How do I get the window loose from the regulator

[thomaswatk]

I need to change the passenger side front window motor on my '68 Cutlass convertable, but don't see how to remove the glass from the regulator so I can take the regulator out and change the motor. Is there some trick to removing the glass ?

[gearheads78]

Originally Posted by thomaswatk

I need to change the passanger side front window motor on my '68 Cutlass, but don't see how to remove the glass from the regulator so I can take the regulator out and change the motor. Is there some trick to removing the glass ?

I can't walk you through exactly but it is different for a post or hard top. I can tell you I have pulled windows out of A-bodies at least 10 times and it was always a stuggle. Last year I bought a fisher body manual for a Chevelle I was working on and it made the process very simple. Its all like a puzzle and you need the parts in just the right position and it come right apart.

[Coltonis]

Yours could be very different from mine, but when I had the door panel off of mine it looked like there were just two bolts that go through holes in the bottom of the glass. I assume the glass would just lift out once those were clear. Maybe loosening the regulator would be in needed to get clear of the glass holes. Thats just going from memory though... I could be dead wrong Good luck!!

[csstrux]

If I'm reading the post right he is looking to separate the glass from the regulator. That one is beyond me, and I don't have a body manual, If you have it handy Richard. I'll check the chassis manual.

[ent72olds]

I believe the whole regulator needs to be unbolted and the tracks need to be slid out of the window track, and also the vertical window channels need to be loosend. Basically everything needs to come apart just to pull the glass. But, don't quote me on this!

[csstrux]

I didn't see anything in the chassis manual pertaining to glass.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by csstrux

I didn't see anything in the chassis manual pertaining to glass.

That's because the info is in the Fisher Body Manual for that year. You need both books to fix everything on the car (and an assembly manual helps too, but is not quite as useful).

[2blu442]

I agree with Erick, everytime I've removed door glass I end up unbolting just about everything I can and pulling the regulator out the side of the door opening, and the glass out the top. But if you don't need to remove the glass and just want to access the motor on the regulator I would suggest unbolting the regulator, have a friend support the glass in the up position, then try to work the regulator around to unbolt the motor. When I've worked on power windows I found it easier to remove the motor before removing the regulator. I believe there should be a way to move the regulator around until you can reach each of the three bolts that hold the motor on. Try to have your hands clear when you remove the motor, I have had times where there was tension on the spring and the regulator moved violently when I popped the motor off. With that thought in mind, I don't know if you'll have trouble putting a motor back on the regulator inside the door. I've only removed them this way, not installed one. John

[thomaswatk]

Thanks for all the input. When we were unbolting things to get the motor out the guy holding the motor and regulator felt the spring "let go", so the regulator HAS to come out now. Neither of us has yet to see the spring so we don't know exactly where it is---or was. The biggest problem seems that in order to get the regulator out, the window has to be separated from the regulator and that's the problem, or one of them anyway. Are there some screws that hold the window to the regulator or what ? This has turned from a simple 30 minute project into something major, especially since we now have to deal with the spring issue. If we can get the window out, the regulator should come out fairly easily.

[Bluevista]

Can't you just unbolt the motor and replace it? I have a wagon and it has to be done that way, maybe 2 doors are totally different. If the window is all the way up and can't go higher the regulator is held in position and the motor just unbolts. There are access holes on the door for the motor bolts and sometimes the regulator has to be swung a little to get the one bolt I also found . There may be a hole in the geared plate and a corresponding one in the main plate you put a bolt or rod through to hold the regulator. Mine has the holes and it's not shown in the book but obviously what they're for, near impossible to install the regulator without them. The manuals are good to have, they still leave you with a lot of guesswork though.

[2blu442]

I thought I had some pictures but I'm striking out. If you haven't got it resolved by the weekend I may be able to take some photos that will help out. John