Replacing RRH power window motor 68 Convertible: HELP!

[Geert-Jan]

Hi,

Found out by testing electrical system, switches and bypassing that RRH power window motor of my 68 DeVille Convertible is not doing anything at all. Time to replace it for a spare one. Trying to remove it places me to the following problem: HOW??

I removed the interior side panel (with the rose wood pad) but found out - after I removed the bench (pff, heck of a job, first in 39 years I think, found an old domestic mail stamp and a childrens party whistle and a lot of crumbled seat foam) - that the regulator and motor are mounted between the interior body sheet metal and quarter panel. Darn!

As far as I can see the RR and RL quarter panels are made out of one piece of body metal and connected to each other by the 4 inch wide body strip between the trunk lid and the boottop rim. Do I have to dissamemble the whole car just to change a rear power window unit? I can hardly imagine....
 
What I saw is a small triangle shaped metal panel (± 6 x 8 inch) on the interior body sheet metal (so behind the interior side panel) which can be screwed off. Is that for lubrication purposes of the regulator? The window motor is situated far below that triangle shaped opening...

Do I need dwarf hands or special tools to remove the motor through the interior opening or are there more easy ways to REPLACE A POWER WINDOW MOTOR IN THE REAR (L/R) OF A CONVERTIBLE?

Please help!

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Geert-Jan Ankoné

[Geoff Newcombe #4719]

You dont need to be a dwarf, but I would say you are way past due to invest a few bucks in a 68 Shop Manual.  For the first timer it is a difficult job.  Ebay, Cranken Hope, are just two of many places where you can find an original or reprinted shop manual for your car.  If it is anything like my 60 coupe you DO NOT separate the motor from the regulator until you have the assembly out of the car.  Then follow the manuals instructions for taking the motor off.    

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Geert,

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE MOTOR FROM THE REGULATOR ARM WHILE IN THE CAR. There’s a powerful assist spring that will snap and do serious damage to your hands. You must remove the window and regulator as a unit then working on a bench drill a hole through the rack gear and regulator and pin the two pieces with a ¼” drill. That will prevent the regulator from snapping violently.
You need to get a ’68 body manual if this is your first experience. If you can’t get a ’68 there are ’66 body manuals on eBay. The general steps for a ’66 will likely apply given the similarities in body. The explanation / procedure require the illustrations in the manual to be understood.

Hope this is some help,

Ralph

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

The sentence should read ...remove the motor and regulator as a unit.

Ralph

[Geert-Jan]

Hi Geoff,

I do have a 68 shop manual but - and thats what you probably mean - not a body manual (by Fischer?). I was missing the body part indeed in my shop manual.

Okay, Ill try to find a 68 body manual first.

Thank you for the info!

Best regards,

Geert-Jan

[Geert-Jan]

Thank you guys!

I get the message: besides the 68 shop manual (which I do have) I need to find/buy a 68 body manual for my convertible.

Best regards, also on behalf of The 1968 Grecian White Gran Ol Lady (enjoying at this moment a tranny rebuilt job because she was seeping oil from front to the end like hell)

Best regards,

Geert-Jan GJ Ankoné

[Geoff Newcombe #4719]

Yes, youre right Geert-Jan, you need the Body Manual, not the shop manual, sorry.  The 60 had the window regulator & motor removal procedure in the shop manual ----- if I remember correctly this time.

[Tim Groves clc 23586]

Changing the 1/4 window motor on your convertible is not hard, just takes a lot of time.  Remove the upper and lower interior panels, and remove that triangle shaped metal plate.  What you will have to do is remove the glass from the guides, then take out the regulator and motor as an assembly.  You will need to unbolt the guides, and remove the glass stops at the top of the body.  Next, remove the bolts that hold the regulator to the body.  Now slide the regulator roller out of the window glass channel.  Pull the glass out of the body, then you can remove the motor and regulator through the hole where the triangle plate was.  An easy way to remove the motor from the regulator is lay the assembly flat on the floor, and put one foot over the spring (press down).  Remove the three bolts that hold the motor.  Take a prybar or big screwdriver and pry between the regulator and motor where the motor gear connects to the regulator.  The motor will come off, then gently take your foot off the spring, and the regulator will release with no danger.  To reconnect the motor get a helper to pull the regulator gear in alignment with the motor gear and insert the motor and install the three bolts.  Then reassemble.

One big reason the 1/4 windows go bad is water gets trapped in the bottom.  Water gets trapped because the drain hole gets clogged.  Just make sure the drain hole is open.  Good luck, Tim

[Geert-Jan]

Im surprised why they never produced a complete shop book (with numbers A and B or 1 and 2 or whatever). Before yesterday I didnt knew there was a separate book for the body and related things (but I was wondering were I (or one) could get the information about it.

Never too old to learn....

Best regards,

GJ Ankoné

[Geert-Jan]

Hi Tim,

Thank you for the step-by-step explanation! The reason I didnt try the dismantling through the access hole - besides the absence of a manual - is that I was afraid of something snapping violently (i.e. assist springs) or unscrewed parts falling down in the body cavity I couldnt reach anymore.

But your explanation is really helpful (alhough Im going to buy a body shop manual anyhow).

Best regards,

GJ Ankoné

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

The reason they produces multiple books was that it was easier to produce a Workshop Manual for each of the Brands that GM made, i.e. Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet, which each book covered everything that was specific to each brand, then the Body Manual was one book that covered everything that was specific to all the Bodies that were Fisher built, which covered 99percent of them.

In the late 60s onward, Ford used a set of 5 Books to cover all the models of each year for Lincoln, Mercury, Thunderbird and Ford.

The Biggest reason was that from the late 60s onwards, there were that many different vehicles being built by the makers that it wasnt possible to have just one book covering each year as it was prior to 68.

Hope this helps understand.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Geert-Jan]

Yeah, thats what I mean! My brother owns a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV and he has a series of 3 or 5 shop books. I was always wondering why Cadillac was that simple.... ;-) But on the other hand, could barely imagine :-)