window motors...

damienh

damienh

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I've taken my driver's window motor out to see if I can do anything with it, have disassembled it, and now a year later can't see how to reassemble it properly.

This is the later type, black plastic cover, most of the posts and pics on here seem to relate to the older sardine can type - surely I can't be the only person struggling with one of these !

I would like to get the regulator out, along with a replacement motor I put in ages ago which now doesn't work either. But again I'm confused with instructions all based on the sardine can.

Any info gratefully received.

Damien
 
got the motor back together now, still unsure how to get the window down though without a working motor
 
With the black cansiter style motors, I don't know of much of a way to get the windows down, aside from directly applying voltage to the motor.
 
I had the same problem with the later motors in my '73. Both were frozen /non-oper. because of stuck brushes.

If you take the wires off the black plastic cover slides down away from the gear head exposing the stator and magnets. the flared-out (top) of the black plastic is brittle and may crack, but this is the only way I know to remove non-oper. motors. With the stator exposed you can manually spin the stator in the proper direction until the window retreats enough to remove the bolts (yes, this takes a long time). But first check you brushes and try to free them with the motor still in place and then apply some voltage directly to the motor and maybe save yourself some time and tired fingers.

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Ah yes that makes sense. I actually have only removed the black box part, by pulling off the plastic cover and removing the two screws holding it onto the gears. Quite difficult but do-able.

The motor I have removed does nothing when I give it power, the brushes seem to be loose enough. I guess it's dead ? I assume it should spin when connected directly to the battery.

I think you mean if I lower the window enough I can access the screws to remove the entire regulator and motor together, or perhaps you meant just the motor and gears.

I'll take a look.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Damien
 
damienh said:
Ah yes that makes sense. I actually have only removed the black box part, by pulling off the plastic cover and removing the two screws holding it onto the gears. Quite difficult but do-able.

The motor I have removed does nothing when I give it power, the brushes seem to be loose enough. I guess it's dead ? I assume it should spin when connected directly to the battery.

I think you mean if I lower the window enough I can access the screws to remove the entire regulator and motor together, or perhaps you meant just the motor and gears.

I'll take a look.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Damien
Click to expand...

Actually, I would not take the motors apart in place unless you're convinced they're dead. You'll probably lose a tiny screw in the body panel. Also, these motors are very simple and the only thing I could imagine that would make them unsalvagable would be a broken or rotted braided wire that connects the floating brushes to the power terminal. Otherwise, play around with them on the workbench once removed and you'll see how simple they are.

PS-have fun rebuilding the plastic guides in the window channels, that is by far the worst part of the window rebuilt project.
 
They do look simple alright. But I have to be honest I don't understand how it works. Everything looks intact, but it does nothing when I connect it to the battery. The bushes seem to be able to wiggle about ? if that's the correct technical term, and the middle shaft rotates.

I have a couple of e28 motors for the upgrade, but not sure I'm up to that job. When I connect one of those to the battery they work, so I think I'm doing the right thing.
 
Quick update ! based on your advice I gave the motor a few taps, and guess what, it now works.

Added to this, the spare motor I originally asked the question about, is now working again. The same problem I guess. I put the power on it one last time with the plastic cover off, and tapped the centre rod at the same time and it jumped into action.

So I pulled off just the motor again from the rear window, again leaving the gear assembly in place and I'm back in business.

The cost of my method is of course slightly damaged plastic, but it was already cracked so I'm not too worried.

All in a half an hour, that's a first.

Damien
 
corroded brushes, I guess?

liberally spray the brushes and shaft with electronic parts cleaner found at any hardware store.

I forgot to mention another common problem.....the tiny springs that push the brushes up against the rotor sometimes rust out and break. the brushes need to make constant contact with the rotor that spins. Intermittent problems would tend to point to this as your cause.
If this is the case, you may have to take the motor apart further and investigate. Maybe scrap them unless you can find replacement springs or somehow salvage the old ones.

Just be sure the working motor wasn't a fluke before you go through the hassle fo re-installing them in your car. Bench test the motors thoroughly.
 
Thanks, all makes sense. The one I had removed had good springs, clean bushes, and braided cables. I think I had slightly dislodged it by tampering with it.

The driver's door motor, I just tapped it in place and it started working, so no trouble there.
 
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