How to repair an Andersen operator with a stripped gear?

Hello! I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with this hardware, but I think we can help.

It sounds like the worm gear might have stripped out. This usually happens when the handle is over-torqued either while closing or opening the window. Once this gear strips, I'm sorry to say that it can't be repaired or replaced; you're going to need an all new operator.

The good news is that we can help. We carry a wide selection of Andersen brand operators that may match this: see our 39-094 and 39-095, as well as our 39-146 and 39-147. 

Your next step should be to carefully compare the design of these products to your original part to determine the best match. If you needed help, submit a couple photos of the original out of the window and we can try to narrow it down for you.

These new photos are perfect, thank you! My top recommendation would be the 39-146 Andersen operator. We also have the 39-147 for the opposite side, if you happened to need that.

You can likely reuse the old handle, but in case that's not possible then please also see our 39-286.

If you had any follow-up questions, feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to help!

Thank you for submitting your photo! I think we can help with this operator, as well, though we unfortunately cannot identify a match without seeing the rest of the mechanism. If possible, please submit a couple photos of the entire operator so we can match it up to a replacement part in our inventory. Thanks!

I agree, our 39-094 does look like the replacement operator you need. This product also comes with a new cover and track, though the handle is sold separately. You should be able to reuse your original, but just in case that's not possible then see our 39-286.

As always, please reach out if you had any other questions about this hardware.

Dimensions for 39-094

Hello, Chris. We should be able to help you with this, yes. This handle looks like an older version of our 39-286 Andersen brand handle. While yours may be a bit older, our modern version should still be compatible with the operator. 

Take special note that the 39-286 has a 3/8" spline size. Yours should be the same, but it never hurts to triple check just to be sure.

Side profile view with measurements

View of the gear hole with measurements

I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean by bushing in this case. Are you referring to the bore that connects to the handle and physically cranks the arms in and out? If so, that can't be repaired or replaced, unfortunately. This is called the "worm gear" and once that strips out, you will need an all new operator.

We can help you find a good match, but we will require clear and unobstructed photos of the hardware in question. I can then check our inventory for a good match.

Thanks for clarifying. That's what I suspected back in 2013. I'm afraid that that bushing cannot be repaired or replaced as they are machine pressed at the factory. Once they come out, it's not possible to put them back in. You will need an all new operator mechanism for this window.

In my experience, the gears strip out when the handle is over-torqued when either opening or closing the window. At a certain point the gears aren't meant to turn anymore, and if you continue to crank the handle past that point then it will eventually result in the gear bore stripping out.