Installing new power window regulator
07-02-2016, 11:23 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Installing new power window regulator
I started a thread a while ago to figure out what was wrong with my passenger side power window.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-removal.html
Short version: the gear on the regulator had missing teeth and the regulator itself was bound with rust. The consensus was to replace the regulator. Willcox has two but recommended the non-imported one. Received it yesterday. It's shiny! I included the old one to justify the expenditure
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-removal.html
Short version: the gear on the regulator had missing teeth and the regulator itself was bound with rust. The consensus was to replace the regulator. Willcox has two but recommended the non-imported one. Received it yesterday. It's shiny! I included the old one to justify the expenditure
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; 07-02-2016 at 11:53 AM.
07-02-2016, 11:28 AM
#2
Race Director
Thread Starter
Upon first examination, the quality on the new one seems to match the original, with the exception of the stainless gear. The thickness an flex of the metal seem to match up very well. The new one has an additional tab as seen below. I believe that I read this was something GM added in later C3's to cut down on the movement and rattling.
First questions:
1) What's the torque spec on the motor gear cover that mounts the motor to the regulator? I found 70 foot pounds on one post but that can't be right. Maybe 70 inch pounds. Anyone know?
2) What is the consensus on putting grease between the gears? I've seen pics of installs with and without.
First questions:
1) What's the torque spec on the motor gear cover that mounts the motor to the regulator? I found 70 foot pounds on one post but that can't be right. Maybe 70 inch pounds. Anyone know?
2) What is the consensus on putting grease between the gears? I've seen pics of installs with and without.
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; 07-02-2016 at 11:52 AM.
07-23-2016, 01:16 PM
#4
Race Director
Thread Starter
After a few weeks of travelling, I'm finally getting back to this. I went ahead and just tightened the bolts by hand and greasing up the gear and teeth with synthetic grease. It was surprisingly easy to figure out how to put the assembly back in. Fold the arms together and insert that section first. Next slide in the top part of the assembly. The motor goes in last. Snug but pretty easy. I also figured out why the old and new parts had a different lower attachment point. You can even see on the old assembly where it broke off now that you know where to look.
Last edited by CA-Legal-Vette; 07-23-2016 at 01:18 PM.
07-28-2016, 11:48 AM
#5
Race Director
Thread Starter
Getting there. Put everything back together yesterday. While it certainly required patience, it wasn't terribly hard and seems to function properly now. Still have to make all of the adjustments. Anyone have that window adjustment page from the AIM handy?
The order of reinstalling the parts with minimal swearing seems to elude me each time. This time around, I think it was the least painful but still not simple. I started by unbolting the front guide rail. It interfered with just about everything so was easier to just get it out of the way. I next installed the channel that attaches to the window on to the rollers after first putting the rear guide roller into the channel. It made it easier to disconnect the two bolts on the short guide channel and letting that move freely. I did have to raise and lower with the motor a couple of times to get everything to align easily. Not hard. The next step was to put the window in. A second set of hands was close to necessary. I can see doing yourself but not easily. I found it much easier to lower the rail to near the bottom, put the pins from the window to the rail in the holes, and then raising it up to make bolt installation easy. I then reinstalled the top stop in the rear guide rail and raised the window as high as it would go. I then fiddled the front guide rail onto the front roller and bolted it up. Again fiddly, but not hard.
The order of reinstalling the parts with minimal swearing seems to elude me each time. This time around, I think it was the least painful but still not simple. I started by unbolting the front guide rail. It interfered with just about everything so was easier to just get it out of the way. I next installed the channel that attaches to the window on to the rollers after first putting the rear guide roller into the channel. It made it easier to disconnect the two bolts on the short guide channel and letting that move freely. I did have to raise and lower with the motor a couple of times to get everything to align easily. Not hard. The next step was to put the window in. A second set of hands was close to necessary. I can see doing yourself but not easily. I found it much easier to lower the rail to near the bottom, put the pins from the window to the rail in the holes, and then raising it up to make bolt installation easy. I then reinstalled the top stop in the rear guide rail and raised the window as high as it would go. I then fiddled the front guide rail onto the front roller and bolted it up. Again fiddly, but not hard.
