Window Regulator Repair or Replacement
By Brian Mason

Does it take a bodybuilder to roll down your window? Is your window regulator stripped? I've seen this so many times. If you have the ‘68 dual point window regulator they can be pricey to replace, so why not rebuild them? (Note: This does work for single point regulators too).

Cleaning and Replacing Your Regulator:

Remove the window crank handle, door handle, armrest, door panel, door handle plastic, and the window glass. (Note: The window should just pull out of the sash.) Take out the regulator by removing the 10mm bolts. When you get the regulator out remove the window sash. (Note: Get new sash rubbers anytime you remove the window glass.)

Now lets start with cleaning and lubing up the regulator. First you have to get the snake out. The ends that bolt to the sash unscrew from the snake. (Note: You might have to bend the channel to get them out.) After that roll the regulator up or down to get the ends of the snake exposed then unscrew the sash brackets. (Note: Be careful with the sash brackets, as they break very easy.) Then roll the window up or down to disengage the snake from the regulator gear and pull out the snake. Soak the snake in solvent use a wire brush and compressed air to clean the snake.

(Note: Wear safety glasses any time you use compressed air.) Clean the channel by means of q-tips and WD40. Clean up the gear by spraying WD40 in where the channel meets the gear housing while turning the gear. If the gear is froze up use PB Blaster.  Now that you have everything clean it's time to lube it up. Start by lubing up the snake with a lot of grease then grease the channel with Q-Tips.

Now slide the snake back in the channel and turn the gear so the snake re-engages with the gear. Then screws the sash brackets back in and reattach the sash. Put the regulator back in, attach the glass, and reinstall the door panel and handles. Roll that baby up and down, nice isn’t it?

Repairing Your Stripped Regulator:

If your regulator is stripped out this is the section your looking for. (Note: This is for dual point regulators, single point regulators are so cheap that it's not worth the work to rebuild them.) To repair a stripped regulator is simple.

Take the regulator apart as said above. First get a good single point regulator new or from a junkyard. The gear housing has four rivets drill these out. Pull apart the gear housing and take out the gear. Now replace the bad gear with the good one and replace the rivets with bolts.

Done, simple right? (Note: While the gear housing is apart it's a good time to clean and lube the gear itself.)

Hope this article was helpful,

Brian Mason AKA "68"