I want to replace an old 1/2 hp motor that currently powers a winch, using pulleys and belts to connect the two. While I am replacing the motor, I would like to be able to actuate it remotely. The winch controls 1500 lbs of boat plus carriage on a track. I think that a garage door opener has all the electronics I need for forward/back/stop/start but a Sears salesman said that the problem might be the gears in the door opener system, which are plastic and likely could not handle the load that I have in mind. I note that the hp on a garage door opener is 1/2 or 3/4. Is it possible to replace the gears with non-plastic components and make this work? Does this approach make sense?