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Solved Window Motor (Update FIXT)

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fixt

Well-Known Member
Joined
November 15, 2010
Messages
144
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City, State
North Carolina
Year, Model & Trim Level
1996 5.0L XLT AWD
I need to replace the front passenger window motor on my 1996 xlt v8. Its a Motorcraft reman on the way from Rock Auto. $33 and change including 3 day shipping.

I can't find a tutorial for the job.
All I have found is to tape up the window to prevent it dropping and beware the regulator, drill out the rivets and replace with 1/4 bolts and locknuts.
Is there more to it than this?
Is there a tutorial here somewhere I just can't find?
 



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I need to replace the front passenger window motor on my 1996 xlt v8. Its a Motorcraft reman on the way from Rock Auto. $33 and change including 3 day shipping.

I can't find a tutorial for the job.
All I have found is to tape up the window to prevent it dropping and beware the regulator, drill out the rivets and replace with 1/4 bolts and locknuts.
Is there more to it than this?
Is there a tutorial here somewhere I just can't find?

I'd written directions for chefduane a couple of months ago. I guess I didn't save them though. PM him and see if he kept them. I can tell you this, you'll need to drill out a bunch of rivets to get the window regulator out. The window motor is bolted to the regulator with 3 bolts. You might be able to unbolt the motor and change it w/out removing the regulator, but you'll be working blind. Be careful not to let the glass drop on you. I hold it up with a couple of pieces of Gorilla brand duct tape over the top of the door frame.

If you need to drill out rivets, be sure to punch the center pins out first and they'll probably spin on you, so hold them from from the back. I replace them with bolts, washers and nyloc nuts.

BTW, are you sure the window motor is the problem? Have you tried running power and ground directly to the motor at it's electrical connector on the door (switch the power and ground to change window direction)? Often the motor is fine, but the real problem is the driver;s master window switch, or a broken wire in the driver;s door jam loom.
 






Koda, thanks for the reply.
I figured you had probably been into one before.

The window motor works, it just makes a clicking/grinding noise and will go up or down if you provide assistance. Its one of those things that started overnight with no previous symptoms.
I'll try it working blind first, which is a pain but I've been into door locks before. It can't get much more blind than that. I tried looking inside the door with an inspection mirror, no joy.
I'm thinking its probably those gear plug thingys I've read about.
The two motor rivets I'll need to drill are already punched in the center, probably from their rivet tool.
EDIT: IS the 3 window regulator to motor bolts where I need to drill the door sheet to get to them? Seems I remember something about that.

The only choices for parts in this small town are NAPA and Advance. I don't buy dorman electrical parts and NAPA is transitioning to newer parts. They will order it for me, but hey, I can do that. Oh, I forgot the Ford dealership at dealership prices, but not installed.
 






IDK it could be the gear on the motor or the crescent shaped gear on the regulator that's causing the clicking noise (I'm thinking regulator, but I guess you'll find out). I replaced the regulator and motor on my daughter's '00 Mountaineer a couple of months ago. The motor was fine, but she had destroyed the regulator. Her Mountaineer has been relegated to weekend and spare vehicle duty since she bought a new vehicle last fall and she didn't want to spent much money of fixing the window. I gave her several choices on what to buy and she chose a regulator with motor for around $40. It fit fine and has been working fine so far.

I find that it pays to lubricate the window channels about once a year (I like Liquid Wrench brand foaming silicon spray for the job. Doing this will keep the windows working smoothly and prevent the glass from ****ing in the channel, which is what bends the regulator arms.
 






I am hoping (betting) its the motor gear or those plug thingys since I ordered the motor.
The regulator looks like a right pain to replace, but we will see I s'pose.
I have some of the foaming Liquid Wrench silicon since the driver window got slow at times and I sprayed some into the window guide channels.
Thanks for the help and I will update when I actually take the thing apart to determine the specific problem and get it fixt.
 






I am hoping (betting) its the motor gear or those plug thingys since I ordered the motor.
The regulator looks like a right pain to replace, but we will see I s'pose.
I have some of the foaming Liquid Wrench silicon since the driver window got slow at times and I sprayed some into the window guide channels.
Thanks for the help and I will update when I actually take the thing apart to determine the specific problem and get it fixt.

