It's just like driving. The faster you drive, the less time you spend on the road. Therefore, driving fast increases safety. The faster you drive, the safer you are.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

Shall we increase the freeway speed limit to 120mph or no limit at all?

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Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

I seems to me that every post after #14 would only be relevant to someone else other than HuskyMan, as he is going to have a professional do the job. HM is not going to do a DIY on his springs, so for him after post #14 is all moot. The only exception is the suggestion to use high cycle springs.

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All Diesel Fleet
1985 R107 300SLD TURBODIESEL
2005 E320 CDI (daily)

LOTS of parts for sale!


EGR block kit
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/355250-sale-egr-delete-block-off-plate-kit.html

1985 CA emissions 617 owners- You Need This!
Sanden style A/C Compressor Mounting Kit for your 616/ 617 For Sale + Install Inst.

Sanden Instalation Guide (post 11):
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/367883-sanden-retrofit-installation-guide.html

HuskyMan must have failed to realize that. Four of the posts after #14 are his own.

Evidently, he doesn't trust the professional when it comes to spring measurement.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

I don't see this job as much more challenging or dangerous as many things that most of us do on our cars.

I have an aversion to paying people a couple hundred bucks for something I could do in an hour or two. People who don't use tools for this or that on a regular basis would of course feel differently. I don't intend to sneer at them. Such people pay me pretty well.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Yeah, right. I know that it's often taken me quite a few movements of the wrench to fasten it down.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Went out and read the reviews on Home Depot's garage door springs. Seems they have a life expetancy of around two years. Not good. Then I checked out grainger.com. Around $234 to $294 for what appears to be quality parts.

Amazon.com is iffy, doesn't seem to be much in the way of warranties and there are no customer service reps to call on the telephone. Several complaints on amazon.com about slow shipping for garage door springs, I dunno.

The guy is supposed to be here tomorrow, springs are rated for 16,000 cycles, plenty enough for me. The problem is the cars are literally TRAPPED in the garage right now and I need access to at least one of them.

At six cycles per day, that's only a little over seven years.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

I know, I'm going to have to start going in and out of the front door of the house. I'm spoiled going in and out of the garage.....time to break the habit!

If your door isn't wooden, 2 people should be able to open it. It is heavy to start with, but once you get it about halfway, it'll roll up easier and easier. If it's a wooden door, forget it. Mine's a 1980s MDF replacement door and even with the springs it's heavy to open without the opener. I dread the day a spring breaks.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Pull the interior disconnect rope. It is there for this reason. You should be able to raise the door manually after that. If you haven't serviced your door for a while, you may need to lube the rollers to make the job easier.

It's apparent that you have never dealt with a garage door with a broken torsion spring. The spring is there for a reason, too.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

One can lift even a heavy door after the release rope has been pulled. A wonderbar helps to get it started. You need to be careful not to damage the rubber weather stripping on the bottom. The last one I did was pretty heavy but once I got both hands under it I was able to lift it. My client wanted to get her car out. Two people would probably be a good idea.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Tech just left. At first the door would NOT open by hand, he then said both springs needed to be replaced before the door would open by hand. He replaced both springs, the cable reattached to the right roller/spool with no problem. We pushed the 560SEL forward about a foot to give him more clearance when working on the springs and rollers.

He said that some DIYers end up over tightening the springs which causes the pole/rod to bend which then causes him headaches in making the repair. I told him he sold me on not trying to do the job myself. He lubed the rollers; he said to NOT use silicone lubricant on the rollers.

The door now operates quietly going down, however when it first starts from the down position there is a "groan" sound for a second coming from the upper the right side of the door. He heard it but said it is nothing to worry about. I may post an audio of the "groan" on the forum later......

Thank you to everyone, especially Diesel300 who gave me the right advice; after seeing this service performed, I don't believe I could have sourced the parts and repaired the door in the short amount of time (about 30 minutes) this tech did. Plus, let's face it, ALL DIY repairs have some level of risk; those dealing with high tension springs have a HIGHER level of risk.

I get to enjoy the day at home rather than in a hospital room.

It took about 30 minutes beginning to end.

Now you know why I suggested calling out an overhead door company. The cable doesn't just "pop off" unless something's gone wrong. Every time I've seen it happen it was because a spring broke. If you have a dual-spring system, they should always BOTH be replaced, or you'll be right back at it in a short time replacing the other.

For the cost and convenience, calling a competent overhead door company is the way to go. Let them take care of it for nearly the same amount of money and significantly quicker than you can do it yourself. A decent shop will also warrant their work.

I'm all for DIY and I do most repairs around my house as DIY, but garage door springs are one thing I'll leave to someone else. I could absolutely do it myself, but for the money and risk involved, I'll happily pay someone else.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)