Replacing window lift motor tube assy L&R.What to order."While you are theres"

[JIMJAM]

I need to order all the parts I need to replace and get both L & R windows working again. I have someone to help me out of state but I would like to go ahead and get the parts in hand so when we both have the time I can be ready.
So if any one else has tackled this job I would appreciate what you feel I need. Both L&R tube and assy of course but any other "while you are theres" and things that might be a good idea to replace or known to break during the process.

I understand not all can be forseen but I want to keep to a minumum having to next day air those unforseen parts you always seem to need.
Thanks in advance.Jim

[ccurzio]

I'm not clear on what's needed here... when you say "tube assembly", what's that referring to?

With the help of Ron and a few other guys here on the forum I undertook the window motor replacement project a while back and I used this kit: http://www.a1electric.com/catalog/cat_delorean.htm

Maybe that helps?

[JIMJAM]

Drivers side window died. Pass side is off track and hangs up about 1/4 of a inch from the top then the wire in the tube starts coming out. So basically both r and left windows need to be working.

Ron is the one who is going to do it. I have not heard from him in a few days and I am itching to get this done before it gets cold. If I can get the parts ahead of time I am hoping to make a dash up the mountain and get this over with.

BTW-Whats the difference betreen the A1 assembly and DMC besides being a hell of a lot less expensive?

[ccurzio]

Ron's the man. He's the one who stayed late and helped me get my windows going, and I am so much in debt to that man for his help in several instances it's not even funny.


BTW-Whats the difference betreen the A1 assembly and DMC besides being a hell of a lot less expensive?

I have absolutely no idea what DMC's package consists of. I can just say that I'm running on the A1 package and it's been fine.

[Dangermouse]

Afaik DMC resells the A1 units.

If you still have plastic door handles it may be a good time to change them ?

[JIMJAM]

Yeah he crawled under my car here in SC in 100 degree heat and replaced my a/c hoses,recharged the system and also tuned the engine. :smile:
My car is solid mechanically but is a electrical horror story. I made a weak attempt to fix my pass window thats off track. It became painfully obvious quickly that I was over my head. Physically and mentally I just cannot do it. After dropping a few nuts and bolts,cutting myself and working in those cramp ,impossible Irish torture stainless steel doors o death I gave up.
Free advice-Do not shut the doors with a window partially open.

Yeah Dandermouse- I noticed the rubber outer seals are original.The felt has rotted away. Other than me opening up the pass side it appears they have never been opened before. Still got the messy glue gun looking crap holding the clear plastic. Do not see any rust when I peaked into the drivers side. Other than the interior trim panel I have not taken anything else off seeing I will be driving the car on a 4 hr road trip to get this done. Luckily the window died about 1 inch down so I got some clear shipping tape for if it rains.

[sdg3205]

Remember you can ask for a discount on the A1 units.

I wrote a thread about a year ago about it.

I think you save $75 or something

[Rich]

.... but any other "while you are theres" and things that might be a good idea to replace or known to break during the process

The Window Run Channel is easy to renew while you have the trim pieces out. It's the inverted U-shape channel that the drop glass snugs up into. The originals eventually can crack or fold over, especially if poorly-guided drop glass has mashed them. If they are OK then leave them. P/N 101726

Interior Drop Glass Seal if that inner felt strip has gone south as it often will if the glass has come off the track. That felt strip isn't meant to guide the glass and it can't, which is what rearranges it eventually. Otherwise they seem to stay together OK. P/N 106063

Outer Wipe Seals L/R - the rubber ones where the stainless meets the drop glass - yours are cracked/torn? - then this is a good time to renew. P/N 102129/106128

Also buy some new fir tree fasteners for the upper door trim and lower door trim. When you have the trims off the door just pop in new trees in place of any sad-looking ones. P/N SP10715 is probably one of them. Check with your vendor.

A piece of advice for less contortion while working on the drop glass - fashion a strap or loop some rope to hold the door down to the rear striker pinwhile you sit on the seat facing outward so the bottom of the door is kind of on your lap after you get the trim off. That's assuming you don't like working with it shut nor with it wide open. I don't.

[Rich]

Luckily the window died about 1 inch down so I got some clear shipping tape for if it rains.

Do NOT use clear shipping tape to cover over the drop glass opening. At least don't stick such tape to the metal channel around the drop glass opening.

With any kind of high-tack tape like that you run the risk of removing bits of paint from whatever you apply it to when you pull the tape off later, including the paint on what looks to me like a painted Divider Channel Frame.

