Window regulator

[foxracing12]

Hey everyone,
I was searching the forums for threads about the window regulators on a first gen explorer. I found some people who changed the nylon bushings in the motor, but I'm pretty sure that isn't my problem. I look at the metal track which has the window riding on it. when I try to raise the window i can see the track bending from stress, it can't lift because the white nylon piece has too much play.


So.. my question is this. I am pretty sure it's the regulator. Have any of you changed the whole track? and if so.. how hard is it? I want to put my 1994 explorer back on the road for the winter but i need to roll the window down at toll boots on the highway

thanks for reading
chris

 

[l1k2gadd]

Have you tried to remove the motor from the regulator and see if you can raise and lower the window by hand without any trouble? Depending upon what someone has greased the tracks with in the past the lubricant might be hardened in the tracks causing resistance when the window is travelling up / down.
If the motor hasn't been removed before there might be a couple of places you need to drill holes in the door to get to the window motor bolts. I know older Fords have small center-punch marks cast into the door if the window motors haven't been removed from the doors yet. I used to have to drill a 3/8" (or slightly larger) hole where those marks are so I could get a nutdriver into the door to remove the motor bolts. I am not sure if the Explorer doors have these marks in them, or if the window motor bolts are completely accessible because I haven't had to pull a window motor from one yet.

 

[foxracing12]

thanks for the reply
the first thing I tried was to open the door panel and spray white lithium grease in the track to help the window. The window was able to go down using this grease but still couldn't make it up. So apparently I need to drill out those little casting holes to do this job..

 

[l1k2gadd]

If you look at the area that the window motor is sitting in you should be able to locate the small bolts that hold the motor in place (they used to be 5/16" fine threaded bolts whick equated to 8mm in metrics). If you can see all three bolts (and again I am going by what held my other Ford power window motors in place) straight on and the door doesn't obstruct your view to the bolts no drilling will be necessary.
Remove the bolts BUT BE CAREFUL, the motor CAN drop out causing the window to drop unexpectedly. That can catch and cut or pinch your hands or arms if either of them are inside of the door. Support the bottom of the window with something like a piece of 1"x2" or 2"x2" wood or something like that.
If the motor doesn't drop out on you you might have to take some pressure / weight off of the window to free up the motor.
When the motor is out manually move / run the window up and down by hand BEING CAREFUL NOT TO DROP THE WINDOW to the bottom of the door. You might find debris, rust or some old caked up grease in one of the tracks. Watch you don't slice your fingers running them up and down the window tracks.
The regulator itself might need greasing or lubricating. Look at it real carefully.
The plastic liner on the door is there to protect the back of the door panel from moisture. Try to remove and replace it without damaging it much. It's tough to do. I always tear them somewhere.