Quote: Originally Posted by howy03 If u have the rivets and gun its easier than trying to get those nuts into position.Its a PITA!The new motor will come with nuts and bolts. Sheet metal screws also worked for me.

Damn, thank to the OP. What a time saver!

[quote=BOTTLEDZ28;1767839]I forgot there was a LOT of tension on the motor and regulator and I drilled out the last rivet and BAM, the whole assembly jumped off the bench and I hit the deck fast .

Before You Change Read Me!


If the window is up there will be a lot of tension. Keep you fingers clear (even if the window is propped)!

My finger got stuck in the "bam" part (last rivet). Had to call Fire Department to cut out part of my inner door. It took us 45 minutes to get me unstuck. I just got back from the hospital. I almost lost my finger at the knuckle. If it can happen to me, you can bet your *** it can happen to someone else.

I just did my passenger motor the easy way, and CustomX wasn't kidding when he said it was super easy.

I did it a little different though, well I added another step anyway. I took some wood working clamps that you squeeze like a caulking gun and put some rubber on the glass then clamped the glass on both ends, along with a few little boards stuffed under the window and a screwdriver in the metal bars (regulator assembly?) just to be sure I wouldn't lose any digits.

My passenger window has been stuck almost all the way up since I got the car and now that it's summer time it will be nice to be able to drop both windows and not have to mess with the t-tops every time.

Holy crap. This was awesome. Beats the other way. I took it a step further. Instead of drilling holes, I cut perfect squares with a dremmel. Looks factory.

How do I move the window up, before I drill the suggested holes?
My window now is all the way down seems frozen in place

look close at the pictures. Your window can be down and you can still change the motor. I preferred using my dremmel to cut small squares. Much more controlled and it looks a lot better. Also dont knock out the rivots holding the cover, just the ones for the motor itself. Look at it closely and if you need help post another message. I can take a picture tomorrow.

Bradly, Thanks
Yes when you have time please send other photos if you have, later

This "hack job" (i dont think it is BTW) just might be used by pro mechanics. When you are paid by the job and not the hour you need to bang them out. I mean come on those that think this is a hack job must hate the things Chip Foose does. Like shave door handles, frenched in head lights. All hack jobs, right? As for cutting a hole to change a fuel pump, If done right it can and does work. Not everybody here has a lift and all thise nice tools like in a pro shop, so if they find a way to save a little time,I say go for it. I may not do it that way but if it works for them i'm cool with it. After all it is not your car.

Heres the pic of the first door I did. The other looks better but this panel was still off.

I drilled the 3 holes today. It was 20 minutes. I have done it the old way and it was hell

My replacement window motor (bought off ebay) didn't come with nuts and bolts. Does anyone know the correct size and length to buy?

Here's another quick reference for those who want to drill. All I had to do was 2 holes! The red squares are the factory rivets and the red circles are the holes I used to break the motor free.

I've never done it the "correct" way but this seemed much easier, as you can see I made a way bigger mess trying to get the factory rivets out! Plus I could never complain about those 2 small holes on the INSIDE of my door.




And you don't need to make the holes quite as big as everyone did mine were barely big enough for a small screwdriver to fit into

i have to replace my pass side, just wondering how to get the door panel off with the window stuck in the up position? thanks

You don't have to twist the top of the panel towards the window, you just have to move it towrads the window. Just gently start at the rear, and wor you way forward - pushing the top towards the window, lifting up, and getting the tab out from the edge of the slot. Just work carefully and slowly. Of course you have to ahve all the bottom connectors popped out of the door first, so that all that's left is the upper plastic trim holding on.

k thanks for the info, gonna tackle it tomorrow

This definitely works. This is not a hack job at all. Three small holes you cant even see, really? I did one yesterday by removing the entire regulator. Took me too long and it sucked. Did my other one today like custom x said, WOW....took me no time. Great way of doing it.

I replace today my window motor's with this manner ... Very easy !!!

why doesnt someone just make a vidoe so everyone knows what they are doing!?

replaced both of mine today. the hardest part is the upper door panel trim with the window up

Wow! Thanks a bunch SuperX - I just got my new window motor today and have a habit of installing new parts the day they arrive. (thought this one would end my streak) I was able to put this in super quick and easy thanks to the photos, no template necessary. I have have been dreading this job since I bought the car 3 months ago but, I felt like a tool driving around with the top down and one window up. Thanks again.

yup i did mine couple weeks ago after reading this thread... piece of cake. it was so easy. really only did take about 20 minutes a side, and i'm slow lol . thanks

A CustomX not to tute my own horn but the first time I replaced my window motor a little over a year after I bought my car thats how I did it. I had no manual, did no research, never even replaced a window motor. Had no idea what I was doing but upon inspection with everything having rivets it just seemed correct to just pull the motor off. My only mistake was, was using a junk yard motor because I had to replace it again recently and it was easier this time because I used bolts and nuts last time. Actually I never looked at a manuel and until reading your post never new of another way, and the way you say the manual says is just rediculous. Kind of like the manual says remove the dash to replace the heater core. I spent 2days trying to figure out what was hanging up the dash from coming completely off, then I gave up and got under there and installed it with more than enough room. The dash only needs to be pulled a little bit out and thats just to get the core in. Some say they can get it in without pulling dash at all I dont see how. The manuals helpful, but over exaggerated on somethings probley to scare people into expensive repairs.

sticky this thread you say?

