The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts WARNING! do not do this

well I got the window regulators out from my 1937GMC COE, it came with two, one for each window, they were stuck and I tried all the normal stuff, wd-40, koloil ,bp blaster, I let them soak for days , still were stuck so I had some gas tank rust remover that was left over from a build years ago, that was used, so I put both of them in a bucket with the stainless steel tongues above the cleaning line, just so I could reach them and pull them out in a few hours, well I forgot about them over night and when I got in the shop this morning I remembered that they were in there and I ran to the bucket.... no stainless steel tongues in site! I emptied the bucket and both on the tongues were gone! but the bodys were still not harmed. I thought I lost both of them, the bodys too, made me kind of sick, but at least I have the bodys, now I am in need of two tongues . I just wanted to let anybody that wants to free up old window regulators DONT USE RUST REMOVER! it eats stainless steel and they are still stuck. just another day in working on old iron.

If these are like my 46 drill out the rivets. Inside there is a spring. It could be rusted to the enclosure but more likely its broken. I was able to rebend the broken ends and they work fine now. I have some pictures in myphoto bucket.

Thanks for the heads up...I often wonder/worry what may be the result when testing new concoctions for rust/paint removal.

Benny, you sure the tongues were stainless steel and not aluminum?

Somebody correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe there is any substance that will eat stainless and yet not hurt carbon steel.

Hot Rod John, I didn't think that I would burn up those tongues , I thought the bodys would be gone, I am sure that they are stainless because they didn't have rust on them and they are a very thin strip that has to bend and roll to roll out the front windshields.

GWWirth, I looked in your pictures and didn't see anything except for the regulator in one picture you have of it, these don't have any springs in them, they just roll in and out to open the front windshield. nice truck by the way!

John, depends on the particular alloy and the liquid they're in, galvanic corrosion of SS is possible [#4]

Bill

Well aware of galvanic Bill. That's a result of dissimilar metals being in contact over a long period of time. In the case Benny discussed above good parts completely dissolved into nothing in about a 12 hour period!

Salt water also attacks 300 series stainless steel, but I don't think that's applicable here either.

galvanic corrosion results from the electrolyte, and in this case, with the 2 metals actually attached, obviously didn't require much time

Bill

I'm curious what type and strength of Acid was in the rust remover...
My bet is it says "muriatic" somewhere on the label.

CASO, it was a gas tank cleaner/sealer kit that I bought for a motorcycle tank I had that needed the surface rust removed, so I could coat it with sealer, all came in a kit to do this.

Hey Brother Benny, is the body of the regulator pot metal like our '36's or is it cast steel? Didn't you find new GM tongues once?

Rick, my brother, I don't think its pot metal , maybe aluminum. I think if it was pot metal it would be gone. and no the tongue that I found was a used one, not NOS. tomorrow I will drill out a rivet and take the rest of the regulator apart. then the search will begin for two tongues. anybody have any ?

Thanks. Do you have pictures of the regulators you are working on? I don,t know what you have. My windshield has a center crank with a stainless tape that pushes out the window. Two hinges at the top. I thought you were describing the side cab window regulators. Mine have springs in them.

GWWirth, I have the same regulator you have except that I have a right and left, the stainless tape is what disappeared when I dipped them, my 37GMC COE has two front windshields that use one regulator per side. now the hunt begins for the stainless tape.

Turns out I have an extra SS tape. I put a photo in photobucket. Let me know if you would like it.

yes please!

I just reread your post. Do you need two SS tapes? I only sent you the loose one. I could send you the other complete assembly.

Thank you GWWirth , I have a 37 parts truck in the back and it has one regulator still in it, I hope that it has a good tape in it, if not I should be able to find another, thank you for your help! Dan

As far as getting them free, I'd use heat. Start out light and work up to red hot. The less you stretch them the better, but that should free up the mechanism... Heat them up, then cool with a wet towel immediately. Works for just about anything metal that is stuck..

Almost any type of stainless steel will outlast any mild steel in a corrosive environment. The metal piece was not stainless steel.
1937? The cost of stainless back then would be highly prohibitive in its use on some truck part. It could have been some tin or Al or ? Not stainless. If it was a tape? Then likely a softer wear strip or something like that and makes it more of a soft metal like a tin solder or what ever.

I thought it was stainless as well. The tongue was cut off on the 38's regulator so found one on a 37. I just kept soaking them with penetrating oil. Broke the assembly from the 37 trying to take it apart incorrectly. The one from the 38 finally freed up after soaking and playing with it on and off for several weeks when i walked by it.

Has anybody put a magnet to the tape? 316 SS will not be magnetic, but some of the other 300 series will be slightly magnetic. I'm not at home or I would check it now.

Is it possible that the "other" oils like kroil or PB blaster, WD-40 that was on the regulator could have some chemical reaction when I put the regulator in the rust remover? I didn't rinse the regulator before I put it in the bucket, yesterday I looked in the bucket and I did find pieces of the tongue in the bottom of the bucket muck and it didn't eat up the tongue but the tongues were into many pieces. the tongues were not broke at all before I put them into the bucket. so it would make me think that there was some sort of chemical reaction to the tongues. maybe because of the slightly bent in the tongue and that they were still "rolled up" in the regulator. like tension?

I will stick a magnet to whats left of the tongue today when I get to the shop.

The magnet sticks to the tongues, I got another tongue and it too is magnetic .

being magnetic doesn't mean a steel is not "stainless", it's an indicator of different types [400 series, not 300], or cold worked, I'd expect those tapes are subject to a high polishing process after cold rolling

I took a load of non-ferrous to the scrapper yesterday and using his strong magnet found some of the thin 'stainless' was magnetic, but he didn't throw it in the ferrous pile, there was a separate bin for martensitic stainless

which info doesn't bring back your dissolved tapes of course

Bill

Hey guys, this thread has motivated me to seriously consider making new parts for the regualtors. I have 2 trucks that need them fixed and I am sure there are more of you out there that could use new parts for yours.
I have looked to see if any are available and have not found much.

What would you guys think the number of buyers would be for a rebuild kit? I am thinking to begin with the two gears and I am also looking at making the tape/tongue.

What ballpark would someone be willing to pay?

I should probably put this in the general forum, but this thread is what got me to dig the one out of my tool box.

Thanks,
Jason

If you put it in general it will probably get zapped if he thinks you're trying to sell parts.

Macgyver, Jim Carter used to offer regulator rebuilding, if I remember correctly he required the tapes to be intact. You might want to check his website for pricing and required condition. If you can offer something such as new tongues in your service you may have a good idea.

I hope to be able to make the tape or tongue new, trying to figure out what the material is exactly right now. I will have to look and see if Jim Carters still rebuilds them. I did see that Bow Tie Bits in Wichita KS offers the rebuild, makes me wonder what they are doing for parts. I may have to call and ask.
I have 2 right now I need to fix, so at the $175 each to rebuild, I can spend some time on it.

I would think that the tongues would be the part that lots of people would need if you were to make anything.. they are just about always broke or in my case dissolved .

I guess my next question is are they all the same? The one I have out of the '40 is 12" long and 1.5" wide. I have not pulled out the one out of the '37 to check it.
I also found that the Dodge Poweragon uses a very similar mechanism, I bet the tongue is the same on it from pictures I saw.

there are differences , some have the square holes closer to the end and others are farther apart.