Replacing window motor

[C&C Chevy]

I went to Autozone and got a window motor for the truck. (Drivers side.) Anyway I'm going to be putting it in Saturday and need to know what other things I need to lubricate/adhere or any other little things I need before I start. I hate getting 1/2 way done and realize I need a little tube of grease or silicon to finish. Any tips or advise for me. I'll pretty much be following Mikes power window write-up and Chiltons.

[swervin ervin]

Robert,

being as I have just done this, let me give you my tips. The article I didn't write. I added the last three photos, so as to have a pic of the drivers side.

The top part, is a good look at what needs to be done to the passenger side. Make sure you clamp it in a vise just like the pics show. No way you want the regulator slapping you up side the head. Also, if it moves when you take the motor off, it's a total pain getting it back in the right place so you can get the rollers in the channels.

Taking it out is pretty simple. Raise the window all the way up, after you get the door panel off. Use a clamp or some duct tape to hold the window up. Unplug the motor and remove the two bolts and two nuts holding it in. Then just work it out the hole. I removed my door handle to get the rod out of the way. My motors came with a new mounting bracket so I didn't need to drill out the rivets. I just bolted on the new bracket with the small screws and nuts.

The drivers side is reversed. If you clamp it like the top pics show, it will let the regulator move. You have to clamp it on the other side, or you can use bolts and nuts. Anything to hold it in place, before, taking the motor off the regulator.

Again, the biggest reason you don't want the regulator to move when the motor is off is because it's a biotch to get it back in the same positon it came out. I know this for a fact. I clamped the wrong side on the drivers side and it moved. It took me twice as long to get this side done as it did the passenger side. It's not bad to do. It took me about 30 to 40 minutes on the passenger side. I had over an hour on the drivers side because it moved on me.

Oh, on your question. Yes, get some white lithium grease. It comes in tubes. Grease the rollers and tracks. I also put some on the gear on the new motors.

Good luck with it.

[C&C Chevy]

Got it. Thanks, Mike!

[C&C Chevy]

I'm done. took my about 1 1/2 hours. I went pretty slow cause I've never taken a door panel off and I didn't want to break anything. I couldn't get my window rolled down, so getting the panel off was a PITA. After that everything went smoothly. I put the regulator in the vise like Mike said and it didn't budge at all when the motor was pulled. I need to change my passenger motor out while it will still roll down!

btw, the window rolls up and down nicely except for the last 5 or so inches. It slows down alot, like it getting in a bind. I put lithum grease on everything in the door that I thought would move. Any ideas??

[swervin ervin]

How is your window channels? Is the rubber in good shape? Could be a bind inside, but I doubt it. May be the Autozone motors.

[C&C Chevy]

It was only doing this while the engine was off. When the engine was on the window rolls up pretty quick. Probably my wimpy battery.

[LOHRTBT]

I think I am tackling this tomorrow.

[C&C Chevy]

Go for it Dave!

The window is moving alot better now, after rolling it up and down awhile. I guess the lube is spreading around good.

[87 STEPPER]

Originally posted by LOHRTBT
I think I am tackling this tomorrow.

Hey dave you said you were going to do that a few weeks ago!
You slacker:p

[BigRed]

I need to do this on my rear driver's side window. What did the motor run you at Autozone? Mike, where did you get yours from and what was your price?

Thanks!

[swervin ervin]

I know one thing, mine were a lot more than Robert's. I got mine from the Chevy dealer. Put it this way, I could have bought them both at Autozone for what I paid for one at the dealer.

Mine were $118.00 each.

I know you get what you pay for but damn. I almost didn't buy them. I started thinking, hey, I plan on keeping this truck for a very long time. Don't start scrimping on it now.

This was wholesale, list was a whopping $169.00. I think they had gold parts inside.

[BigRed]

Ouch! That is high, but like you said, "You get what you pay for". Guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[C&C Chevy]

Mine were $46 at Autozone. They have a life time warranty. I would've loved to go with GM motors, but just to much $$$ for me right now.

[LOHRTBT]

I was just saying a couple weeks ago it needs done! heheeh

I am actually gonna try it today.

And for as little use that my truck gets now...SCREW the Mike Motors!! hehehe

Im a cheap Bish! haha

[87 STEPPER]

Hey you guy's how come you dont go get them from the junk yard?

