How To Install Craftsman Garage Door Opener

Today we'll tell you how to assemble and install a Craftsman belt drive garage door opener in a garage with a sectional door and a finished ceiling. These steps apply to all recent models of Craftsman belt drive garage door openers, so your product may appear different. This video is intended for demonstration purposes only. Please consult the manual for complete instructions and safety information.

You'll begin by assembling your garage door opener and then you'll install it. Plan to set aside a couple of hours, but you may need more time.

There are several things you'll need to do to prepare for installation: confirm the height of the garage door, uninstall the previous garage door opener, check the balance of the door, and confirm the door is reinforced.

First, measure the height of your garage door. All Craftsman garage door openers are provided with a rail designed for a seven-foot-tall garage door. If your door is taller than 7 feet and up to 10 feet tall, you will need a rail extension kit. Kit number CMXZDCG498 is designed for garage doors that are up to 8 feet tall. Kit number CMXZDCG4910 is designed for garage doors that are 10 feet tall. Each rail kit comes with a new belt.

Check the balance of the garage door. Start with your garage door in the closed position. Lift the door three to four feet off the ground. Release the door. If balanced, it should stay in place supported entirely by its springs. Raise and lower the door to check for sticking or binding. If your door binds, sticks, or is out of balance, contact a trained door systems technician before you install this opener. An unbalanced garage door might not reverse when required.

Never try to loosen, move, or adjust garage door springs, cables, pulleys, brackets, or their hardware, all of which are under extreme tension. Be sure to close the door when finished with these checks.

Your garage door should also have horizontal and vertical reinforcements already installed. These provide support and help prevent damage to the door.

Let's unbox the garage door opener and lay out the parts. It's a good idea to rest the motor unit on protective cardboard so it doesn't get scratched.

Here's what comes in the box: the motor unit, the rail, the trolley assembly, the belt, the header bracket and door mounting bracket, the safety reversing sensors with mounting brackets, the control panel, remote controls, and the other parts including hardware. Refer to your manual for a list of tools and additional items you may need.

The support bracket for mounting the motor unit to the ceiling is not provided. You'll also need to supply light bulbs.

Place the garage door opener about 10 feet away from the garage door to assemble the rail. Carefully remove the door arm and hanging bracket parts. Lay out the rail sections on the floor with the tapered ends pointing toward the garage door. The front rail section with the window goes on the door end of the rail. Make sure the cutout rail tab is on top.

Slide the tapered ends of the rails into the larger ends. Placing the rail on top of packing material and the motor unit will help with assembly.

At the motor unit end of the rail, install the cover protection bolt, making sure not to overtighten. Insert the U-bracket with the flat side down. Push firmly until it reaches the stops. If you need a little help, place a piece of old 2x4 against a solid surface and brace the rail against it, then tap the rail with a mallet.

Slide the inner trolley into the outer trolley. Make sure the release lever is pointed toward the motor unit and slide the trolley assembly onto the rail and past the hole. Then insert a screwdriver through the hole that's next to the rail tab. This will keep the trolley assembly in place when you connect the belt.

Remove the bolts from the top of the motor unit and use them to attach the U-bracket on the rail. Hand tighten the bolts. Do not use power tools.

Remove the tape from the idler pulley and make sure there is grease in the center hole. Feed the belt through the window on the front rail before inserting the idler pulley. The rib side of the belt should be in contact with the pulley. Secure the pulley in place with the provided hardware.

Use a flathead screwdriver to lift the cutout rail tab to a 90-degree angle. Hook the belt onto the trolley. Pull the other end of the belt until the trolley rests against the screwdriver. Extend the belt and wrap it around the sprocket on the motor unit. Make sure the belt is not twisted and the ribbed side is in contact with the sprocket. Connect the belt to the threaded shaft using the master link hardware.

Remove the spring trolley nut and insert the threaded shaft through the hole in the trolley, securing it in place by finger-tightening the spring trolley nut. To set the spring, insert a flathead screwdriver against the nut ring slot and turn the nut with a wrench until the spring releases and snaps the nut ring against the trolley.

Now that the belt is installed, remove the screwdriver from the rail. Complete the assembly by installing the sprocket cover.

Your garage door opener is ready to install. Do not proceed with installation until you have thoroughly read all of the instructions and safety information in your instruction manual. This demonstration only provides an overview of an installation in a garage with a sectional door and finished ceiling. Your product and installation may be different.

The header bracket will be centered over the garage door and fastened to a structural support. Do not attach the header bracket over drywall. If there is a header bracket already properly installed, use it if possible.

Raise the garage door to the highest point of travel and make a mark 2 inches above this. Using a level is helpful. With the door closed, place the bottom of the header bracket on your mark and make marks for pilot holes. Be sure to refer to the instruction manual for the correct drill bit size. Install the header bracket using the provided hardware.

This garage already has support brackets installed. If a properly installed support bracket is not already in place, you must supply one along with the hardware for fastening it to the structural supports in the ceiling.

It's time to place the assembled garage door opener into position. Position the opener so the end of the rail reaches the header bracket. If the door spring is in the way, raise the motor unit onto a temporary support and have a helper hold it securely in place. Connect the rail to the header bracket using the clevis pin and secure in place with a ring.

