‘61 window motor removal

[David Greenburg]

I need to pull out the pass. side front door window motor to clean and grease it, and the shop manual makes it sound like the entire vent window assembly needs to be removed in order to get the main window regulator out.  I’m hoping someone who has been down this road can confirm whether this is necessary.  It’s been a bunch of years since the last time I did this, on a ‘59, but IIRC, at least on those cars, you just get the glass out, and then you can drop the regulator assembly.

[quadfins]

It has been a long time, but I know that I have removed front window glass, and don't recall having to remove the vent frame in order to do it.

Jim

[David Greenburg]

I get to answer my own question. Jim, your recollection is correct; the glass comes out easily without messing with the vent window assembly. But once I got the glass out it became clear that in order to get the regulator and motor out, the vent assembly has to come out, or at least raised up so the motor can clear the division channel.

[quadfins]

I wonder if there is more room, and clearance, in the longer door of a coupe, compared with a Fleetwood.

Jim

[David Greenburg]

Possibly.  Also, ‘59 doors are more “bulbous,” so my past experience may not be relevant.  Not a huge deal to remove the vent assembly; I’m most concerned about getting everything adjusted just right when back together.

[mrcadillac]

i need to remove the passenger door window motor on my 61 Eldo as it keeps sticking, was it fairly straight forward once you got into it

[russ austin]

Leave everything in place. Find where the bolts to the motor are, and cut holes so you can remove them through the door inside skin.  The regulator spring keeps the window in place.  Remove the 3 bolts and wiggle the motor out.

Done this job several times.

[David Greenburg]

Russ’s suggestion is certainly simpler, and it sounds likes he’s had a lot of experience dong this.  But I had a Very Bad Experience involving stitches and surgery to fix nerve damage a number of years ago working on another brand of luxury car and simply unbolting the motor, causing the spring to unload and the arms to snap shut on my thumb.

The process set out in the shop manual is a bit time consuming, but is pretty straightforward.  I had to wait on a piece of weatherstrip, but am now in the process of closing things up.

[dgll411]

Every window motor I have changed has been the way Russ described. The window has never moved. Can someone explain the danger of the spring tension?

[David Greenburg]

If you are able to remove the motor leaving the window and mechanism in place, there is apparently sufficient resistance on the spring. But if you remove the regulator assembly, and then remove the motor, as described in the FSM, the load is off the spring, and the arms of the regulator will snap together and slice anything in their way, like fingers.