94 explorer rear power window problems.

[joe64554]

I took everything off, cover and plastic sheet. All I see is my motor spinning, but window does not move. Where does the motor linkage connect to window glass? Could something have just fell off the glass or is there something broken? How do I see it all better? braille?
Help me please,
Joe

 

[Anime]

Usually it's the motor bushings that have busted apart due to age.


A thread about how to replace them is here:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233353


It could also be that the window gear is no longer in contact with the motor gear, if that's the case you should pull the motor and see what happened or just to rearrange things so they're back in contact.

 

[vq5speed]

I'm doing my rear's right now. I'm 100% sure its the bushings that have crumbled. I was going to replace mine with plastic ones they sell. But I came across some aluminum ones that will never wear out. Then I found where some people have used just hex nuts that work really well. If you understand the function of them they don't need to be round or plastic. Just fill the space to make the gear rotate.

 

[Anime]

Using metal in place of the bushings is a bad idea, because then the plastic gear becomes the sacrificial part. The bushings are there for a reason - to be the cushion between the motor driven plastic gear and the metal window gear. Putting metal bushings or hex nuts in puts the plastic gear as the in-between part that will break.

 

[vq5speed]

I thought about that too why are they made of plastic. They obviously don't break right away. Most last 10-15 year or longer before those plastic bushings crumble. I bought one bushing kit that came with a new sprocket. After some research I saw the sprocket never breaks just the bushings. When my other side window started acting up I ordered just the bushings but they came different then the ones that came with the sprocket. a different kind of plastic and hollow not solid. So I looked up info on bushings and came across aluminum ones then people using hex nuts. I'm not going to use the hex nuts I just came across several articles from the Mustang and F150 forums people doing this. But I am going to make my own round aluminum bushings after seeing those. Its not going to fill the space solid there will be play allowing movement when it rotates so I don't feel it will cause the sprocket to break.

 

[Anime]

Allowing play won't help anything - it will probably actually just make it even worse because the motor will spin unrestricted for that tiny distance and 'hammer' the plastic gear every time the window goes up or down.

Those plastic bushings are not super hard plastic the way metal is. They are actually ever so slightly flexible, which you can tell when you have to press the metal gear into the plastic gear with the bushings in between them. That tiny bit of flex makes for a super tight fit, and lets them provide cushion to the motor and moving parts.

You can even "feel" the difference when installed, the plastic bushings feel like a new motor when you hit the switch, and it goes up and down like you'd expect. Metal nuts or aluminum bushings still make it work, but it's a harsher response when you hit the switch, all because of the lack of that little bit of cushion.

I'm not saying that there isn't a better material for the bushings, there probably is, since Ford has been using those plastic bushings, unchanged, since the 60's. I'm only slightly surprised that an effort hasn't been made to use a tougher, more durable modern material that would provide cushion yet not get brittle and harden with the temps a vehicle is exposed to. Ford and the aftermarket probably make a ton of their money replacing entire window motors when it's just the bushings that have gone bad, so it's unlikely they will improve something that's making them money. Sucks for the customer and the environment, though.

 

[vq5speed]

The plastic bushing have play in them too they don't feel the space solid. The aluminum I will be using will be the exact same size and shape as the plastic bushings 1/2" diameter by 1/2" tall. So it will have the same free movement as the plastic ones will have. Just be more durable against crumbling. You won't be able to tell any difference when the window goes up or down. Just because its been used since the 60's doesn't mean there isn't better materials to use. Lots of OEM stuff has been replaced with better aftermarket designs and materials. In fact this design is not the only design used for window motors. There are other sprocket and designs used on other makes. There are other motors that use metal bushing already. I think this was made to fail. If they made stuff that never wore out they loose money. LOL

 

[Anime]

The Dorman bushings I've used were such a tight fit that the metal part had to be pressed into the plastic gear with the bushings in just the right way. There was zero play once pressed together. I'm pretty sure any play will do like I stated above, and "hammer" the bushings, eventually damaging and destroying them, or whatever the weakest link in the system is.

Live and learn, though. Try the aluminum ones and see how it goes. There are aftermarket gear kits that come with the plastic gear, new bushings, and even the metal gear, to replace whatever breaks.

 

[vq5speed]

The play i'm seeing is the bushing can still roll when the gear begins to turn. The rounded point of the triangle in the sprocket is larger then the diameter of the bushing. So the bushing can still roll slightly is the play I am referring to. But you make a valid point if the gear motor is slamming into the bushing it can cause damage. If the motor has that kind of speed. Really seems to me the motor is a very slow gear type motor that isn't spinning fast. But will see just giving people some other possible repair options. I'm not suggesting anyone do what i do. Even if the sprocket were to fail those plastic sprockets are cheap to replace. Plus whole New motors only cost $35.00 to me that's really cheap.

 

[murkinstock]

Nuts do make it a pretty harsh engagement. That's what I'm using right now. I'm worried that it will eventually rip the windows off of their mounts on the regulator (Especially on my passenger window because it's already came apart before, E-6000 fixed it though) I plan to do something better sometime but for now I'm fine with it.

I would recommend either, tight fitting round aluminum bushings or plastic ones. Or if you can find an even stronger, more durable plastic than the stock ones that would be fine too.