Window motors/regulators

Stables Group

Stables Group

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What are your suggestions for replacing the slow and/or non-functioning front and rear window regulators/motors on an E9 coupe?

Thanks
 
Ok, sorry. I'm Chris and I own and manage The Stables, a classic, vintage and collectible storage and maintenance facility in Scottsdale....www.stablesgroup.com.

In addition, we do sales, acquisitions and consignments. I only buy cars I like and I always wanted an E9 coupe and finally bought one. It's a '73 CS w/a 3.5L and 5 speed done by Don Lawrence. A host of other suspension mods were done to improve handling and driveability and I love it.

I'm tinkering w/some remaining issues and the window regulators are at the top of the list, hence my question. Any advice you all could provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Stables Group said:
What are your suggestions for replacing the slow and/or non-functioning front and rear window regulators/motors on an E9 coupe?

Thanks
Click to expand...

That was one of the first projects I did when I got mine.

The lessons I learned were:
- The motors are seldom the problem.
- Cleaning and re-greasing the tracks is very important.
- The electrical path is very important, the system uses no relays (at least in 72) therefore high currents go through switches, develops carbon deposits, increases resistance, heats up and more carbon deposits. Replace switches and if window is stuck do not keep pushing the switch. Some folks added relays. I am purist that believes in preserving even the flaws, says my wife.
- The weak link is a nylon gearbox after the motor, if yours is worn try to get another one that was ideally a rear window as nobody uses them so they are never worn.
- Be careful when removing the window regulators, do not let them unwind suddenly and hurt your anatomy. Three screws hold it, it may jump by the time you remove the second.
- There are two types of switches depending on the motor you have, two windings vs. one winding and reversing the polarity at the switch. I have the latter.

Shanon runs a speed race for E9 windows and has shown that clean old motor windows can be the fastest (only losing to manual windows...).

It is unlike Don Lawrence to put a 3.5L beast of an engine and neglect the window regulators. I would blame the subsequent owner, he probably pushed the switches until smoke came out.
 
^^^agreed. Cleaned and lubed mine and im back in business with all four Windows. Didn't win the fastest windows in the west, but they work reliably.
 
If you have a 73 it may have the later style motors similar to the e28 rear door motors that work well. Does it have two circuit breakers under the dash? As Arde says, a good cleaning can do wonders.
 

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I've just completed the 'process' of removing the rear windows, cleaning all the old grease etc., and installing e28 motors (mine is a '74, so it is a plug and play replacement of the motors). After re-installing them and testing the results I then cleaned all the tracks, regulator etc. on the door windows and replaced those motors with e28's. Followed procedures from both this and other web sites as well as the blue book manuals.

GREAT results. The up or down transit time was between 15 and 20 seconds on each of the windows before I started the refurbishment. When I finished, without the engine on, the transit up or down time is now between 5 and 6 seconds.

Changing motors is a little more complex if yours has the 3 wire motors (changed to 2 wire motors sometime in '73, I think).
 
Stevehose said:
Did you buy David's from Tupelo?

http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10435
Click to expand...

Yes, so far so good. David was great to deal with and his car is great. I've sorted a few of the electrical gremlins he was experiencing, fixed the starter issue and am having the headliner replaced on Monday. I ordered a chip from Mark D'sylva and will be tackling the window regulators next.

Somewhere down the list is going to be redoing the exhaust. I don't want it to be race-car loud, but right now it's downright pedestrian. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks
 
I usually pull them and walk them over to the bench grinder for a visit.
 
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