My window regulator took a dump!

[Jim Breazeale]

This is a common occurrence. If you raise and lower your door windows, it's going to happen some time. I thought this may be a teachable moment, so I took a few pictures of the process to repair my broken window regulator. After seeing and repairing 100s of broken window regulators taken from 356s and 911s, 99% of the time, the pivot pin that also supports the helper spring breaks or get so loose that the window will no longer go up of down.
Picture #1 is a typical failure of the pin. (this one was still functioning but won't for long)
Picture #2 is the regulator with the pivot pin removed
Picture #3 is the pin that fell out of my regulator (think cobbler with holes in his shoes)
Picture #4 the 3 pieces that I found at the bottom of my door
Picture #5 is the new pin installed
Picture #6 is the regulator ready to be reinstalled
Picture #7 is the back side of the pin that I beat to death with a ball peen hammer to lock it in place.

The replacement pins are made of mild steel and should last for ever. The originals are aluminum and far too soft to last a long time.
This whole process from removal to re-installation took part of this afternoon.

Regards

Jim
PS: My door window goes up and down just like it did when I bought this car 47 years ago

[StephenAcworth]

Thanks Jim - that's a job I'm going to have to get done sometime! This makes it a whole host easier!

[Arne]

Did one of these for my friend's '73 targa a few weeks ago. It had done the complete failure bit.

Disassembled my '72 for paint over the last 2 weeks, both of my regulator pivot pins have the PacMan syndrome. Replacement pins are on the way now.

[Jim Breazeale]

A couple of things. SWB regulators do not use a washer like the later regulators. The washer is pictured in picture #3. It goes between the main frame and the geared lever (picture #2)
It is important to get the spring put on in the proper orientation. The spring is designed to help with raising the window. Before you remove the spring, make a note as to how it is oriented. It is designed to wind up as you lower the window and is tightest when the window is in the down position. When putting it back on, roll the reguator as far in the up position as you can and put the spring back on with about a half a turn of tension. Grease the heck out of the spring and the gear and the rollers that hook on the channel below the glass. That's pretty much it. Oh yea, when removing the regulator from the door, you will need to remove the brace that is attached to the bottom of the division bar that makes up the forward window channel. That will allow you to get the regulator out of the door. It's kind of a puzzle to get the regulator in just the right position to slide it out of the slots on the window channel and then out of the hole in the lower part of the inner panel, but you just need to fiddle with it and it will come loose. Once you get it apart you will know how to put it back together. Good Luck

[ejboyd5]

Doesn't the pin come in two distinct versions with the slots at right angles to one another relative to the flat sides of the bases of the pins?

[Jim Breazeale]

Doesn't the pin come in two distinct versions with the slots at right angles to one another relative to the flat sides of the bases of the pins?

Yes, you are correct. Actually, there are 4 different pins. A short and long version of both parallel and 90 degree pins. If you are unsure of the length, you can use the long version in any regulator.

Jim

[ptrsbtrs]

Good morning Jim and thanks for the explanation.
Perfect timing!
But, now that the spring is mounted correctly and everything is back together, the gears have major "slop".
It's about a 1/4- 1/2 turn to get the regulator to move.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Peter

[Jim Breazeale]

Good morning Jim and thanks for the explanation.
Perfect timing!
But, now that the spring is mounted correctly and everything is back together, the gears have major "slop".
It's about a 1/4- 1/2 turn to get the regulator to move.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Peter

Peter

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds like your gears are badly worn. There is nothing that can be done about that, that I know of. Yours is not a common problem.

Regards

Jim

[ptrsbtrs]

Verdammt! that figures...
One step forward....two steps back.
I'm doing the Porsche Polka....
Thx
Peter