Replacing the regulator wasn't that hard other than drilling out the rivets. I'd already replaced a rear regulator and motor in my Sport Trac, so it wasn't much different. It probably took me about 2 hours, working slowly. Now that I've replaced all the rivets with bolts/nuts I could probably do the job in 1/2 the time should I need to do it again.
 






I just finished a project changing the bushings/plug things in my front window motors. That was the solution to clicking type problem, where the motor would engage and disengage frequently, and mostly only worked when I pulled or pushed on the window. The bushings were available in the HELP section at auto supply stores and cost about five dollars.

Removing the window motor was not that difficult. It was not necessary to remove the window regulator. There was a spot weld holding the motor assembly to the door sheet that needed to be drilled out. As I recall, the spot weld was one of three fasteners that attached the window motor to the door sheet. The other two fasteners connecting the window motor to the door sheet were nuts and bolts. To drill out the spot weld, it was helpful to use a punch to mark the spot, followed by a small bit, then a second bit for the final hole.... This just avoided having the final drill bit wander out of control all over the door frame. Postings on this Forum showed the location of the spot weld, which could also be observed as a dimple on the door frame. Also, removing the front speaker greatly increased access. Although it certainly had a bit of a blind approach, it was doable.

[EDIT: just trying to recreate this in my mind... The tack weld was not a weld that physically fastened the window motor to the door sheet. Maybe it attached a threaded post that bolted down the third connection. Can't recall exactly, and it was a blind approach. I just don't believe the window motor could have been simply unbolted by getting a wrench on a nut behind the door sheet, but that this drilling was required........... EDIT 2. OK, I REMEMBER.... you had to drill the hole in the door sheet as an access hole for the third bolt !!!

Replacing the bushings was also reasonably easy. The generic replacement bushings had to be sanded/filed down a bit as the only replacement bushing products available were generic and slightly oversized. I used a vise to help close the window motor case on the new, slightly modified, bushings. And lubricating the regulator tracks seemed to help a lot! It sounds like Fixt is right on track here.

After finishing the drivers side window motor project, I decided to also replace the passengers side bushings. As expected, the passengers side motor bushings had nearly the same issue.

Good luck with the project.

Mr. Alligator
 






Motor replaced and repaired without removing regulator.
The old motor screws had only 2 screws accessible. The third was about an 1 1/4" directly under the right bottom speaker screw. I estimated pretty close and centerpunched then drilled a pilot through the door sheet metal. I then drilled a 1/2" hole for the socket and removed the third screw. Motor came right out. Window was of course taped up in place with Gorilla tape.
My wife had a fairly large magnifying mirror I used for an inspection mirror. Worked good.

Added a small bit of grease to motor gear and regulator gear then set in place and started bolts.
Had to bump the motor to get it on the regulator gear. Tightened it up and tested. All is well.
Also silconed sprayed the regulator rails while I was in there.

The old motor could be turned by hand at the gear with a catching sort of grinding feeling.
Now to go finish the water shield and door panel, then clean the tape snot off the door.
Total cost $34.33 with shipping, Motorcraft part WLM87RM from Rock Auto.
Not too bad.
 






Motor replaced and repaired without removing regulator.
The old motor screws had only 2 screws accessible. The third was about an 1 1/4" directly under the right bottom speaker screw. I estimated pretty close and centerpunched then drilled a pilot through the door sheet metal. I then drilled a 1/2" hole for the socket and removed the third screw. Motor came right out. Window was of course taped up in place with Gorilla tape.
My wife had a fairly large magnifying mirror I used for an inspection mirror. Worked good.

Added a small bit of grease to motor gear and regulator gear then set in place and started bolts.
Had to bump the motor to get it on the regulator gear. Tightened it up and tested. All is well.
Also silconed sprayed the regulator rails while I was in there.

The old motor could be turned by hand at the gear with a catching sort of grinding feeling.
Now to go finish the water shield and door panel, then clean the tape snot off the door.
Total cost $34.33 with shipping, Motorcraft part WLM87RM from Rock Auto.
Not too bad.

