Window mechanics replacement

[thorne 1,081]

After leaving my keys in the car one day and forcing my arm through the minuscule gap, I busted the mechanics in the driver's side window on my panelvan: currently I've got it permanently wound-up and the winding arm removed to remind myself not to touch it (or the glass will drop back down into the door).

 

Took the car for a quote for other work it needs and they said they can fix it, only they need me to get the part as the car is old enough that they have no replacement parts for it. Stupidly, I didn't ask precisely what exactly I needed to hunt down to fix it. 

 

Here's where I reveal my complete lack of knowledge on car windows, so bear with me. It's a manual window system - no power windows - that grinds when I wind the winder in any direction. It wasn't the plastic pins that busted when I forced my arm through the window gap: apparently the regulator? actuator? needs replacing. Does this sound right? Apologies if I sound like a simpleton, I'm desperately trying to learn all I can to get this fixed.

 

What precisely do I need to look for? Can anyone recommend any decent Melbourne wrecker yards or ebay retailers to get it? It's an XH, so can I find what I need off an E-series driver's door or a late X-series?

 

TIA,

t.

[SPArKy_Dave 8,894]

It's just two scissor action arms which are moved by a large geared arc plate - turned by the window crank which has a spring in it.

The mech is held to the door frame by metal rivets.

 

Drill them out, remove the mech and inspect it.

Probably just bent the large gear plate.

 

The assembly is only stamped steel - easily bent if forced.

[bear351c 10,273]

Yep, like SPArKy Dave said, the whole assembly comes out in one piece, just get a replacement from the wreckers for your year,model,month.

 

Fix it yourself, they're not that hard to replace. Or ask on here, we;ll send you in the right direction, ....... maybe.

 

Look a bit like this...

[thorne 1,081]

Yep, like SPArKy Dave said, the whole assembly comes out in one piece, just get a replacement from the wreckers for your year,model,month.

 

Fix it yourself, they're not that hard to replace. Or ask on here, we;ll send you in the right direction, ....... maybe.

 

Look a bit like this...

 

Sweet, the picture actually means a lot as I know what to hunt for now in the local wrecker yards  That's actually a very clean picture: did that come as a kit or NOS or similar?

 

Although there's very few XH hulks in my area, hence my question do I go for an E-series or a late X-series to cannibalise parts from?

 

Thanks again for your help and advice!

[Thom 6,654]

Afaik you are after x series as e series use a cable setup

[SPArKy_Dave 8,894]

Just fix yours...... they're so simple.

[SLO247 1,713]

But if you can't an XD XE XF or XG one will work. Newer the better obviously.

[thorne 1,081]

Aha. As it's the weekend and I've got some to myself, I took SPArKy_Dave's advice and investigated this further. Without any real idea what I was doing I was able to get the driver's door-card off - well, nearly.....the door-snib didn't want to come out of its socket, and that seemed firmly anchored into the door-card, and I didn't know how to gently prise it out - and past the plastic dust cover, to the internals of the driver's door.

 

It appears the scissor mechanism and door-winder gear still works perfectly, but the upper rail that's usually bolted onto the bottom of the window had fallen off; it was resting on the bottom of the door. I suspect when I forced my arm in when I locked my keys inside, the pressure popped the plastic pins holding the window to the rail. The rollers that usually slide within this rail were now resting directly against the bottom of the window, now the only things holding it up and into place within the window-frame. With broken pins and odd washers everywhere, I wasn't entirely too sure how to put it back together.

 

So, I spent most of this afternoon at the local Dandenong U-Pull-It wrecker yards, cordless drill and tool-box in hand, where I was lucky enough to find some XGs and XHs (nothing earlier, not even any XFs!) with manual winders. Once I saw how it was put together internally in other cards, the pieces fell together; I took many pictures on the camera-phone to add my memory. Once the temperature drops and the car cools down, I'll have another go at getting it working again.

 

It sounds stupid, but finally drumming up the courage to take things apart to find out what was wrong was the hardest part. I'm not really good with my hands to be honest - I'm in IT, it's my mind that's the sharpest - but I take pride in my car and if something is wrong with it I don't mind learning how to fix it myself. I didn't want to damage things further trying to take apart something without any previous knowledge....but then how else do you learn?

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

[thorne 1,081]

Right, here's where I'm currently at:

 

 

I've managed to remove the driver's window - made things easier. I assume the black rubber seals slip into the holes in the bottom of the windows, larger halves on the internal side of the window, lining up against the corresponding holes on the window-scissor rail. The white plastic plugs thread through the rail holes and black window rubbers, and the white pegs slip through the plugs to hold it all together.

 

At least, that's what I assume, given the left-over parts and washers retrieved from the bottom of the door. Is that correct?

 

If so, I'm having a bitch of a time getting the white plugs through the window rail into the black rubbers: I've nearly destroyed my finger-tips attempting to force everything through, and gave up annoyed and a little pissed off when I tore off a finger-nail about 30min ago. It's quite difficult to do this while the window is delicately balanced on the point of falling back into the door, while doing everything through the door itself.

 

Any ideas? Am I doing this right?

[SPArKy_Dave 8,894]

From memory, the rubber washers cushion the glass against the metal channel.

[XTREME KARTS XF 1,212]

From memory, the rubber washers cushion the glass against the metal channel.

 

Yep, they sit between the glass and channel

[thorne 1,081]

Excellent, good to know I'm doing something right. Cheers all.

 

Okay, so without destroying my fingers, is there any easier way to force the white plugs through the winder rail and into the window's rubber mounts? I have a mallet, but I'm too afraid of cracking the window if I hit too hard, and the angle is all wrong as I'm doing this inside the actual door.

 

On the other hand, I'm getting the panelvan to a garage on Monday to a front-end wheel alignment. Surely they wouldn't charge too much more to install a bloody window if I fuck this up? 

[bear351c 10,273]

Cool.

 

Doing it yourself, too. Excellent.

 

The pic i showed was just off the net, don't know where it's from. Most earlier cars use the scissor mech, later ones use a cable drive as said earlier.

You should be able to just press the white bits in, (I've never them pop out), put a smear of grease, engine oil, cooking oil, butter, on them and squeeze them in with a pair of pliers/vice grips. Let us know how ya get on....

[SLO247 1,713]

I reckon they've just pushed in when I've done them.

 

Try knocking them in with a flathead and a hammer. That's how they come out. The glass is pretty tough, you won't break it.

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Be careful if you use pliers or multi grips, i tried that a couple of years ago, i think i might've been accidentally squeezing the glass because it ended up shattering.

Best way to learn bud, great to see you giving it a shot.

Go grab yourself a repair manual if you don't have one mate, they really are worth their weight in gold for someone like yourself to help you understand how each part of your car works and the correct way to repair each one.

[MNTL.XD 3,831]

Here, this is from an XE repair manual, should be the same.   Hope it helps.

 

Cheers, Paul.