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81 Corvette and the pass window was really slow (needed help) to go up. I pulled the door panel and did a little lubrication that helped but not much. Though it might be a bad ground to the motor and last week it stopped going up at all. Volt gauge dips when I hit the switch and I'm getting power at the connection to the motor.
I've tried to do a bit of research on window regulator removal and every process involves the ability to get the window partially up.
For some reason mine is stuck down and something in the system seems to be binding. The PO put a block of wood under the regulator I assume so the window wouldn't go too far down.
When I put a large flat blade screw driver between the block of wood and the bottom of the track and pry up the whole door starts to flex indicating that something is binding and it's NOT going up. I can't see anything that is clearly wrong but it's tough to see down in there.
The window isn't too far down so I wouldn't expect that it's going past any factor stop point.
So if I can't get the window to move up at all my question to the team of experts (hopefully someone can chime in) is how do I free up this unit to move upwards where I can remove the block and see what's going on?
Do I need to remove these 3 large rivets to get the whole assembly free from the door?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I'm confident if I can get it to move up a bit then I can follow other post/instruction for removal and cleaning but there is definitely something going on... hence the block of wood in there.
Are you 100% POSITIVE that you can not tap on the motor and get it to go up???
I also try to use my battery charger and using the 40 AMP position on my battery charger..I remove the wiring connector and ground the battery charger to the door and then the positive lead on my charger is used to touch one of the terminals and see if I get ,movement. IF I get nothing. I do this.
Knowing that the motor is going to be replaced..and due to the window is DOWN...you can not unbolt motor itself....BUT...what you have to do is remove the 3 bolts that are at the end of the square armature housing where your wiring connector is located. Then take off the square armature housing and IF the amateur stays stuck in there....unthread it. Once you do that.,..then you will be able to MANUALLY raise the door glass due to the motor is not able to stop it from moving.
DO NOT mes with the three rivets...that would be a HUGE mistake at his point and time.
Are you 100% POSITIVE that you can not tap on the motor and get it to go up???
DUB
DUB... you are the man!
I'm usually pretty good with this stuff but I never have a problem asking other's opinions on possible solutions. 2 or 3 good taps on the motor with a hammer and up she went.
The window still goes up pretty slow and I've done a fair bit of lubrication on the tracks. I'm wondering at this point if I should look to replace the motor or if I should be trying to remove the entire assembly for inspection and cleaning.
EACH and EVERY time you put the window down...you more than likely hold the switch and the window goes down hard and stops. This is not a bad thing...but if you stop and think about it...the brushes in the motor are stopping on the same spot of the armature each time....and this can cause for bad spot on the armature due to arching ....which can cause the motor to not to want to move unless it is shocked.
SO...you can either raise up the lower stops that are in the bottom of your window tracks just a hair....and that will cause the brushes to contact in another area of the armature which may work for you. The same holds true if the window gets stuck at the top...raise to lower the top window stops just a hair and that can change how the window motor works.
That totally makes sense and I can imagine after 36 years that spot has seen it's share of wear. I've left to door panel off to a bit to test it but I think I might just bite the bullet and replace the motor while it goes up and I've got good access to the 3 motor bolts.
I really appreciate the insight and advice. Thanks again!
Those 3 motor bolts may seem easy but are quite the opposite. Taking it apart is one thing...getting the new motor in place and getting the aluminum portion of the window motor to correctly index into the regulator is another thing entirely.
Not saying that it can not be done...becasue I know it can.....but it is not just going to fall into place. And it might be worth your time to stop and take a look at the gear of your regulator...it would be a crying shame that when you get this done and a few months later your window goes up to about one inch for the top and starts chattering...where the teeth on the motor gear are rounding off the previously worn teeth of the regulator gear itself.
If you want to know how to tell what the teeth on the regulator gear are supposed to look like. Look at them at the very end or the curved gear where the gear on the motor never touches....you might be amazed on what you see.
Unfortunately the window lasted about 2 weeks (up and down maybe 4 times) before it stopped again in the down position. There has to be a burnt out spot on the armature right there.
I'm going to order a new window motor and see about installing it. If there is any other advice on were to source it (there are a few options) or other instal tips they would be greatly appreciated.
Honestly...get the power window motor from a source that will stand behind it. But I know NONE of the part suppliers will pay you for your time to keep installing it...they will just give you another motor.
