Removing Window Motor without Removing Regulator

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bajajoaquin

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I have the door panel out of my Imperial, along the way to repairing the window motor pucks. But I don't see how to get the motor out.

The search function doesn't turn up a thread by searching on "window" or "remove" so I'm kinda stuck. The FSM says "when removing a regulator, the door glass should be fully lowered. Slide the regulator rearward to disengage it from the lift bracket and guide assembly."

If I'm going to remove the motor and leave the regulator in place, do I do that window up or down?

What am I missing here?
 
BE CAREFUL!!! Not a good idea to try and remove the motor without the regulator. It is spring loaded and can be a finger pincher or much worse. Once out of the car you can put it in the vise and hold the arm to release the tension and remove the motor.
 
I've read lots of warnings to be careful, so yours isn't falling on deaf ears, thank you. However, I've read in several places that the motors can be removed safely. I'm just trying to figure out how. Or, failing that, get a little more detailed instruction than is in the FSM. Here are two pictures of the door without the panel.

What are the next steps?

door-1_sm.jpgdoor-2_sm.jpg

door-1_sm.jpg


door-2_sm.jpg
 
This will be tough to explain from memory without it in front of me but I'll give it a shot.
It's easier to pull the regulator out with the motor in my experience, once you've done it a few times it only takes 20 minutes to R & R one. You'll want the window at a point in its travel that you can remove the stops that will allow you to remove the regulator/motor assembly from the bottom of the window. The reg/motor assembly can be unfastened from the door and unplugged too at this point. So take out the 3(I think) bolts that attach the regulator to the door. Slide assembly back till its free of the glass at which point I pull the glass to the top of travel and use a rubber squeeze clamp to keep it there. Takes some trial and error to get the assembly out of the door through the biggest opening but you'll get it. With the assembly out you have to clamp the regulator to itself, I use vise grips and clamp the arm of the regulator to the part that has the teeth on it. Do this before removing the motor from the regulator, if this is hard to understand maybe get the assembly out and snap a pic or two and post them up so a better explanation can be given. If you take the motor off the regulator without proper clamping that's when the spring will unwind and complicate things not to mention potentially hurt you.
 
Okay, thanks. In the photos above, it would be the black-oxide bolts that hold the regulator, right? And it looks like my window is almost in the position it needs to be to take it off the regulator: You can just see it peeking out into the access panel.

Am I on the right track?

And by the way, guys at the Imperial group insist that you can get the motor out safely by leaving the regulator attached to the window. They say to remove the three bolts that hold the motor to the regulator, and leave the window in the up position. Two of the three bolts are visible, but you need to drill a hole in the panel to get access to the third one. If that's correct, what are the three bolts? In the photo below, you can see one of the bolts looks like it goes on the motor. The second one is below it, partially shrouded by the panel. That implies that the third one is above the visible shaft. Thoughts?

door-3_sm.jpg

door-3_sm.jpg
 
Why are you insisting on being stubborn and wanting to remove the window motor with the regulator in the car? As pointed out by several people, it is very dangerous and not the correct way to R&R the motor. However, if you feel your Imperial peeps are giving you sound advice, go for it. It is not hard at all to remove the entire assembly and reinstall. Please post pics of your injuries and a copy of the hospital bill when you try to do it your way. I'm betting on a broken finger at the very least.
 
I'm not insisting. That would be why the first part of my post was asking questions about removing the regulator and motor together.

In spite of the impression you give that you watch auto racing for the crashes, I'll be happy to post photos. That's my intent. If I can get the motor out safely alone, I'll post pictures of that. Since you won't be interested, you can skip them. If I'm not confident removing just the motor, I'll pull out the whole assembly. I'll post pictures of that, too. I imagine someone after me will want some guidance beyond the information in the FSM.

As for not the correct way, apparently later Imperials have an access hole to allow the motor to be removed in exactly this way. If it's easier, and it's safe, why not do it?
 
Personally i think the first time around you should remove the regulator assy just to familiarize yourself with how the setup goes together behind the panel and then also see how the motor is mounted to the regulator in situ. Then whenever you have to do pucks again in the future you can take the Imperial.net route to removing the motor. And yes removing the three black phosphated bolts in the middle along the horizontal will set the regulator free, i cant offer much more advice as it has been years since i have removed one of these.
 
The three bolts are the black ones the first being the one dues south of the remote mirror control and the other two to the left of that one by 8" or so and they are stacked. I can't remember if the one at the bottom comes out too as it might anchor the end of the motor. I can't personally see any benefit to a process that will require you to drill a hole in order to save a couple of minutes. If you use the repair that permanently replaces the rubber this will likely be the last time you do this anyway unless the motor itself quits.
 
many newer cars have dimples in the door panel where the bolts for the window motors are. They are there as template on where to drill out to access the bolts for the window motor. Odds are the more older cars you look at with power windows. The more you'll find with holes drilled in the doors to access the window motor bolts. If you're a mechanic for a living you do this to save a couple a minutes. Most mechanics are flat-rate. So yes saving a few minutes here and there on jobs adds up. Sure the "right" way is to do what the shop manual says. Drilling holes in the door may not be the "right" way per the shop manual. But they both accomplish the same thing. One's faster then the other. The door is not any worse for wear because of it.

Tightening lug nuts to the proper torque with a torque wrench is the "right" way. But how many of you do that?
 
I tighten them until the impact wrench stops turning...
That's what my mentor did 48 years ago and I saw no reason in 48 years to change.

Posted via Topify on Android
 
Last edited:
When tightening I turn my impact down to 3. That way I can turn it up to 5 to remove them. Works for me!
 
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