the seam in the track by 4 good inches. In the case of an 8 foot door where the opening is 96 inches, to make the door opener work, the door bottom is at 83.5 inches when I had hoped to be at 90 at a minimum.
Finding out this information "after" the choice of buying this I could remove the track and raise it one foot as suggested....but should NOT have to do this.
It remains to be seen just how functional this unit will remain.
Going through at least 6 tech support people, all were friendly and professional. My hat is off to Chamberlain for offering US based support instead of reaching China or Mexico...sorry folks if this appears biased but really.....I am grateful to find at least one company offering English speaking responders.
But I still have YET to hear from the local company. To see the trouble I received with this unit that should have taken less than 3 hours to complete start to finish and instead struggle for 30 days when expected to pay $85/hr for a service charge by someone who more than likely would be sitting there with a thumb up their.....means I would not recommend the firm locally either.
Thanks Chasiu75 for the quick feed back. I would like to see the mechanism how it works for my own installation, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks again.
Yes, this is a very good video. About the best I've seen on this installation. It give me the confidence to install mine. Thanks .
Thank you kind sir for spending your valuable time to give us all this useful information. 😀
Great video. Installed the complete unit and wired it up myself. Decided to use you programming and set up portion. Works great, thanks for your video!! :)
Very nice and detailed installation video. I have to install two of these and your video was extremely helpful. Using the old sensor and controller wiring to satisfy the need for the new controller was a great idea. I was thinking of mounting the controller just under the opener so I wouldn't have to run wires and just buy an extra car remote to operate it from the wall going into the house. Using the existing wires will allow me to put it where it is supposed to go without having to run new wires. Thanks again for putting this out.
Hey I install these for a living it can go though it it won't hurt.
Thank you for the instructional video, I also bought the garage opener from the vendor where you purchased it.
Excellent video! Clear and easy to understand instructions.
Actually you can slide that torsion bar all the way out to the other side, The opener is designed for left and right hand operations so there is a clear path throughout the body of the opener, Actually I have two collars on mine on both sides of the motor holding the torsion bar.
Yes that right
Nope, there is not! Look in on the next time you install one there's a pin.
Nice job. Complete DYI was an understatement - lol. I thought I/R the sensors were supposed to be installed further up, about 3' or so ... being at floor level, someone could step over the beam without tripping the beam, or the beam could shoot under a vehicle that's straddling the door opening.
I loved this.
But, I agree it should slide over the torsion shaft. It's obvious that it's there for that reason. As far as the bow in the torsion shaft, It's too bad the installer was lazy and didn't get it right but nothing will be hurt except possibly a bit more bearing wear of the torsion bar bearings.
I would recommend to hold the Liftmaster all the way to the right and to the left and mark the free play in both directions, then mount the Liftmaster exactly 1/2 way between those two marks. You will reduce the chance of binding and subsequent wear and premature failure of the Liftmaster. Also if you had the bar inside the Liftmaster it would reduce the chance of the torsion bar scraping against the inside of the Liftmaster tube (can anyone say "mystery squeak"?) as it goes up and down.
I
A real simple job my grandson 12yrs old did mine easy ... nice Vid if you use the fast forward button to much making a simple job rocket science for me
Not sure if it's been mentioned but at 24:48, you never want to do what is being mentioned unless you take tension off the spring first. Many have broken their arms by doing this.
Thanks for bringing that up. I didn't get into any details to explain the safety aspect. I know better but some people may not know to release the tension in a controlled fashion first.
Agreed. I had to replace the torsion spring recently. The guys at the door company wouldn't sell me the torsion spring tension bars, I had to make a pair out of 1/2" coated welding rod. Watch a half a dozen different videos, each one will show you the right/wrong way of doing things, and will most likely point out the obvious safety concerns because everyone does it a little different. I have the 8500 sitting across the room from me, because it is no doubt the best technology on the market. I was only disappointed with his homemade wiring job. I would have preferred to see that part from A to Z, because I am dealing with a finished garage and the wiring is going to be difficult enough without the guess work.
Really great video now I feel comfortable installing my own. Thanks
Happy to hear it helped you. Sorry it is so long. I am working on doing a better edit.
