Template to drill door panel for power window motir

[JonathanG]

Good evening everyone, 1973 mustang convertible. My passenger side power window motor finally gave up the ghost. I think it’s that little plastic do dad behind the gear. No matter, I have a new motor.

Does anyone have the template or a link to a template so that I can drill the three holes in the inner door panel to access the bolts, holding the power window motor over to the regulator?

I really don’t feel like taking the whole regulator out, and this is what the manual says, and my car is a driver, it doesn’t need to be perfect.

Thank you!

 

[kcmash]

I think you need to take the regulator out no matter what. The worst parts of the job are removing the door panel and re-aligning the window. The rest is 15 minutes of turning bolts.

kcmash

 

[MikeGriese]

You do want to take the regulator out. There is a clock spring on the regulator arm that helps the motor lift the window. This spring is held under tension by the drive gear with the motor installed. It's mighty dangerous to remove the motor without a firm grip on the regulator arm, and almost impossible to retension the spring when reinstalling the motor with the regulator in the door.

 

[Hemikiller]

Here's the template, you'll have to scale it to size, or just use the measurements. No need to do anything other than secure the window from sliding down, cutting the holes and removing the motor. I do recommend cleaning and re-greasing the guides and anti rattle clips while you have the panel off. NPD sells replacements if yours are failing.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/gui...2Bguide&top_parent=200001&year=1973&year=1973
The common failure for these motors is the three drive dogs inside the gear train disintegrate after so many years. You can buy a replacement gear if your motor is working fine otherwise.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...132995,interior,power+window+motor+gear,10733

 

[JonathanG]

Thank you! What is your experience with regard to re-clocking that spring, per Mike griese’s comment above?

As I think about taking out the motor and the regulator as one unit, it appears that there is only one wheel that rides in a channel on the movable arm that is attached to the regulator.

The diagrams also showed another arm that looks like it is hinged in the middle, and has two other wheels That I assume also ride in channels.

Do the wheels come off and stay in the channels, or do you feed them out the one of the ends of the channel?

I appreciate everybody’s wisdom here.

 

[Hemikiller]

The clock spring is attached to the regulator itself, not the motor. The spring is tensioned to lift the window, so with the window in the full up position, it's not going anywhere and is against the built in stop on the regulator. You can drop the regulator assembly inside the door and work there, without having to cut holes in the sheetmetal if you wanted, or finagle the assembly out the openings. The regulator roller will just slide out the end of the C channel.

 

[Fabrice]

+1 with @Hemikiller. No need drill anything!
My 73 motor stopped working not 3 months ago. and I simply disconnected the motor arm, the 2 or 3 bolts holding the motor on the inner skin and the whole arm/spring/motor can be removed via the opening at the rear of the door. 3 dollars for the gear bushing and it's all good for another 50 years!

 

[JonathanG]

+1 with @Hemikiller. No need drill anything!
My 73 motor stopped working not 3 months ago. and I simply disconnected the motor arm, the 2 or 3 bolts holding the motor on the inner skin and the whole arm/spring/motor can be removed via the opening at the rear of the door. 3 dollars for the gear bushing and it's all good for another 50 years!

When you say the whole at the back of the door, are you talking about the hole for the speaker, or the one that is actually at the back of the door that seems to have that post in the way. Here’s a pic of my door, along with my handy-dandy homemade cushion for knees and/or rear end…

 

[Hemikiller]

Unbolt the regulator, stick the "arm" through the hole by the post, and "rotate" it through the opening. It takes some finagling, but it'll go.

 

[JonathanG]

Thank you everyone! I was able to get it out, I was able to put a new motor in, and able to put it back together.

I took some photographs, and I’m going to give a little commentary, for the next person that tries to do this.

First, I lined the holes in the door with tape, as I sliced the crap out of my arms the other day.

After securing the window, there are the 4 bolts that hold everything to the door, and a small tab that supports the end of the motor that bends out of the way. Bend the tab and undo the bolts.

Then swing the motor along the bottom of the door, and then up and out the rear hole as pictured. It does come out as a unit.

The motor does come off the regulator, but there is some tension on the arm when it comes off, and it moves about 1/2 inch. You can see where the teeth on the regulator are past the center where the motor gear meshes with the regulator.

I put the unit in a vice, loosely bolted the motor to the regulator, pulled the arm on the regulator so the gears meshed, and tightened up the bolts.

I put it back in, but the window moved a bit, so the holes to fasten the regulator to the door didn’t line up. So basically I’d operate the regulator up or down with the lifting arm not connected. I’d then connect the wheel in the arm in the channel and see if the holes lined up. And when they did, bolt it all Together.

 

[Fabrice]

@JonathanG "..as I sliced the crap out of my arms the other day. "
To bond with your car, some blood offers must be made every now and then!
I know I bond a lot my skull on the hood corner!

Well done!

 

[Cleveland Crush]

@JonathanG "..as I sliced the crap out of my arms the other day. "
To bond with your car, some blood offers must be made every now and then!
I know I bond a lot my skull on the hood corner!

Well done!

I've been working on our 71-72-73 Mustangs for about 50 years, the corner of the open hood still attracts my head like a magnet!

 

[Hemikiller]

If you don't bleed on it, the repair will fail

 

[midlife]

And when you do bleed, I've found that the grease that accumulates on the suspension or bottom of the engine works very well for stopping the bleeding and acts as a disinfectant. Ask me how I know!