Turbo__Tim
One heck of a Tim!
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
It's time to replace the power windows. (Drivers side is totally dead now) Here is a copy of an article that was intended to be poster on www.gnttype.org, but never got there concerning replacing the original motors, with the faster ones.
It would be great to do this, and retain the original window switches. It's possible to buy the 78-79 motors new, which is what I am planning to do.
I'm not clear on what a 'ground buss' trace is. Anybody know for sure?
(In bold face, below)
October 21, 2000
G Body Power Window upgrade addendum
(Applies to post 1982 Buick Regals etc.)
Here are a few tips that serve as an addendum to Lyle Simon’ s Technical Article titled “Revved Up Power Windows”
Note: you must read Lyle’s article first for the vital basic information then read this.
I too had power window problems on my ’85 GN so I toured a local auto-recycling yard and found the appropriate vintage car (’78 Monte Carlo). A couple things I did to reduce the skin damage: 1- take gloves with you to the wrecking yard! 2- Instead of using the cold chisel method I used a center punch and a cordless drill with a 5/16” bit. First punch out the center nails from each rivet then drill out the aluminum caps. Be careful when you drill out the last rivet as the motor/regulator assembly is heavy and combined with the weight of the glass even with gloves on you can get hurt. At the wreckers you have no options on whether the glass is up or down so be prepared use something to stop the glass from dropping on your hand. I used the discarded armrests from the door as a prop. In addition to removing the short track (inner panel cam*) loosen but do not remove all three 10mm nuts that attach the bottom track (lower sash channel) to the bottom of the window glass. The two rear ones are most important, you want pull the channel away from the glass about 5/16” of an inch, that lets you slide the regulator rollers out with minimal hassle.
If the donor car has the wiring harness and switches for the doors take them too. I did not have that option so had to modify the original switch to accommodate. Beware: the motor wiring socket and plug assemblies are not interchangeable so leave the plug and wiring harness intact, take as much of the wire harness as you can. You can always cut it shorter later.
Before you start the install make sure to clean up your new power window units particularly the rollers and bearing points. Grease the rollers and pay particular attention to the main pivot point it should be lubricated too, mine came off the donor car bone dry.
Prior to mounting get eight or ten ¼” X 20 X ½” hex head cap screws, one flat and one lock washer for each. On both motor mounts I had to grind one of the cap screws shorter to avoid interfering with the sector gear movement, you may or may not be able to put a lock washer on that one, so double check beforehand. I used four cap screws per motor you may want to use all five that’s your choice. First finger tighten the cap screws, then line everything up before you tighten the bolts.
When you start work on your car wind the windows down to the point you can access the same three lower glass track nuts (mentioned above) and then jamb something (hockey puck, or doorstop wedge, I used a rubber glove and a piece of wood) between the glass and the door frame at the beltline area, to avoid smashing a hand and protect the glass against scratches etc. Your hand will heal the glass will not. J
At this point if you have done this job by yourself you may have some grease on the window…. Before you test run the motor CLEAN THE GLASS!, otherwise you run the risk of getting grease in the stabilizer felts, then you will have to remove them to degrease them.
Here is what to do if you use the original wiring and switches on your car. Cut the motor wires with as long as you can, you can decide at home where to make your cuts and splices for the “new” motors after you have them mounted. I recommend you stagger your cuts so your splices do not rub against each other, (I put two layers of shrink sleeving on each wire), strip off insulation, make a parallel (or butt connector) twist wire splice and solder. The wire color codes on the old version motors are the same as the original light duty motors so splice color to color. The real trick to getting the system to work with your existing wiring and switches is to cut the ground buss trace on the driver’s side switch. You need to cut one of the short posts on the left side NOT the ground wire copper post cut the center copper trace on the rear of the switch. Do NOT modify the passenger side switch.
Before you put the door panels back on, check the window stabilizer felts and replace as necessary, mine were in rough shape. I recommend you check the window adjustments as per Peter Serio’s book “How to Eliminate Window Rattles and Wind Noise” before replacing the door panels.