The bar can go through it, it is even better
Federal law requires that the photo eye be between 4 - 6 inches from the floor. What I saw was half-assed. Remove the old operator photo eye brackets FIRST, then install the snappy brackets, then install the photo eyes (which are now held in place by a bolt and wing nut onto a smaller bracket). Before I install my eyes I wrap about 18" of the wire lead around the round shank of a screw driver, creating a "spring" that allows wire movement without pulling the wiring taut. If you want to lock the brackets in place drilll a 1/4" hole through the track into the center hole of the bracket, then use a track kep bolt and nut to bolt the bracket in place.
Thank you for the video. Very helpful to see an installation. Probably going to buy one. Still unclear if it hurts if the door shaft protrudes deep into the opener.
The company only said not to and did not elaborate.
Those 2 bolts in the middle of your torsion bar are holding all the tension of the garage door spring. Those 2 bolts holding that plate which you said looks adjustable are painted red for a reason. DONT remove those bolts, or even loosen them without relieving the spring tension. The spring will probably send you to the hospital if you do. And great video. I am finally retiring my Wayne Dalton I-Drive units with the 8500's. Hope they last as long as my I-Drives did. Put them in when we built our house 9 years ago.
Regarding removal of the torsion bracket lag bolts. (1) when the door is in the "down" or closed position, ALL of the torsion spring wound force will be there. The comment about going to the hospital applies! I know for I was one that did this without thinking it through and climbing a ladder first to release the tension in the wound springs. Instead I was looking to install sheetrock that had not been done prior to the garage door being installed. On a bright/sunny Sunday afternoon late in the day, I was undoing both lag bolts when at the last minute I thought "I really shouldn't be doing this" and "boing" the last bolt came out, the bracket spun with full force and CUT the 2 major tendons in my left wrist, causing me to be in surgery 4 hours later and $12,000 poorer.
I lived in Pensacola, FL where Wayne Dalton had a factory and sad to see they no longer supported the sale of the opener they had and now in a home in TN am still using the same torsion bar and rewound although the drive unit went bad. I chose to go with a Chamberlain belt dive unit....but in a 2nd garage I am working with, chose to buy in to a 3800 PLD unit in Feb 2013 but did not install this until Thanksgiving 2015 due to having no electricity in the newer garage until then.
I'm into this at a minute and 34 seconds. "Sears" Craftsman and Liftmaster are manufactured by Chamberlain. Back in the day any current Sears Craftsman product was compatible with any current Liftmaster / Raynor / AccessMaster product. I do NOT use any of the "Max" remotes - the Max line are universal, and the problem is that they tend to work most of the time. I have my own reservations about controlling any overhead door from a remote location using a remote device - I've been in business for over 35 years, and my personal feeling is that if you left your door open when you left for the airport the burglar deserves everything he can carry off because you were inattentive to ensuring that the largest door in your home was left open. For everyone who thinks buying operators from an online seller is a good idea - do you honestly think any online seller is going to come to your home to repair your operator? My customers who bought their products from me get my undivided attention - customers who bought their products elsewhere and now want me to raise the dead get a trip charge.
Excellent tutorial, thanks. I'm ordering one of these openers. I like the clean look with those conduits.
Btw the collar should be pushed in further I work for a big door company as an installer and definitely recommend that its pushed in further and just on the tip of the doors shaft. and also the detention pins in the collar need to be pushed in before hand about 1/8 of an inch to not lose traction on the shaft, so when you tighten them on the operator and shaft they will not move or shear the metal after repeated use.
A vix bit (self centering drill bit) will make installation a bit easier too...no need to take it down to drill holes, just to put it right back up again. Just an idea.
1:14:01 I love this sound so much
Awesome video. Thanks for the detailed instructions and I do appreciate that you used torque wrench to secure collar to the shaft. I also love how you went way overboard with the liquid tight electrical conduit for low voltage wires :)
My 3800 has a steel pin in the center of the collar inside the opener which serves as a stop for the garage door torsion bar.
Probably a good idea to actually open the garage door before drilling and installing the Lock Solenoid.
