Manual Window Regulator Repair

[Lotuss7]

Window crank on passenger door failed last week. Pulled the regulator out and the regulator gear is not attached to the regulator housing.

The attachment is the bolt like piece which accepts the spring on the back side. Where it passes through the regulator housing it is roughly rectangular in shape and fits through a similar shaped slot in the housing. Looks as if it were a pressed fitting to keep it in place.

All else in the regulator looks great. As the fixing piece has worked through the flared pressed portion I'm thinking I can simply weld a washer on top to hold the piece in place.

Question: Was this simply a pressed piece or was there a mechanical fastener originally?

And... when it all goes back together is the spring pre-loaded in the regulator?

Thanks

John

Photos attached.

 

[Lotuss7]

Dead air on the post. But it turns out the pin that captures the spring and fixes the ratcheting component of the regulator is non-ferrous. So much for a welding solution with the MIG.

Tapped the pin and with a screw and washer a bit of JB Weld the piece is fixed. Done and going back in.

John

 

[deQuincey]

wish you good luck
IMHO not sure about the streght of your solution
i ended up building a new part for the purpose,


http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13485&page=5

 

[Lotuss7]

Agree this is a trial and error solution. Will have to see. Not very invasive solution and as pin works primarily in shear there should not be much force on the screw fitting if I am lucky.

Try simple first.

 

[vraned]

Sorry about the late reply. BMW might have changed the shaft material at some point. Mine are steel, and are out of a 74 2.5CS. I did tack weld the spring into the slot on the passenger side. The rectangular (opposite) end of the shaft looks like it was forged in place to interfere with the rack.

 

[Lotuss7]

Sorry about the late reply. BMW might have changed the shaft material at some point. Mine are steel, and are out of a 74 2.5CS. I did tack weld the spring into the slot on the passenger side. The rectangular (opposite) end of the shaft looks like it was forged in place to interfere with the rack.

Exactly. It was the forging part which failed. Very possibly changed to steel later as mine looks to be aluminum and therefore soft.

As much use as the window will get I'm thinking this fix should the regulator for a while. Maybe I've got to get the AC running then I'll use the window even less. Hmmm......