07-28-2016, 12:56 PM
#6
Race Director
Thread Starter
Found the window adjustment procedure on the Willcox site. Thanks Ernie!
http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/w...structions.pdf
http://repairs.willcoxcorvette.com/w...structions.pdf
07-28-2016, 08:15 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Getting there. Put everything back together yesterday. While it certainly required patience, it wasn't terribly hard and seems to function properly now. Still have to make all of the adjustments. Anyone have that window adjustment page from the AIM handy?
The order of reinstalling the parts with minimal swearing seems to elude me each time. This time around, I think it was the least painful but still not simple. I started by unbolting the front guide rail. It interfered with just about everything so was easier to just get it out of the way. I next installed the channel that attaches to the window on to the rollers after first putting the rear guide roller into the channel. It made it easier to disconnect the two bolts on the short guide channel and letting that move freely. I did have to raise and lower with the motor a couple of times to get everything to align easily. Not hard. The next step was to put the window in. A second set of hands was close to necessary. I can see doing yourself but not easily. I found it much easier to lower the rail to near the bottom, put the pins from the window to the rail in the holes, and then raising it up to make bolt installation easy. I then reinstalled the top stop in the rear guide rail and raised the window as high as it would go. I then fiddled the front guide rail onto the front roller and bolted it up. Again fiddly, but not hard.
The order of reinstalling the parts with minimal swearing seems to elude me each time. This time around, I think it was the least painful but still not simple. I started by unbolting the front guide rail. It interfered with just about everything so was easier to just get it out of the way. I next installed the channel that attaches to the window on to the rollers after first putting the rear guide roller into the channel. It made it easier to disconnect the two bolts on the short guide channel and letting that move freely. I did have to raise and lower with the motor a couple of times to get everything to align easily. Not hard. The next step was to put the window in. A second set of hands was close to necessary. I can see doing yourself but not easily. I found it much easier to lower the rail to near the bottom, put the pins from the window to the rail in the holes, and then raising it up to make bolt installation easy. I then reinstalled the top stop in the rear guide rail and raised the window as high as it would go. I then fiddled the front guide rail onto the front roller and bolted it up. Again fiddly, but not hard.
07-29-2016, 10:32 AM
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
I removed and cleaned all of the guide rails. You could do both of the horizontal ones with the glass still in place but not the virtical ones. Not easily at least. As an aside, I used a couple of cans of AZ formula brake parts cleaner to remove the old lubricant from the rails. It pretty much melted the old grease and grime off. I always wondered why it was so important to grease the guide rails until I realized that the guide rollers don't really roll. They just slide. I practically had to hammer the old ones out and the new ones had to be held in place to keep them from falling on their own.
07-29-2016, 10:48 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
I just did both sides on my 80 this past winter while redoing the interior. the first window was the learning curve, and as luck would have it,...wife was on a business trip, so I did that one alone.
I know for fact, I can pull the 406 by myself and have it on an engine stand in four hours. That first window regulator took me all day. It fell apart when I took a few bolts out, and I had no idea what went where, and could not even see what needed to be done. I used the other untouched side for reference,...and Stevie Wondered with my fingers to "see" what I needed to do.
Having learned all the tricks,....the wife shows up, and the following weekend together we changed the other side in about an hour.............
I know for fact, I can pull the 406 by myself and have it on an engine stand in four hours. That first window regulator took me all day. It fell apart when I took a few bolts out, and I had no idea what went where, and could not even see what needed to be done. I used the other untouched side for reference,...and Stevie Wondered with my fingers to "see" what I needed to do.
Having learned all the tricks,....the wife shows up, and the following weekend together we changed the other side in about an hour.............