Peter Cruickshank, proof reading by Wayne Jezsu
It would be great to do this, and retain the original window switches. It's possible to buy the 78-79 motors new, which is what I am planning to do.
I'm not clear on what a 'ground buss' trace is. Anybody know for sure?
(In bold face, below)
October 21, 2000
G Body Power Window upgrade addendum
(Applies to post 1982 Buick Regals etc.)
Here are a few tips that serve as an addendum to Lyle Simon’ s Technical Article titled “Revved Up Power Windows”
Note: you must read Lyle’s article first for the vital basic information then read this.
I too had power window problems on my ’85 GN so I toured a local auto-recycling yard and found the appropriate vintage car (’78 Monte Carlo). A couple things I did to reduce the skin damage: 1- take gloves with you to the wrecking yard! 2- Instead of using the cold chisel method I used a center punch and a cordless drill with a 5/16” bit. First punch out the center nails from each rivet then drill out the aluminum caps. Be careful when you drill out the last rivet as the motor/regulator assembly is heavy and combined with the weight of the glass even with gloves on you can get hurt. At the wreckers you have no options on whether the glass is up or down so be prepared use something to stop the glass from dropping on your hand. I used the discarded armrests from the door as a prop. In addition to removing the short track (inner panel cam*) loosen but do not remove all three 10mm nuts that attach the bottom track (lower sash channel) to the bottom of the window glass. The two rear ones are most important, you want pull the channel away from the glass about 5/16” of an inch, that lets you slide the regulator rollers out with minimal hassle.
If the donor car has the wiring harness and switches for the doors take them too. I did not have that option so had to modify the original switch to accommodate. Beware: the motor wiring socket and plug assemblies are not interchangeable so leave the plug and wiring harness intact, take as much of the wire harness as you can. You can always cut it shorter later.
Before you start the install make sure to clean up your new power window units particularly the rollers and bearing points. Grease the rollers and pay particular attention to the main pivot point it should be lubricated too, mine came off the donor car bone dry.
Prior to mounting get eight or ten ¼” X 20 X ½” hex head cap screws, one flat and one lock washer for each. On both motor mounts I had to grind one of the cap screws shorter to avoid interfering with the sector gear movement, you may or may not be able to put a lock washer on that one, so double check beforehand. I used four cap screws per motor you may want to use all five that’s your choice. First finger tighten the cap screws, then line everything up before you tighten the bolts.
When you start work on your car wind the windows down to the point you can access the same three lower glass track nuts (mentioned above) and then jamb something (hockey puck, or doorstop wedge, I used a rubber glove and a piece of wood) between the glass and the door frame at the beltline area, to avoid smashing a hand and protect the glass against scratches etc. Your hand will heal the glass will not. J
At this point if you have done this job by yourself you may have some grease on the window…. Before you test run the motor CLEAN THE GLASS!, otherwise you run the risk of getting grease in the stabilizer felts, then you will have to remove them to degrease them.
Here is what to do if you use the original wiring and switches on your car. Cut the motor wires with as long as you can, you can decide at home where to make your cuts and splices for the “new” motors after you have them mounted. I recommend you stagger your cuts so your splices do not rub against each other, (I put two layers of shrink sleeving on each wire), strip off insulation, make a parallel (or butt connector) twist wire splice and solder. The wire color codes on the old version motors are the same as the original light duty motors so splice color to color. The real trick to getting the system to work with your existing wiring and switches is to cut the ground buss trace on the driver’s side switch. You need to cut one of the short posts on the left side NOT the ground wire copper post cut the center copper trace on the rear of the switch. Do NOT modify the passenger side switch.
Before you put the door panels back on, check the window stabilizer felts and replace as necessary, mine were in rough shape. I recommend you check the window adjustments as per Peter Serio’s book “How to Eliminate Window Rattles and Wind Noise” before replacing the door panels.
Peter Cruickshank, proof reading by Wayne Jezsu