Congrats! Would you have been able to get at the 3rd screw if you'd removed the speaker? Good to know replacing the motor w/out removing the regulator is possible.
 






Koda
I did remove the speaker. The "inspection" mirror showed the third screw to be behind part of the window regulator. You could see it, but that was it, and if by some miracle you could have gotten it out, there was no way to restart it. I've done some blind work and in some tight places, but this one you could see it and that was the end of it without drilling the hole or removing the regulator. All in all it took about 30 mins, but I had staged up with the stuff I thought I might need. I still need to go to the Ford dealer for some of those Christmas tree door panel retainer thingys, but its all back together now. I hate the way those things get mangled and I try to head off any rattles and squeaks.

Edit: 9/10/16
I found the xmas tree thingys at NAPA properly called Ford trim panel retainers. Comes in packs of 6 and it takes 8 per door. Naturally they had one pack.
NAPA Balkamp part 665-2342 at 5.49 per pack, direct replacements.
All done and the window is quiet. and operates normally except better than before the troubles. By comparison, the driver side sounds like a hay baler.
 






Koda
I did remove the speaker. The "inspection" mirror showed the third screw to be behind part of the window regulator. You could see it, but that was it, and if by some miracle you could have gotten it out, there was no way to restart it. I've done some blind work and in some tight places, but this one you could see it and that was the end of it without drilling the hole or removing the regulator. All in all it took about 30 mins, but I had staged up with the stuff I thought I might need. I still need to go to the Ford dealer for some of those Christmas tree door panel retainer thingys, but its all back together now. I hate the way those things get mangled and I try to head off any rattles and squeaks.

I've read about having to drill a hole in the door to get at something window related, but I've never had to. Then again I've never replaced just a window motor.w/out having to replace the regulator. My experience with the OE window motors has been that they're pretty durable, the regulators not so much...

I've bought the door panel retainer xmas tree thingy's at the auto parts store. Take an old one with you for size, they're on the Dorman rack with specialty screws and clips. There's only a few in the smaller package (5 maybe), but they can get larger packages from the warehouse usually the same day (pack of 10 or so) They work just as well as the OE clips. I find they're reusable to a point.
 






Good job getting around drilling the hole.... I drilled the hole in mine, and it gave just enough space to slip a socket wrench through the door sheet to get on a bolt head. You did well!!!
 






Fixt, I still have those directions that Koda wrote up if you need them. I also have a set of driver and passenger window regulators with motors if u are interested. They are new in box, never used. I don't need them anymore. Close out special!! :thumbsup:
 






chefduane, thanks, but I hope I won't need them. I really don't want to do regulators. The broken rear drivers door lock episode cured me from any work inside the doors. What a pain!
I would like the instructions though as a insurance. Knowledge is a good thing.
The motor is so quiet now compared to the drivers side (which is sometimes slow) that I'm considering a preemptive replacement for that one. It s 20 years old, right?
I don't know what makes is slow, no telling what I'll find.
 






Here ya' go. Good luck!



Front window regulators



1. Remove the interior door panel (I assume you know how to do this, but if you want advice, ask).

2. Remove the speaker and speaker mount,

3. Remove the interior door handle. 2 screws and push it forward to release it from the door. Then unhook it from the rod. Sometimes there's a spring metal clip, sometimes not. The clip does not seem to be necessary. Also remove the plastic/foam weather-shield so you can have access to all the required holes in the metal door. You can put it back with a couple of pieces of tape when your done. I put them at the top of the door only. Gravity and the interior panel hold it in place otherwise.

4. Get yourself some black Gorilla brand duct tape. This is necessary to hold the glass up while you work with disconnecting and replacing the regulator. Be sure to use 3-4 pieces to hold the glass up. You don't want it falling on you and possibly breaking. This tape also works great for reattaching the weather shield.

5. Remove the rear lower window channel (one bolt through the door and pull down). you will first need to disconnect the wire for the door latch switch from the rear window channel (one of those plastic xmas tree clips).

6. Unbolt the regulator cross bar piece from the door (2 nuts)

7. Remove the one nut which serves as a "steady" for the window motor. IIRC for the passenger side it's located at around 11:00 relative to the 2 aluminum rivets that hold the regulator to the door. As I was working on the driver's door, the nut was located at 1:00.

