Okay here goes.

New Regulator Assemblies
New Power Motors & Switches
New Helical gears and bushings on outer plate.
New Weatherstripping in and out
New Channel Slides and rollers
Channels removed and thoroughly/completely degreased. (that's what broke the slides and rollers )
I am using the AIM, Haynes, Clymer and factory shop manual.


Problem: The God-!$%!#$% Blessed #!$% b stinking alignment is NOT coming into spec. The AIM steps look great, but are vague in some very critical areas.

Step 1 : Close door and take window up to 1" from top and align with window pillar. Great, except it does not specify how far from the pillar the window should be. With everything loose at this point, the entire window can be slid forward to meet the pillar or back to leave a whole lotta room between the pillar and the window. Should this step be interpreted as 1" from top and 1" from front???

Step 2: Killing me completely. After picking an arbitrary point from the front pillar and 1" from the top, tightening bolts c to lock in the angle, (I don't have it here in front of me right now, could be wrong bolt code reference), the window assembly will not power up to the top whether the door is open, closed or anywhere in between. The only way to raise window fully is to grab and pull the thing up. It does not seem to have enough power to pull itself up, car running or not. This is what led to track removal and thorough cleaning, I thought it was binding in the tracks. That wasn't it.

Am I looking for a wiring problem???
What else will cause inadequate power to the window motor on the passenger side? It also still drops like a stone when the switch is pressed down? WTH is up?

Some who is a BTDT, please step up and provide me some previously hidden insight. I know there is a magic button under the dash somewhere that releases all previous window alignment settings right? Or the "align to zero tool" that nobody sells anymore?

After getting everythign aligned in step 1 and step 2, I lock down all the other settings per the AIM, open the door, and it will not close with window up (it might, but I don't like picking up broken glass all that much). Install door panel, hah, that throws it even further out of whack! There is so much play in all the adjustments, that once step 2 is done I can still move everything around and place it wherever front to rear and inside to out!

I don't normally drink while wrenching, but I'm starting to re-consider.
I can go drop XXX amount of dollars and have it done, but (damn-me) I want to learn the process so I can repeat in future cars.

Anyone documented their personal successful steps???



VLTW!

 

I have been working on the windows on my 75 convertible for several weeks now. I have almost worn out the door panels taking them off and back on. I have the passenger side pretty good, but the driver's side is still causing problems. I can get the alignment right, but the pw regulator doesn't want to raise the window the last quarter inch without some help. I know one of the brackets is loose on the pw motor, and I suspect that this allows the whole mechanism to flex a little. I need to pull the regulator and motor out and see what's going on with it. To compouind the problem, I have installed new weatherstripping, and the glass doesn't slide as easily as it did on the old ws.

Try loosening all the bolts, including the ones on thr front track, the regulator itself, and the two in the center that control the tilt. Also loosen the window stops in bot tracks. Raise the window all the way and get it in place if you can. Then tighten the bolts and see if it will repeat the settings. I think mine is so sloppy at the regulator that it doesn't repeat the settings.

 

Try Chilton 63-82 vettes,section 10,page 34-35.Covers "window tilted", "rolls up to far", "gap at pillar",and "glass to far inbd/outboard." (You need a constant distance between front edge of glass and the windshield pillar.) Suggest you also check T-top gasket to make sure it is not "bumpy" along top of window.
Can't help with electrical.

 

I can't help on the alignment guys, sorry.. but I'm going to be facing the same kind of rebuild myself shortly. Where did you guys source the parts?

Thanks

 

Regs sourced from MidAmerica on clearance for 99.00 ea side
Weatherstripping, Switches from MidAmerica 80.00 total ea side
Motors from Autozone, in stock rebuilds, @50.00 each side
Bushings from Chevs N Vettes locally. 10.00 each side

How much could the door flex effect the window not going all the way up? I watch the inner panel flex during operation, but all the way up it's not pushing out so far as to limit the full up position beyond 1/8 to 1/4 inch. My passenger side only window is only going up to about 1-1/2 inches down from full up........

 

This is what I followed, though i don't think my problems were as bad. It worked pretty well.

 

Sounds as if the springs on the regulator are not tight enough. I had same problem when I replaced the springs on my regulators, windows would not go up without help and they dropped like a rock when going down. Found out that the springs needed to be wound tighter when installed on the regulator.

 

This is most likely your problem. If those regulator arms were not under tension when you installed it...your spring is too loose.
OK...hard to explain without pics, but here goes.
You have two verticle guides, and one short horizontal guide.
Rear vert guide has two adjustable mount bolts on top
Front vert guide has 4 adjustable mount bolts on top
Horz guide has two bolts.
Rear & front vert guide "outer" bolts control the tight or loose fit of the glass to the body against the pillars & t-top.
Front vert guide "inner bolts" control fore & aft glass movement (but not much)
Horz guide bolts control glass "tip" fore & aft. (aligns proper angle to pillar & t-top)
Playing with it was how I learned....
Eddie

 

The regs were full assemblies from MA, they had a whole lot of tension going in. New springs, rivet, rollers, the whole show.
I don't have any issues on the driver side. It goes up all the way and back down without dropping instantly. Not aligned right when door panel goes back on but..... It moves correctly.

As far as the constant distance thing, I can align with the window full against the front pillar all the way out to 2" from front pillar. Any particular distance worked successfully in the past? 1 inch, etc?