Help - Installation/Adjustment of Door Windows, Regulators & Frames

[tom1394racing]

I spent the morning today attempting to install and adjust my newly anodized window frames and scratch free door glass on my '70E project. Man...I don't remember the job being this challenging when I did it on my RSR project. At any rate I need some help.

I tried to following the process that has been documented in a few other threads

1. Install the regulator in the door and make sure it operates freely
2. Slide the glass into the door and let it go to the bottom (gently as possible)
3. Install the outer fuzzy and inner squeegee seal
4. Move regulator up to half way position
5. Connect window rail to regulator and make sure it can slide back and forth and move up and down for the full range
6. Apply Sil-Glyde to window channel seals on frame
7. Install frame onto door ensuring that the glass slides freely in the channels
8. Fit and loosely tighten connecting pan head screws and hardware at front, rear and the one inside the door.

All this went as planned and I thought, "piece of cake" until I wound the window up and found it was cocked in the channel (See the first photo).

I knew from other threads that the angle of the window can be adjusted by loosening a nut at the back of the regulator and tilting the lift arm relative to the regulator. To get the angle correct, I measured the angle of the front edge of my window frame on my '73 RSR Clone and set the window on my '70E at that angle. I was not able to tilt the the window with frame installed so I had to remove the frame, set the angle to match my RSR and reinstall the frame. I loosely attached the pan head screws and rolled up the window. This time not cocked and nicely aligned. OK...Now I think I am pretty smart. However, when I roll down the window it pops off the regulator rail just below half way down. I investigate and find that on the way down, the window slid along the regulator rail to the end if it's travel (see second photo). It's as if the mount rail on the window needs to be moved more toward the center of the window.

I think there must be some way to set the tilt angle correct so that the window rolls up straight and square and stays on the rail for it's entire travel.

At this point I decided that I must be missing something and that it was time to stop and ask for help before I do damage to the glass or the frames or the paint.

Help please...What is the correct process for this?

[edmayo]

Did you have the glass out of the regulator channel at some point? there is a specific dimension from front of glass to the edge of the regulator channel. 82 mm or something like that,,,going from memory here. If the window channel isn't the right stuff it will leave too much fore/aft play when the window is in the frame, then it will cock, no matter what you do.

[Robert5995]

Exactly what I was thinking, Ed! Find the dimension from the front of the glass to the edge of the channel and these problems will go away.

- Rob

[tom1394racing]

Ed and Rob

Thanks for replying.

My first question was regarding the process and sequence of assembly. Is this the right way to do it? From your responses, I guess it is the correct way.

I also went back to my factory workshop manual to review the reassembly process (I probably should have started there). A couple of things I need to do differently on my next attempt. The factory manual says to say to tighten down on the frame in a specific sequence before trying to raise the window. It also says to leave the (4) regulator pan head screws loose until the window is properly adjusted and cranks freely and properly. I did this backwards in that I left the frame loose but had the regulator tight. Also, since I was not doing the final tightening of the the frame, I was not careful about using the correct length pan head screws so they may have screwed in too far and obstructed the window channel. Another warning from the workshop manual I should have been aware of.

I was wondering about the position of the rail on the window myself. I checked the position of (4) LHS and (4) RHS windows I have in my stash to see what they looked like. The distance from the rail to the lower back corner of the window averaged 1.34 in but varied +/- about 1/2 in window-to-window. The distance from the end of the rail to the front lower corner of the glass averaged 2.8 in with about the same variation. I will go back and check my windows to see if the rails are properly located.

Regarding the window channel rubber/felt seal. I am using the Intl Mercantile pieces. They seem to be very close to the factory originals I have in my other window channels in my stash. They seem to fit into the channel nicely. Let's see how I make out in my next attempt.

[tom1394racing]

Success today.

I followed the factory procedure and boy was it easier to install the frames with the regulator screws loose and the regulator adjustment nut also loose to allow the angle of the window to change as the frame was installed. I tried my window and found the same problem, it went up nicely with no cocking but came out of the rails half way down. So I tried a spare window from my stash where the rail was mounted about 1" from the back edge of the glass (much closer than mine). This one worked perfectly. So I removed the rail from my window and from the spare window and mounted the spare rail on my window about 1" from the back edge. Success. All worked like it should.

Looks like I have a similar problem with the rail on the other side only this time the rail is mounted too close to the back edge of the window. It appears to interfere with the frame during mounting and it is much further back that the windows in my stash. Next up I will remove and adjust the rail on that window and hope for the same success.

[blucille]

That's great news tom, and a great write-up. I've suffered thru this many times lately on a few cars, I'll try your method next time.

[tom1394racing]

I thought I was home free after successfully installing the passenger side glass as described above. However, on the driver's side, even using the factory procedure, I continued to have a gap at the top leading edge with the nice piece of scratch-free glass I had saved. So I tried a spare piece of scratched driver's side glass from my stash and it rolls up nicely with no problems when installed. Next I tried fitting the scratch-free glass to the frame off the car and found I still had the gap (see photos). It seems like the profile on the glass does not match the profile of the door frame. I tried the same off the car fitting with several different pieces of scratched glass from my stash and found they all fit properly just like the scratched piece that rolled up perfectly when installed in the door on the car. I then compared the profiles of the good and bad glass by laying one on top of the other (see photo) and found that my nice scratch-free glass upper profile does not match the profiles on the other pieces.

I am concluding that I need a different piece of scratch free glass for my drivers side window as there is something wrong with the profile on the one I saved.

Any insight would be appreciated.

[edmayo]

No explanation Tom, never run into that, can't think of any reason for coupe glass to ever change. Are they both Sekurit?

[304065]

Tom, maybe put a scratch in the good window?

I'm kidding of course. But where I'm going with it is, most windows in 2017 are scratched. . . could the glass have been replaced?

[tom1394racing]

Guys...The offending window is marked Sekurit D-89 just like all the others that seem to fit properly.

I am stumped at this point. I may have to bite the bullet and buy a new clear piece from Porsche.