Chamberlain Garage Door Opener Gear Kit - Part #41A2817

by Chamberlain

Product Description

The Liftmaster Gear Kit 41a2817 is compatible with Chamberlain Liftmaster Sears Craftsman units manufactured 1984-current. The manufacture date can be found on the motor head. Important note: use entire tube of lubrication during the installation of the gears or the drive gear will shred quickly, possibly within a couple of days.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000V0KYQY
• Item model number: 41a2817
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (160 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,299 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #15 in Home Improvement > Hardware > Garage Door Hardware > Garage Door Openers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With this kit and a little time, you can repair your garage door opener., March 22, 2008

By 

L. T. Beasimer "www.LBphoto.net" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

I was faced with the decision to purchase a new garage door opener for about $230 or repair the existing opener from 1992 which lacks some of today's safety features. Since I don't use this garage door often and I don't have children, I opted to save some cash and do the repair myself. I have no previous experience of doing these types of garage door opener repairs, but as a do-it-yourselfer I figured it was worth the attempt.

The kit came with detailed instructions which broke the process down into 5 main steps each with multiple individual tasks. The instructions were not exact for my opener, but were close enough to get the point. The steps start with removing the motor with the worm, removing the chain stem with the gear, replacing the worm, replacing the gear, and finally reassembling everything. Once the first two steps were completed I brought the parts inside to work on. I had the most trouble removing the tightly set pin to replace the gear. About two hours later, everything was reassembled and the garage door was working like a charm.

For those that want to save time, there is another kit with a complete gear stem for about $11 more. If time is an issue for you, consider the more expensive kit option. However for me, this kit worked well and is at the right price. Ultimately I need to replace my aging Craftsman garage door opener; however I can wait for the right time for me financially speaking.

PROS:
Inexpensive way to extend the life of your garage door opener
Simple enough instructions

CONS:
Using the kit may delay replacing the garage door opener for safety reasons
Time consuming to replace parts

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A replacement part - with instructions!, January 11, 2007

By 

J. Fritz "Jack-of-all-trades" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
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I saved myself ~$75 in labor charges doing this myself. It's a COMMON issue with Craftsman garage door openers - The main gear set strips out. Mine seemed to have lasted a good 8 years, so I really can't complain. The cost of the gear kit was a lot better than a complete new garage door opener.

My only recommendation with DIY on this, is REMEMBER TO PLUG BACK IN ALL SENSORS!! OOps!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint of heart...., February 24, 2009

By 

Spumanti (Mountain View, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chamberlain Garage Door Opener Gear Kit - Part #41A2817 (Misc.)

This was a lot of work, more than I had anticipated, despite the excellent reviews here, warning of the many nuts, plugs, and pins involved.

The directions were so-so. I found that they were written very generically with the intent to apply to variations of the models. The diagrams could have been more clear...for example, I had trouble figuring out where the retainer clip and limit drive gear (2A) was. It's the white thing on the end of the sprocket assembly shaft. My advice is to take your time and move very slowly through the instructions, step by step. There were a few things that delayed me:

* The sprocket assembly had to be lifted up through the hole in the chassis, and I only had 2 inches of clearance between the top of the opener and the ceiling of the garage. This meant that the opener had to come down a few inches. I suspended it with rope and bungees since taking it down completely would have meant un-bolting it from the chain axel, and I didn't want to do that. Lowering it worked fine, but it required extra time.

* The second issue sounds like a common one as others here had it, as well. I had trouble getting the drive shaft bushing off the motor shaft because the shaft was marred ever so slightly by the set screws. The marring is so slight, it's hard to even see it, but it prevented the bushing from sliding off. Per the excellent advice by other reviewers, I was able to use a file to smooth down the shaft so that I could finally remove the bushing and ultimately, the worm gear.

* I also had trouble removing the pin from the sprocket assembly, despite having a 5/32" punch tool. Removing it was easier than replacing it, as I was worried about damaging the new plastic gear when replacing it.

* There's also some time consuming tinkering at the end, adjusting the up/down limits and force.

Other than these issues, it was a matter of remembering how everything went back together...I used notes along the way.

The kit itself was great. In terms of quality, the pieces looked to be the same as the originals that I was replacing. Sanford & Son shipping was timely - took about 4 or 5 business days to arrive, which was less than the estimate. So, I am totally satisfied with my purchase.

In the end, the cost was $19.49 (included shipping), several hours of my weekend, several scrapes to the hands, only one of which bled slightly (pinched in the chain), and very dirty hands, grease still caked around the cuticles two days later, despite many washings.

Would I do it again? Absolutely...I enjoy the learning experience that goes along with most do-it-yourself tasks. However, if this type of task isn't your cup of tea or if you find putting together IKEA furniture to be a chore, I'd suggest you hire someone to handle this.