Keep in mind that the new motor you will get should have thin shoulders around the three places that the bolts are installed...and these shoulders have to fit into the regulator..and you also have to make sure that the teeth of the motor will index to the teeth of the regulator. It sounds harder than it is but it can be a bit tight working in that area.
You may find that you will need to knock out the pin in the rivet that is holding the bottom portion of your regulator. IF you do not drive out that center pin...you will not be able to drill out that rivet...and you need that rivet out so you can push the regulator away enough to get the motor out. I feel you do not need to worry about the top two rivets....they can stay. Then...unless you have the large 1/4" rivets and put one in...you can use a 1/4-20 bolt and nut and bolt it back together and it will do just fine.
ALSO...make sure the bushing that is in the center of the plate you will remove while taking out the motor is in good shape and slightly lube it so when you get the motor back it....this bushing will also interface with the shaft of the gear and keep is solidly mounted and NOT able to move...only spin in the bushing...because if it does move around...it can wipe out the teeth of your regulator....which is it WISE to make sure that those shoulders of the motor will keep it correctly mounted to the regulator AND make sure you look at the teeth of the regulator also..while you are at it...because nothing is worse is putting a new motor on a regulator that has teeth on the regulator gear that are just about ready to fail. Been there...done that.
Also you do not have to fear that when the motor is removed that the window is going to come down like a guillotine. IF the spring is still installed on the regulator...the spring is designed to AID in raising the door glass and this spring reduces the actual weight of the door glass so the motor does not have to work so hard to lift it. The window will come down...but it will be quite manageable.
YES...it can 'snowball' on you...but it is not that bad...but then again I can do these doors in my sleep. Not meaning to brag...it is just a fact.
Thanks for the additional context and advise here. I have a motor on the way so I'll be tackling the job this week.
1) Roger that on the lower pin. Hopefully I don't need to remove it but if I do I like your idea of going back with a 1/4-20 nut/bolt
2) I read about aligning the regulator and inserting a bolt but you're saying that this IS NOT NECESSARY if I still have the window installed. The weight of the window will keep the regulator from flying up or breaking anything. That's great and sounds like I can move it just a bit to make sure the motor will properly seat on the three shoulders for correct alignment with the regulator teeth.
Thanks again for your help and I'll take some pics as I go.
You are CORRECT! Using the bolt to keep the regulator under tension is ONLY done (in my opinion and how I do it) IF the window regulator is out of the door and on a bench.
Let me know if you needed to remove that rivet at the bottom.. I swear you will need to remove it...unless that bracket that teh rivet goes in it broken..which is also know to happen.
ALSO be VERY VERY CAREFUL and verify that the motor you get is the EXACT same length.. The door motors are NOT all the same. Some are longer and on your car if it is longer...it will not allow the access metal plate to go back on correctly. Do not ask me how I KNOW this. And that small bracket that your window motor has attached to it is there for a reason...because a bolt goes through metal access plate and attaches to this bracket for added strength.
Thanks Mike... I'll definitely check the spring to make sure it's doing it's part for the raising of the window. I'll do some additional cleaning and lubrication while I'm in there but hopefully won't have to pull the window and regulator assembly.
I can say that you can clean the vertical tracks rather easily when the door glass is up. And as for added lubrication. I use a clear spray grease through ZEP and the can has that very small diameter red plastic tube that attaches to the nozzle and I can carefully direct the spray where I need it.
Being a car painter..I will say that be careful going in there and just spraying everything and allowing the grease to get the the backside of your outer door skin. I would not advise doing that due to the the grease can be pulled into the fiber structure if it is soaked bad enough and cause for the paint to blister in time. I use the large clear flexible plastic protection shields for my bast cabinet viewing glass when they get frosted up to help keep the spray grease off of areas I do not want to to get on.
I've been busy and haven't had much time to work on the C3 but I finally got around to putting in the replacement motor last night. Process was straight forward and thanks for all of the guidance from the folks here.
Thanks for your guidance DUB and I have a little rule that I always come back and post up the result after asking for help. It kills me when I find a thread that is exactly what I'm looking for and the loop is never closed by the OP.
07-28-2017, 10:42 AM
1981 - Help with window removal (Stuck Down)