[JIMJAM]

Thanks for the replies and the detailed list Rich.
I have done many things to my car myself including replacing the radiator,taking out the interior and adding sound proofing,basic maint etc. I would love to do this myself but with 3 back surgeries and a root canal redone this morning,I would probably regret trying to attempt it.
I have heard that this job is a 9/10 on the frustration index.

[Rich]

I have heard that this job is a 9/10 on the frustration index.

It's nobody's fave. Count on doing it twice. Per door. The first time just familiarizes you.

Set your expectations low and take it easy at every step, taking lots of breaks if you can.

Be sure to mask or secure or otherwise protect the drop glass at certain points so as not to scratch it. When you learn how to get it out and back in you will have new respect for the blokes who built it. But not for the blokes who designed it.

[Rich]

And the ultimate 'while you are in there' is to see if either of your drop glass assemblies needs to be re-glued to its carrier.

It can look glued and it can BE glued, but it seems that the carrier can move itself to a place it does not belong. You want to see that the drop glass is (still) properly located fore-aft in its carrier. If not then the window lift cannot work correctly and you have a bit more work ahead of you to remedy that. It's easy to check for and it probably has not moved but you want to KNOW that the carrier is still where it belongs on the glass.

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?3485-Drop-Glass-To-Carrier-Attachment

Somebody might point us to a better reference about the carrier location but this one's decent. Thanks, as always, to Dave.

[JIMJAM]

Its a early vin 1597 and both worked well for awhile. I had the pass side 1/2 down and used the door and sure enough it stopped going all the way to the top. You hear the infamous clicking as the wire comes out of the tube. You have to use your hand and try many times to push up on it and assist the motor but even then its still got a visible gap. I can count the times I have used the windows on 1 hand so no biggie.Then a couple weeks ago the drivers side just stopped dead about a inch and 1/2 down. I hate power anything,windows,rv mirrors seat cause when they are usually a major pita. My friend had a power seat die in the forward postion while he was cleaning his mats. Could not even drive the car home.
Give some some good ol fashion rollup windows any day.
I swear if I could get them up I would simply then disable them.Imo they are not good for much of nothing anyways.
Btw my rv mirrors do not work either. The car is a poster child for Lucas wiring.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Make sure your fuse did not blow. Maybe with a few helpers, one inside and one outside you can help the windows go up fully while you press the window switch.

[JIMJAM]

Hey good to hear from you!
As you know the list of electrical gremlins in 1597 is a long one. I tried all the obvious,switching switches,even hotwiring 12v directly to the motor. I looked at the fuses but figured if it blew both windows would be dead.
I am going to take a much needed roadtrip and visit Ron up in the mountains which in itself is a challenge especially for a guy raised in Key West.I almost puked getting up there and coming down.One hell of a twisting, winding road.
I got a long list so I might be up there as long as he will have me.
Remember the hot start issue that baffled everone for years back in the day?Well the latest on going one is my ignition mystery where the key does nothing on occasion.Totally random but it does always start.Having Ron fix that in itself would be worth the trip.I will try to take some pics of the windows motors being replaced but last time I was up there every pic Ron was sneaking in a middle finger.

[Bikercmbc]

while you have the door panel off, I replaced my screws with SS ones, found at home depot and ace, also lube/grease the door mechanisms cause they can get stuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoyHekngwqo

[David T]

while you have the door panel off, I replaced my screws with SS ones, found at home depot and ace, also lube/grease the door mechanisms cause they can get stuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoyHekngwqo

Among the "while you are in there" is to clean and regrease the latches and locking linkage and go over all of the adjustments. You may want to rewind or replace the locking solenoids if they are not working well. Clean and lubricate the lock cylinders and replacing the plastic door handles is a good idea but a bit expensive. Make sure when you reassemble you get the A/C ducts together as best as you can so you do not lose a lot of air inside the doors. You can cover all of the sharp, internal edges of the S/S with duct tape so you don't bleed all over the car so much. Before putting the trim back on test everything thoroughly including the mirrors. While you have the trim off it is a good time to clean it all up. Make sure all of the drain holes in the doors are not plugged up and all of the lights work. Many doors have a whole collection of the wrong screws and bolts in the wrong places. Try to put it all back using the right stuff in the right place. On one car they used sheet metal screws and they kept loosening up. Reuse or replace the rain shield, it helps to keep the water off the trim inside the door.