Good information.

I vote sticky also. The hardest part was getting the gunk off the motor plug and I still have all my fingers!

I love it when you look at the service manual and weed through the bull **** and say to yourself, "What really needs to happen here?"

Take this for example.
I looked at the service manual and how it tells you to drop the rear end and though... yeah right.
Some measuring and carful cutting and voila...

Here is a video off youtube I found. Doesnt really show the process but spells it out in words so to speak lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSEBmF9mVtY

totally agreed, i changed my drivers side motor out in my 93, did it the right way, even put rivits back in it. took me longer cause i kept messin with the coil, but its worth knowing it as done correct

thats some funny Sh*t typical american thinking he is king sh*t of turd island

My window is stuck allthe way down. What do I do?

Custom X
My motor stopped with the window down.
How do i get the window up or do i change the motor with the window down.

I just changed my drivers side yesterday. When I started the window was down, and through the process of putting the motor in, I moved the window up and down by hand many times so I could see what I was doing. Even though the window was in a different spot when I started, it didnt seem to matter. I just bolted the motor in and it worked fine. Good luck, pretty easy job.

Thanks firebirdland i will tackle the job on the coming weekend

Hey don't lump him in with all American's :P

I think this method is fine. I mean come on, it's a couple little holes that make the job way quicker and way easier and they will be covered by a freaking door panel. It is not a "hack job". You accomplish the same thing in less amount of time with less effort and aren't hurting the structural integrity of the door with a couple holes. It's a simple short cut and should have been the way it was made from factory.

window motor changed within 20 mins
thanks custom x

I just got my car running a couple weeks ago and on the test drive my driver window didn't want to go more than an inch or so per push of the button. A couple days later I got a new window motor and swapped it out the easy way.
I found out that the previous owner changed the motor once before because the regulator was held on with bolts instead of rivets and they were pretty loose. I had to run a tap through the bolt hole that is right over the window motor because the hole was too big for the bolt I had in it and you can't get a nut on it. It's all good now though.
I did see something interesting though. As I was feeling around the inside of the door I found a round spring and wondered where it fell off from. I looked at the other door and saw that it goes right at the pivot point on the regulator but I'm not sure how to get it back on there right.
Is that spring really necessary? The driver window (without the spring) seems to have a much easier time of going up and down than the passenger side with a spring on the regulator.

you are my hero

I gotta vouch for this thread as well, I'm so happy I found it. Drilled 3 holes and out came the motor and had the new one in 10-15 min later. Thanks custom!

Am I glad I found this thread! I have to do the motor in my driver's door this weekend and have been dreading it.

I did see something interesting though. As I was feeling around the inside of the door I found a round spring and wondered where it fell off from. I looked at the other door and saw that it goes right at the pivot point on the regulator but I'm not sure how to get it back on there right.
Is that spring really necessary? The driver window (without the spring) seems to have a much easier time of going up and down than the passenger side with a spring on the regulator.[/quote]

I should've checked this site B4 opening up my 84 T/A pass door, to remove defective motor. Unfortunately removed the 4 rivits on the regulator and...WHAMMM, out comes the spring. Is there a trick to reinstalling this big guy? I believe it's been mentioned previously that the entire assembly will come out of the door. Maybe the haynes or Chiltons covers this?

@tajoe- there is really no easy way to do it that i can think of. its a pain in the butt. it took me like almost 45min to get it back on, but use some vise grips and stay calm haha

Thanx for the input bud. Maybe if i wait long enuff, it'll put itself back together. Think I'm gunna buy the shop manual, seeing I'll be keeping this car for awhile. Hope it gives a step by step.

if u have an extra hand to move the window it will help with getting the 'hook' part if thats what u want to call it back on. i didnt put mine back on in my 92 and it dosent affect it.

I've heard people say this too. I would think it would be easier on the motor if it was in.

ya your right, but it all comes down to wat u want to do.

What size drill bits did you guys use to drill out the rivits? Also what size bit was used to drill out the (3) holes for the motor to the regulator? What size are those (3) bolts? Just curious for when I get around to doing this.

Thanks,

Just did my passenger side. Driver side is next. So glad I used this method. Total hack job for sure, especially since I messed up one of the holes and had to drill two in that location. Used a Unibit and a brand new 18.8V Craftsman. Like butter. I blocked the window from falling, but that was not needed. Got to put my door panel on and get ready to do the driver side. I'm very confident since the pass side took all of 15 minutes using this method.

I performed the motor exchange using both methods in the past few weeks. Custom's way is THE way to do this job.

For those mentioning that big round spring; it is a pain to get back installed but can be done.

I'm sooooooo glad this thread was bumped up and I saw it! The passenger side motor on my GTA has been toasted for years! After I get my car back from being painted, putting the new window motor in will be at the top of the list.