window regulator change any tips

[carrots 1]

I should be getting my manual window regulator soon.any tips on how to change it.do I have to remove the window or just leave it in the door.cheers

[Wullie 1]

Once the door card, etc is out of the way lower the window till you have access to the rollers that run in the channel attached to the window glass. Pop the regulator arms from the rollers using a broad flat blade screwdriver on each side of it. Lift the window fully up and out of the way by hand and tape it securely in the up position. If the same as the electric widow the regulator is pop riveted to the door frame. Drill these out and lose skin wriggling the regulator out of the door. Replacement is the reverse except you pop in new rivets rather than drill them.

[carrots 1]

So I don't have to remove the glass

[Wullie 1]

No, just push it up in the runners and secure it there.

[Jim Bowen 1]

I usually hold the window up with some duct tape going up one side of the window, over the top of door and back down the window on the other side.

[fla 9]

How many rivets need to be removed? I've taken out the three for the motor and the three in the middle.

[Wullie 1]

Unsure about manual windows as mine were electric. I remember there was one at the top of the vertical runner that the window runs up and down on. Accessed via a hole in the inner door skin.

[fla 9]

mine are electric too, it just that the drivers one has got stuck at the top.

here are some pics of the ones ive taken out plus a few of the others that are visible. Do these also need to be removed? I've popped the arms off the runner as suggested.

Thanks

[Wullie 1]

The ones in pics 3 & 4 don't need to come out. It was a while ago that I did mine and I'm sue I removed three for the motor and the one at the top of the door. I don't have the car anymore (weeps quietly) so can't go out and check.

[fla 9]

This is a real mission :x

Drilled out the rivets and managed to rotate the motor and part of the mechanism to get the motor out but the top half seems to not want to rotate very far. Its being stopped by some of the internal framework of the door. How should the arms be pointing upwards or downwards? Or are there any other special tips to remove the mechanism?

[carrots 1]

done mine last might but i dont have a motor on mine came out easy just tilted it to the right,getting it back in was more tricky.lost my window winder screw tho so need to get another if it dont turn up

[fla 9]

Gave up trying to remove the regulator. I think its one of those things where you have to break a bit to remove. Instead, took the motor off, stripped it down and cleaned and lubed it. Took the cover off the regulator, cleaned and regreased and sprayed some wd40 down the cable tubes.

I'll put it all back tomorrow and retest. Hopefully should be ok. If not something will then have to be broken!

[davidwort 0]

it does come out but the part you need to remove is the skin off your knuckles and some of your wrists

[fla 9]

You're not wrong there David! Had another go again today and managed to get the blasted thing out. I'll post up some pics shortly, which hopefully may be of help to others.

Applied power both ways and its really very smooth now. Lets see what its like when the window etc is fitted back properly.

I drilled the rivets through the rubber motor mounts but left the stubs in there but hopefully there is enough depth for the new rivets to take hold.

[davidwort 0]

if not then cut a slit in the rubber mount then pop the rivet out and super glue back up

[1xshaunx1 27]

Or

replace the motor mounts with some new bobbins to mount to. Type "pump bobbin" in the eBay search it will bring up the type of thing you need M6 thread I think. I got some waterproof foam sheet cut it to size and some vw sticky black goo that comes in a 5 metre roll to reseal the door. Part no.

AKL 450 005 05, ADH TAPE

[fla 9]

Fitted the mechanism back. Took hours and not an enjoyable job. I would go so far as to say if the mechanism is dead change the door!

 

I'll try both of the options for the motor mounts. The rivets didn't take hold because the stub was left in there so that will come off again.

[fla 9]

so some pics of the removal as below:

 

I've put a neoprene sponge at the bottom of the runner and then covered with tape to stop it moving. This is stop that thud as the window goes all the way down.

 

There is some rotational movement in the grey slider as evidenced by the two bottom pics. This also contributes to the rattle when loose, as does the slack in the side channel, door lock side, so i'll be looking to a solution for that.

 

I've also taken some pics of the 4 holes where the rivets need to be drilled out so you know which ones need doing.

 

To remove, drill out the rivets, rotate the motor anticlockwise towards the floor and let it go down. You need to raise the central mechanism with a flat screwdriver to remove it from the central securing tabs between the central rivets.

Pop out the arms in the runners. Then rotate the mechanism anticlockwise trying to keep the arms pointing upwards. To remove you need to slide the mechanism to the left and right to find where you can rotate it further. Its an iterative process and you need to stick at it. Took me a bout 2 hours to remove.

 

If the motor is seized, remove the 2 spline head screws. As its a worm drive you will need to 'unscrew' the armature to remove the can. Lube the shaft and the bronze bushes, clean the commutator and watch out for the fibre gasket on the can and the rubber seal on the shaft.

Fit the armature back to the cream plastic brush holder - press each brush away from the commutator so it slots in. Otherwise you can remove the brush retaining clip - there is a spring with will fly out so watch out for that!

Refit to the motor can. Grease the worm drive. Remove the 5 star screws and clean up the metal face. Grease well and spray some wd40 down each cable tube.

Grease the window sliders and any other moving parts

 

Refitting is most definitely NOT the reverse! The end plastic guide (yellow) had to be snapped off on mine to allow the mechanism to fit back, so not ideal. Again, it took me about 3.5 hours to refit.

 

Rivet size is 4.8mm.

 

Hope that helps

Edited August 3, 2015 by fla

[fla 9]

Well what a stupid design - the plastic guide on the top that was stopping the frame being fitted broke off but this also now means that the window wont go all the way up because the cable has lost a bit of tension. So ill have to think of another solution perhaps by tying the cable somewhere.

[fla 9]

so after 1 year of procrastination i finally fitted the replacement regulator i bought a while back. Stripped the motor down, cleaned and relubed and reassembled. Fitting was as expected extremely difficult, one of those despicable Corrado jobs.

The trick i found was to fit the regulator initially with the arms pointing upwards and the window taped in the up position. You then need to remove the tape and let the window drop about half way. The allows you to feed the top yellow plastic guide piece into the middle of the window bottom trim. There is an area where the door inner skin bulges towards you giving a bit more space. And this is where the plastic trim needs to go so it can go over the metal trim under the glass. Then its a question of moving the regulator a small amount and sliding the glass upwards slightly in an iterative manner. Make sure you dont force the plastic - if it breaks you'l be back to square one! Didnt take any pics unfortunately as i was busy swearing and trying to get it all to fit.