Iv'e replaced one in my '87 and both in my S10... well that whole sys. came from the j/y

But for 10 bux a shot how can ya go wrong.

I take my makita drill battery fully charged with me to test them. i cut the plug off about 6" back and hit it to the batt. and then flip the leads around to see if it works in the other direction if it does its a keeper and you can tell a bad motor it will run slow or not at all.I do this befor i remove it form the car.

You can also tell if its an after market motor by looking at it
you can tell the quality isn't near a oem unit and some times it will have a sticker on it and the easyiest way to tell is if the factory rivits are in tact then its a GM unit. or if there is some cheap chit harde ware mounting it to the door it's more than likely not a GM part.


None of my j/y motors have failed yet and there GM motors if you think you have to get them from a truck like our's you don't these motors are in a lot of GM car's but i have found that the one's out of astro vans have a differant mounting plate and a smaller drive gear so stay away form astro motors all others iv'e gotten have been the same as the truck's.

At one time i had 3 trucks that had 9 window motor's between all of them so i kept about 4 on hand all the time and i still have them stashed in a bucket.

So when it comes to being a cheap bish iv'e got ya beat dave.

[LOHRTBT]

WHEW! Got the drivers side done in about 30 min. Not bad at all really. The biggest pita was getting the assy in and out of the door itself with my wire for the door pull in the way hehe.

I guess I will go and buy the pass. side one now. I just wanted to see how much heartache it was gonna cost me. Not bad.... I went with the AutoZone replacements. 46 dollars. LT warranty like some of the other guys did.
Have a good weekend everyone...well whats left of it. Mine got jacked up by O.T.

[LOHRTBT]

I knew I wouldnt be so lucky.
THe pass side is no better with the new motor. I guess I will have to order new tracks or something now. Unless I have a bad wire and dont know it yet. I might run new ones next weekend and see if that is all.....hopefully just a broken down wire. Oh well. new motor anyhow.

[Ogre]

I was just over at O'Reilly's Friday pricing em -- $42 over there, and I'm looking at it and the "PartsMaster" or whatever house brand on the box... Open it up and AC-Delco stamped on it... refurb?? No core charge.. so who knows...

[Ogre]

I called the Auto glass place here in town... $50 to install the motor if i bring it to em... My hands are waaaay to big to get into the door to unbolt it


It's worth it to me to let someone do it...

[swervin ervin]

I'd do it a heartbeat for 50 bucks. That equates to around $100.00 and hour. Not bad wages, huh? Of if you are talking about both motors, $50.00 an hour.

Your hands can't be that big. If they are, you sure have some gorilla hands on you.

[Ogre]

Maybe the 86 just doesn't have that much room to work in the back doors

I'm only 6'6"

Even when I remove the door latch (which pulled out one of the nuts that it bolts to when I did it <sigh>) there isn't a whole lot of room to work.

The "scissors" that are used as the window regulator pretty much makes it so that I cannot reach the motor... couple that with the fact that the window only moves 4" I don't have a whole lot of options as to where it goes...

There is an inspection hole just enough so that maybe, just maybe I could get an offset screwdriver in there to undo one of the bolts (if they were screws)

I charge $50 an hour for my service calls... I figure if they save me an hour it's well worth every penny

I never have a problem paying for service, as long as it's reasonable...

Off topic.. paying the plumber $230 to solder up two tee fittings ($1.60 each) to my existing 3/4" pipe that was exposed and ready to go, install 6" of 1/2" pipe (that I provided) to hookup an outside faucet (I provided) connect the two tees with a 2" segement of 3/4" pipe (that I also provided)... and solder on a threaded fitting for my ball valve (for those of you keeping count that's 9 fittings at the most generous count...) seems a bit on the high side...

At least now I know what I did wrong when I tried to do it, and hopefully will do it for the $20 of materials myself next time.

I respect I was paying for his experience though... and having water at the house is a nice thing...

Henry F*rd once had his plant shut down because one of the fuses blew...

He was irate when the electrician came out and handed him a bill for $10 for something he had fixed in under five minutes. (remember.. he was paying workers $5 per day at that time...)

He demanded an explanation, and an itemized receipt...

The electrician kindly did this...

Replacement Fuse ________________5 cents
Knowing which fuse to replace_______$9.95.