Open the garage door and place a 2x4 under the rail. This will put the motor unit at the proper height for connecting to the support bracket. Measure the distance from the support bracket to the garage door opener. Measure and cut the hanging bracket. Connect the hanging bracket to the garage door opener and the support bracket. Remove the 2x4 and lower the garage door.

Install the light bulbs.

Thread the emergency release rope through the handle and tie it off. Then install the emergency release rope to the trolley, making sure the handle is at least 6 feet off the ground.

If your garage door is made of lightweight material such as fiberglass, aluminum, or light steel, make sure both horizontal and vertical reinforcements are installed before attaching the door bracket.

The door bracket will be centered under the header bracket. It attaches to the vertical reinforcement on the top panel using the provided hardware. If there is a door bracket already properly installed, it's easier to use that.

The outer trolley needs to be close to the garage door so you can install the door arm. If you need to move it, disconnect the trolley by pulling down on the emergency release handle and slide the trolley over to the door.

The door arm consists of a curved section and a straight section. Use the provided clevis pins to connect the straight door arm to the trolley and the curved door arm to the door bracket. Align the curved and straight arms so they appear to be positioned between one and two o'clock. Use the provided hardware to connect the two parts.

Your garage door opener comes equipped with safety reversing sensors, which are to be mounted on each side of the garage door at floor level. Safety reversing sensors are to be installed no more than six inches from the floor.

Snap the sensor bracket onto the door track, then mount the safety sensor using the provided wing nut and bolt.

If your garage is not pre-wired for safety reversing sensors, follow the instructions for routing the wires that are attached to the sensors. Since this garage already has wiring in place, we'll follow the directions for connecting the safety reversing sensors to the existing wiring.

Now follow the directions for wiring the safety reversing sensors to the motor unit. Insert the white wire in the white connector and the black wire in the gray connector.

Next, install the door control following the directions in your installation instructions. Install the door control within sight of the door at a minimum height of 5 feet (1.5 meters) above floors, landings, steps, or any other adjacent walking surface where small children cannot reach, and away from the moving parts of the door.

Wire the door control to the motor unit by inserting the white wire in the white connector and the red wire in the red connector.

It's time to plug in your garage door opener. Plug the garage door opener into the electrical outlet, but do not run the opener now.

Check the safety reversing sensors. The sending sensor amber LED should be on solid. The receiving sensor green LED should be on solid.

If the sending sensor amber LED is off, make sure of the following:

The garage door opener has power.

The wire from the sensor is not broken or shorted.

The wires are wired to the correct terminals on the opener.

If the receiving sensor green LED is flickering or off, loosen the wing nut and adjust the sensor position until the LED glows solid.

Programming travel limits tells the opener where to stop when moving the door up or down.

Re-engage the trolley by pulling back on the emergency release rope. Lower the light lens to locate the buttons for programming travel. There are three buttons you'll use: the up button, the down button, and the adjustment button.

Press and hold the adjustment button until the UP button begins to flash. Now press and hold the UP button until the door is in the desired up or open position.

To prevent damage to vehicles, be sure the fully open door provides adequate clearance.

Once the door is in the fully open position, press and release the adjustment button. The garage door opener lights will flash twice and the down button will start flashing.

Now press and hold the down button until the door is in the desired down or closed position. Once the door reaches the correct closed position, press and release the adjustment button. The garage door opener lights will flash twice and the UP button will begin to flash.

Now press and release the UP button. When the door travels to the open position, the down button will begin to flash. Press and release the down button. The door will travel to the closed position. Programming the travel for your garage opener is now complete.

Any time you make adjustments, the safety reversal system must be tested. To learn more, watch our videos or see your owner's manual for instructions on how to test the safety reversal system.

To test the safety reversing sensors, open the garage door. Place an object that is at least 12 inches high, such as a box, in the path of the garage door so that it obstructs the safety sensor.

Use your remote control or control panel to try to close the garage door. The door will not close and the garage door opener lights will flash 10 times when a safety sensor is obstructed or misaligned. The LED will be flickering or off.

If the garage door opener closes the door while the safety sensor is obstructed and the sensors are installed no higher than six inches above the floor, call for a trained door systems technician.

You must test the safety reversal system of your garage door opener every month. You must also perform this safety reversal test after making any adjustments to your garage door opener. The door must reverse on contact with a one-and-a-half-inch-high object or a 2x4 laid flat on the floor.

To test the safety reversal system, open the garage door. With the garage door open, place a one-and-a-half-inch-high board or a 2x4 laid flat on the floor centered under the path of the garage door.

Use the remote control to close the garage door. The door must reverse after it comes in contact with the obstruction. If the door reverses, congratulations — your safety reversal system is working properly.

If the door stops and does not reverse, check that your garage door opener is installed properly. Refer to the manual for detailed instructions.

Here are some key installation points to check to ensure your system successfully passes the safety reversal test:

Verify the garage door is properly reinforced. Some garage doors may have pre-installed reinforcements, which can be verified by contacting the door manufacturer.

Verify the header and door brackets are installed in the proper location.

Verify the curved and straight arms are assembled correctly.

If everything is installed properly, it may be necessary to increase the down travel in order to get a properly reversing safety system. Go back and watch the travel adjustment section of this video again or consult the manual.

After adjusting the travel, you'll need to perform the safety reversal test again. If the garage door opener continues to fail the safety reversal test, contact a trained door systems technician.

Congratulations on installing your Craftsman garage door opener.