Installing replacement Window regulator - My experience !

[Matt Barnes]

Afternoon all !... so today I tried dodging the showers in order to fit a replacement driver window regulator... all good but made a couple of cock ups on the way which cost me a bit of time.... and I also fitted my patent pending metal putty repair door handle !

Standard fare in removing trim...... when removing the glass, I DIDN'T follow one bloke on youtube who suggested you just pop the clips on the runners and lift it out. I listened to someone else who removed the quarter light first and then SLID the glass off the runners... SOSO much easier..... then closed the scissors to ease it out of the aperture....

I knew that one of the door studs had broken off, and the bolt hole of the regulator had sheered off, which was a bit of a pain ! Evidently that one fails a lot, as when the window reaches the top, the regulator actually pushes down on that bracket

the Stud actually has a square recess and it looks like it's almost riveted into the bracket rather than welded.

so it was out with my new best friend METAL PUTTY. which I used for the door handle repair...slid the stud back into the square groove and basically covered the whole thing with metal putty, and let it set for an hour... it actually does go rock hard.

I know it seems obvious but.... I found when putting in the window slider clips...turn them 90 degrees and it makes it SO much easier to clip them in...then just turn them back round afterwards

So the replacement regulator went in.... up and down as smooth as silk.... and the putty laden stud held up

I might need to get new door seals because as soon as I put everything back, the glass was dragging on the seals and I could hear the motor struggling to overcome it... managed to widen the seals with a wide blade screwdriver to ease the drag but it's still not perfect.

I managed to cock up a little by fitting the quarterlight before the glass.... idiot !!.... so after faffing with that, I took it back out again so I could get the window in and SLIDE it back into the plastic runners.... then fitted the quarter light AGAIN... then fettled with the door card......but we're there ...all done...I'll let you know how the handle holds up !

 

[t-tony]

Apply some silicone spray to the rubber slide channels, it makes such a difference. This tightness, in part, is what snaps that stud off the door. I repaired that particular fault on a Z by using a 6mm bolt slipped into the original hole and fixed with a nut and washer. I just added plain nuts up to the length of the spacer on the original stud. Then a nylon nut on after the regulator lug. I doubt that putty repair will last long.

Tony.

ps. If I were at home I would make a mock up to show you what I mean.

 

[Matt Barnes]

Apply some silicone spray to the rubber slide channels, it makes such a difference. This tightness, in part, is what snaps that stud off the door. I repaired that particular fault on a Z by using a 6mm bolt slipped into the original hole and fixed with a nut and washer. I just added plain nuts up to the length of the spacer on the original stud. Then a nylon nut on after the regulator lug. I doubt that putty repair will last long.

Tony.

ps. If I were at home I would make a mock up to show you what I mean.

cheers Tony..I have seen someone knock up that bracket on youtube, but would be interested in your solution.. ..I squirted lithium grease down the quarter light pillar, but it seems to be pinching more near the door lock...

 

[t-tony]

cheers Tony..I have seen someone knock up that bracket on youtube, but would be interested in your solution.. ..I squirted lithium grease down the quarter light pillar, but it seems to be pinching more near the door lock...

Happy to, but it will be quite a while till we're home Matt.

 

[Matt Barnes]

update on my "quick" window regulator bracket fix using Metal Putty...... @t-tony your prediction came true... after a week it snapped off !.....

so I decided to make up a bracket from an old shelf bracket

so now it's solid..... and hopefully no more snapping regulator mounts !!

 

[Oddly Godly]

Glad it's sorted. As you must now be an expert on refitting the door card how easy was it. I've heard it can be a bit of a pig to get back in place

 

[Digitalize]

Door cards are fairly simple on Z3s to be honest.

looks a nice fix!

 

[Matt Barnes]

Glad it's sorted. As you must now be an expert on refitting the door card how easy was it. I've heard it can be a bit of a pig to get back in place

I found clipping the inner window seal on the door card BEFORE fitting it to the door far easier than trying to hook the card onto the seal...

 

[dtwus99]

I got the same issue on my Z3's driver's door
Therefore was wondering if you could provide the dimensions of the bracket, the distances between the holes in particular. Would like to make the bracket in advance before I take the whole door apart and go from there. Thank you.

 

[Firelizard]

Great article!

Some additional tips which I found useful when reinstalling and fixing my door cards:

1. The door card backing material is made from compressed cardboard/cat litter and wasn't really designed to last 30 years! I found that soaking a few key stressed areas in superglue (such as around the handle fixing screw surround), should make it last a few more years. I guess cellulose wood hardener might also work, but I haven't tried it.

2. The top of the door card when inserted into the door channel tended to delaminate along the leading edge and the folded-over damaged board prevented the card from being fully inserted. I sanded the edge to a slightly rounded edge profile to aid insertion and I ran some superglue along it to reinforce it.

3. When inserting the door card into the door channel, bend the insertion edge of the top of the door card slightly upwards. This makes insertion so much easier. Also put the window down to do this. Insert the card over the locking button first and then insert the front speaker surround.

4. Any holes in the door weather membrane can be repaired using 1mm 'eva foam sheet' and impact adhesive.

5. Use a heat gun on low setting when removing and replacing the butyl adhesive for the door weather membrane. Place new butyl strip in the freezer to make cutting it lengthways easier.

A screenshot of the lower door card to door frame clips available online (in the UK) is below for reference