The next part gets tricky if the window will not go up and down (which was my case).

There are 2 aluminum rivets that hold the regulator to the glass. There are 2 access holes in the door, but they are rather small and must be lined up with the rivets in order to drill them out. As my glass was sitting in the bottom of the door and could not be raised/lowered mechanically, I had to lift it manually to the required height and duct tape it where I needed it to be (not terribly easy while working by myself, but doable by relocating the tape several times).

All 5 rivets will still have the metal rod stuck in them. Using an appropriate sized punch, the rods must be knocked out before the rivet heads can be drilled off. It fairly easy to knock the metal rods/pins out, but it may take a few tries. Knock all 5 out before proceeding.

I have a very sharp 5/8" drill bit that works well for drilling the heads off the aluminum rivets, but a more common 1/2" bit will probably work. Just make sure it's fairly sharp.

I drilled the 2 glass retaining rivets first and then the 3 regulator retaining rivets. It doesn't really matter which you do first.

FYI, The rivets like to start spinning when they're about 1/2 drilled. I find I can usually stop them from spinning by jamming a small screw driver under the heads, or holding the back with a pair of pliers or a larger screw driver. The rivets are the "banana-style" like the ones used on the exterior door handles.

There's a single electrical connection for the window motor (red and yellow wire) which must be unplugged and pushed inside the door.

Once all the rivets are out I found I was able to collapse the regulator by hand and finagle it out of the door through the large hole in the lower rear of the door. As the interior door handle rod will be loose, it tends to get in your way. Wire it up or be careful not to bend it.

Installation of the new regulator is the opposite of removal. Get the regulator cross bar and "steady" nuts reattached loosely first and them plug the motor in so that you can raise/lower the regulator as needed to line up the holes (be careful because of the AUTO DOWN feature). I use bolts and washers with nylock nuts in place of all 5 rivets. I don't know what size the bolt shanks are, but the heads are 7/16 th's (1/4x20 I think). The bolts fit the rivet holes perfectly. I buy them at an Ace Hardware and I get a few short ones (1/2" ?) and a few longer ones (3/4" ?) along with the washers and nylock nuts. They're cheap so get a few of each size. I try to get grade 5 bolts, but they didn't have grade 5 for the shorter bolts, so I just got regular grade for them. As I recall I used the 3/4" on the two glass retainer holes and the three 1/2" bolts on the window regulator with the nuts facing the interior for the 3 regulator holes and facing the outside of the door on the window retainers. Just make sure there's no interference when the glass goes up/down. I put the washers under the nuts only. You need to have enough bolt thread through the nuts to engage the nylon lock part to make them secure.

Be sure to lube the glass channels when you're done. Not doing this is what tends to screw up the regulators due to the way the glass fits in the channels. I find the spray silicon works great for this and lasts a long time.

I think that's everything you need to know. If you have any questions, just ask.
 






Wow, chefduane, those instructions were letter perfect. I used five 1/2 inch long 1/4-20 bolts which fit perfectly.
 












If anyone needs just the DELRIN bushings inside the gear drive part of the motor...
Click link below
24 Ford Lincoln Mercury Power Window Motor Gear Delrin REBUILD Bushings Pellets | eBay
I just replaced mine 6 weeks ago. Works well. I still need to use the "foaming spray" in the rubber tracks as mentioned above

I should have taken apart my old regulator and fixed it rather than buy the cheap new one with the weak motor. I have to pull up on the window to raise it. Live and learn.
 






Adding some knowledge.

My motor stopped today. With the window down, of course.

On my ‘99, I found a dimple below the lower left (on the drivers door) speaker screw. About 1-1/4” below. This marks the drill spot for the third bolt perfectly
 



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I should have taken apart my old regulator and fixed it rather than buy the cheap new one with the weak motor. I have to pull up on the window to raise it. Live and learn.
Old topic, but already revived so... that could have been the problem in the first place, wear or lack of lube, put too much strain on the motor gearbox pucks so it chewed them up. Could be that the new motor has same problem as old one, too much resistance.
 






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