Great video. Helped with my install on the programming section
If you come back to this video, be fore warned, you should consider a SURGE PROTECTOR at the plugin receptacle box. The main logic boards is very sensitive, this a know issue that a SURGE PROTECTOR is recommended.
I installed a shelf and UPS after the install. Good point.
Use a shop vac or any vac with a removable hose and suck some twine through. Take the twine and tie a sandwich bag or ballon (Ect....) to it and then suck it through,tie the wire to the string using electrical tape of what ever tape you have then pull the wire's through. Food for thought: It's easier to pull than push.
great help this is for my FOR SALE home so not as neat as your.
but thanks for taking the time to do video REALLY
+Martin Buchanan Your very welcome. I am happy that my video was able to help you.
No worries it was vary detailed and I like that!!!!! Great job!!!
I noticed that it can take a battery internally. I think that would be the same as using a UPS - although you might be able to find a UPS for less $.
Very Helpful
Hi Chasiu75 it's the motor with side shaft with chain drive with 2 min clip.
Just some advice, not code but because how close that outlet is to the outside wall where water could venture in from rain I would put a gfci in. Little more costly but could save someone from electrocution. Great detailed video and probably the best on TH-cam otherwise.
Michael Hinchey The outlet I installed is connected to a GFCI circuit.
Ah. OK. Great work
Great advice on not leveling a left master system.
However, I cannot start the up limit. Held down button, yellow light blinking and It just has an motorized sound, and then doesn’t lift the door….
Say tighten one more time!
Tighten
Tighten or Titan...I can’t tell which he is saying OMG
Mr. Carpenter has mommy with a really tight end!
i was going to say it haha
Hallaluya Mr Carpenter. The guy drives me crazy ha!. Still, nice to have some...errrr...ideas.
I think torsion bar passed into the motor shaft should not be a problem though
Why this opener rather than the conventional opener you replaced? Thx for the instructional video.
Which eBay seller did you use? How much was everything?
Notice at 38:38 your garage end bearing plate is not properly fastened with a lag bolt into the wood. This is causing everything to shimmy
Excellent idea. The only thing missing I see is when you have a powerful failure, how do you release the gear so it can free wheel.
Just an observation.
You can pull down on the red handle. It will release the drive. I also have a UPS on mine so it will still work for a while after the power goes out.
Only downside to this opener is how do you install or hookup a keypad on the outside to get in? Most overhead openers come with a keypad so you can punch in a code and you can open or close if you are standing outside?
I can't find that collar you used to connect the opener to the torsion bar. Did it come with the opener or was it separate? Do you have a part number?
crazy question.. Do you know the distance measured from the top to the bottom mounting brackets on the sides of your 8500 opener box? I am working with the mounting bracket for the unit (3950MB) and cannot seem to find the measurements for the length between the mounting holes top and bottom and the width of the box itself. I assume it is 5.25" but nobody has any specifications that I can find. Could you measure yours possibly? thanks! Its a great video!
Thank you for the comprehensive video. One question. Jackshaft operators rely on gravity to lower the door. The door hangs on the cables. When the door is all the way up, it laying flat. So there is no gravitational force for it to begin going down. How is it going down?
The motor and density.
@@chasiu75 what do you mean by density?
@@helihoot When an object that is too dense to be buoyant in fluid air.
@@chasiu75 buddy you are talking to an engineer not a stone head
Helhoot...I have the same question. When fully open, my garage door stays open...meaning it's balanced in the fully opened position. And I fear that this garage door opener will simply uncoil the wire on the drum since no force is being applied on the door to get it moving from its balanced flat open position. Did you figure out this issue? I suppose I could have the door rebalanced so that the torsion spring pulls the door downward while in the open position...but am trying to avoid that.
Really helpful. Thank you for sharing.
My torsion bar is short and pushed too far to the other side. How do I slide it back to gain enough rod to attach the opener?
At 1:27:15 he really ought to file the edge of the hole so the edge isn't sharp. That rubber grommet will likely be slowly cut as it presses against the side of the hole.
One quarter inch from the bearing plate.
What’s battery back up or surge protector did you go with ? Thanks
I have 2002 Lexus is300 have homelink. It still working on craftman
Thanks for this video... i have a New Build Pole Barn that will be needing this style Garage Door opener... Very Helpful ';-)
Great narration voice. Was there a light on this?
