Aligning teeth in gears connecting window regulator with motor?

[mabryt]

Hi all-

In the course of replacing my door catch, I now see a problem with my driver's window (US front left): the teeth between the gears for the regulator and motor are out of alignment by about 50%.

First, could this be making the window slow?  I just lubed everything with white lithium grease and it seems to have helped, but not as much as I thought it would.

Second, how DO you adjust those gears???

Thanks in advance, everybody-

MABRYT

[BAR]

THe 'out of alignment' would indicate a greater problem.  It also causes the window actuator to jam as it operates or slow down.

It is a sure sign that the backing plate, a die cast alloy, has buckled.  Usually due to overload.

It will need to be flattened or straightened.

[mabryt]

Well, darn.

I suppose that means removing both the regulator and the motor from the door, yes?

That die cast alloy should be banned: both the door check and the support for the door latch were broken in the same door, and now this.

Do you know if the backing plate can be removed?  Or is it a structural element of the door itself?

Thanks-
MABRYT

[nathan]

Mabry,
in my experience, it is not possibly to straighten these things without them busting (that and you need to be superman).
as BAR said, its due to warping as these things cop a lot of stress in their working life.  there is little point pulling it out to try and bend it, have another replacement ready as otherwise you will be doing the same thing next month when it snaps!
goodl uck

[mabryt]

Ah.  Thanks for the fair warning. 

So it would seem the best course of action is simply to replace the regulator, right? 

I ask because I'm wondering if it's the motor plate that could (also) be warped?

Yrs,
MABRYT

[arman]

Just wanted to add a comment on the slow front passenger and driver windows. On the W116 the front windows ARE slower than the rear ones. And I mean that they almost are too slow for ones patience... Then again it is quit fun to have electrical side windows on a 1974 car.

I hope you'll get it to work nice again.

Regards Arman

[nathan]

mabryt,
the motors are as strong as, well steel!  i  have never seen a problem with a motor yet after pulling out quite a few from wrecks over the years.  sure, they seize, but usually after a twist of the cog with some pliers, they start working again...if you have access to another regulator, put it in....to satisfy your curiousity, try and straighten the old one out and i thinkyou will either fail or snap it.
regqards

[BAR]

Several years ago I bought an aftermarket replacement window lift mechanism.  For the life of me I cannot find the supplier's details.

The beauty of this unit was that it was a completely different [better?] design, that was 1/4 the weight of the clumsy motor and gearbox arrangement of the original design.

This unit had a pwerful motor, just like the OEM unit, but used a toothed shaft to drive the window up and down [like in the electric antenna].

It is quicker in lifting and dropping the window than the OEM unit as well.

If you search for Window Regulators you may just find it somewhere.

If you can't find one, then here is where you can buy an original unit for $112.50:

http://newbenzwood.com/w1wire.html

[mabryt]

Many thanks Arman, Nathan, and BAR- now that I know removing the door panel is actually pretty easy, I'll make do as is with a cleaned and greases regulator and gears- does seem to be moving more smoothly and a little faster.  When the thing dies I'll replace the regulator with an OEM or the aftermarket version.

Much appreciated-
MABRYT

[John Hubertz]

Due to my now lifelong quest of vengeance to locate the Engineer and reliability team members responsible for the criminal negligence of this design, I used a couple of gigantic chisels, an axe head and a lot of frustration to fix mine...

What I did was:

1.  Used a bolt to draw the cast mechanism back straight and make the uselessly flawed gear contact the negligent and indeed, almost certainly evil toothed regulator (pinion?) gear...  a design so obviously malignant in intent one would think it was copied from originals used to power a testicle crusher during the inquisition...  although not reliably.



2.  Then, this larger medieval gear, will automatically go tack tack tack tack and you (like me) will have the fabulous experience of learning that unlike every other design, THIS mechanism will jam the window - and even manual window-squeezing won't draw it closed.

So you take massive hammer and a wedge and start attacking said gear - and in my case in your frustrated fury as you curse in German like a fat German cook caught in barbed wire during WWI, you MIGHT get it all bent and tasty/wavy....



...the teeth then march back and forth over the power gear, and at least in my case, out of luck and/or fear...  the window will operate better then any of the "good" ones in the other doors.

OH I HATE THESE MECHANISMS