Three years later....are you satisfied with the Liftmaster?
Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Sears Craftsman, Raynor, they're all made by Chamberlain.
The torsion bars on my garage were not level. I contacted the people who installed my garage door. The came out and adjusted the center carrier piece which in turn leveled the torsion bars
The verticle level is positioned from the wall to the drive unite.. Not the unit to the garage door shaft.
I know this is sort of old, but maybe you'll see my comment. I ordered one of these 8500's and waiting on arrival. I'm not real thrilled about the solenoid locking pin. I can see that being a failure point. Does it send a signal to motor if it doesn't retract? Also, if that isn't installed, can you lift the door and move the motor shaft? thanks.
Old comment, but:
A) good question. you could probably test that, but my guess would be no.
B) yes, hence the lock, _but_ the spring will be "locked out" by the motor so you have to lift the entire weight of the door which is really not going to be a great challenge for thieves in the case of uninsulated residential doors as even a double door is usually under 150#.
If you are inside the garage, you can "release" the opener by pulling on the red cord on the bottom of the opener, then you lift the the door manually with spring assist.
Im confused, trying to figure out how to connect an actual light (i have this opener, no light on it) when this opener is engaged, are you using the old opener light? where do you connect a light?
Got 3800 liftmaster that i need help with. In your video you said that mounting bracket bolts are 10/32 (bracket that mounts onto the unit) . I tried 10/32 and 10/24 but none of them are right size. Can you please confirm what is wright screw for mounting bracket.
Thanks
Trying to figure out why you need another opener. Did your original opener fail?
I wanted to clear up space above the garage.
Look at your hockey stick install
45 % angel and your are professional
Never remove the red lags on the center bracket connected to the spring without first loosening the tension on the spring with winding bars first.
Hello, I didn't have a chance to watch the whole video so excuse me you mention it, I'm considering getting this, but would this unit alow me to raise my rails up so that I get a more head room when the garage is open? If you don't know that's fine also. Obviously I would need longer cables and a torsion spring possibly.
240sx owner
Raising your door up past its specs is highly advised against Im a professional installer and I can say its not a good idea to raise it higher. This is due to the fact that the cables can come off of the spring assembly and throw your door into a unworkable condition with unwound cables... Unless you give yourself a high lift on the door itself, which raise the horizontals on the door dependent on the amount of room you have from the top of the door opening to the ceiling and back room in the garage.
+240sx owner
Just google "Liftmaster high ceiling" and all kinds of examples come up. It is a common installation.
Can you use a three button (up down stop) wall mount from their commercial line?
so help me if he counts to 3 again!
Wonder if I can hook up 2 one-car garage doors to an 8500 mounted in the middle and attached to both torsion bars.. 🤔 Any thoughts on this?
can you tell me about where you got that punch mark. Very nice unit b y the looks of it
Great video and drinking game !!!!!
I would have people drunk in no time!
Hi,
Thank you for your video. I did installation using your video as a guide.
When the door opener is working I noticed it is shifting right and left! In your video I saw the same it moves a little bit.
Is this normal?
Thanks
Ashot
+ZOHRABYAN ASHOT I think some movement is normal.
Hi, will this work on a 2 car garage door and/or a heavy wood door?
I was very happy to hear that you use zwave. I am looking for a way to lock my garage door with a deadbolt all the while keeping the door manual. Now I'm pretty sure that I need the deadbolt part (the one that you have a video on that broke) , a 12 v transformer and a zwave device to trigger the deadbolt on/off. Would you know of a way to tie all these together?
Michael Hinchey You should be able to order the deadbolt separate. You can use a zwave relay and a power supply. I need to check the voltage of the deadbolt for you.
Thank you. I was thinking a zwave relay as well. The relay will be able to power the bolt open or closed right? Then I will need a zwave door sensor so that the zwave knows if the door is open or closed. I wouldn't want the bolt to lock while the garage was open.
Michael Hinchey They have a zwave tilt sensor for garage doors you can use. I need to check if it uses a holding voltage to keep open but the relay should work. Just depends on voltage required. Google 41A6102 for the lock. Sears is the cheapest now for $27.
chasiu75 Where would you find out if it needed holding voltage to stay open. I'm assuming that would be fine as the switch being on would supply the voltage and the switch turning off would turn voltage off.
I tried calling liftmaster. They don't have any specs on this device. Matter of fact they couldn't even find it at first. Is there a way to actually find out what the device needs to operate. I can't believe they won't give me the info.
Do you remember the sellers name on eBay? I would like to check out there store and how happy are you with the lift master?
My garage door not opening up as it should and i have had to set the limits a few times already in the past couple months.... and from testing it seems that the torsion bar is not properly being held by the opener.. i think that it was not torque to spec. The shaft spins slightly different when it is opening... It has been less than a year that it was installed.... Have you heard of an issue of this sort or anyone... I just need to go buy myself a Torque Wrench - any recommendations?
You can just get it tight without stripping it. It should be fine. Just don't go crazy ape strength.
chasiu75 of course. :-). Thanks
Got it to work now but the collar isn’t as flush as in your video. The set screws on the back the one closer to the unit was really tight and ended just leaving that along and ended up tightening the collar for the shaft and it was loose. Thanks again!!
What is that electrical floor cover under the door there?
You remind me of Tool man Taylor. lol
Andy Montalvo I need to start grunting.
can you recommend seller on ebay for this and what is a good price for the kit like this?
14:41 That's what She said!
Meanwhile, greatbidea, but I've heard the electronics are not very sophisticated nor flexible and it's really too expensive. Insufficient ROI, got-dangit!
Level is side to side. Up and down is Plumb.
what's that spring punch called that you used at ~29mins in?
Why is it that no one wants to show how to install the torsion bar?
hey man you would think need to go to a 2 springs sysem
What seller did you purchase this from? will all kits have all accessories included in your package? It's been almost a year, is your opener still working as designed and have you upgraded to the wireless app for remote access and notifications?
Thank you!
You need to get a kit with everything included comes out cheaper. I purchased from d2ugaragedoors on eBay.
pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=151356406084&alt=web
Funny you should ask if it still works okay. Actually the power door lock just started to have problems. The mechanism is binding and it does not always release causing the door not to open. I emailed support and let you know how they handle it.
They just shipped a new door lock to me. I will take apart the old one to find out what happened. Maybe I will do a replacement video.
+chasiu75 so it's been a few more months and I'm about to purchase mine. What's the update with your unit?
th-cam.com/video/OYMHc7Gb9G4/w-d-xo.html Here is what was wrong with the lock.
How is this doing so far?
Door lock broke once and the door opener/remote receiver broke once. Both times Liftmaster shipped free replacement's after just one quick phone call.
Do you still recommend it?
@@Liftmaster-sw2zy Yes, I still recommend it. The lock is a bad design but they will stand behind it when it fails. The wall remote uses capacitors and not batteries for power backup. When it fails after the capacitors wear out you can't use the opener at all. I recommend you keep one on the ready. But they will replace it for you. The opener itself has been very good so far. That is the expensive bit and most important.
Wow. Good video but its like watching paint dry. Edit out the self talk and thinking process and the install should be 15 minutes or so.
I agree, when I get a chance I will do a better edit focusing on content and narrate it with a voice over for efficiency.
I disagree. I think all the talk is a big part of what makes this an excellent video. I also like the lighting.
Lord, how much of this do I have to sit through to find how to program the remote? I've scanned through several times and still don't see how to program the remote to the opener.
Has to be done through the wall control
They do NOT recommend jackshaft operators with doors that when fully open have little or no natural tendency to drop from fully open at the start because when fully open they are laying flat. These panel doors hang from the cables.. With a trolley opener the door is physically attached to the opener mechanism with a chain or belt.. connected with the trolley arm. The trolley opener pushes the door. This jackshaft opener relies on gravity to close the door. Jackshaft openers should only be used with high wall and "follow a vaulted ceiling" track installation. Your install is prone to cable unwrap when the opener begins to rotate the jackshaft and the door doesn't start moving, the cables come off the pulleys. This guy talks about it in the end of his video th-cam.com/video/wtKx0a4a494/w-d-xo.html