The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors Regulator Works

I am replacing the window run channels and rollers in my 1950 3100. The regulators crank mechanisms seems to work properly and they are smooth when bench tested.
Is there a way to clean and lube the crank portion without breaking it open? Or should I crack it open for a visual inspection regardless?

Jackie

The best way is not crack it because it is riveted. I drilled a small hole in mine and added a few drops of machine oil. Downside is it now is so smooth it rolls itself down! If you do want to open it and check it just use small machine screws instead of rivets. To be honest there is not much in it, pinion on the shaft, a small spring and a washer I think.

JackieC and Brad: I gambled on putting my original regulators (after I cleaned them up) back into the doors of my 48. Found the driver's side window would roll down by itself. I ordered 18-773 Regulator Repair Kit from Classic Parts and after drilling out the rivets from my regulator found their part was mismachine and would not fit into my regulator housing. While apart tho I found the reason for the window rolling down by itself: there was a small coil tension spring inside that was broke, part 18-781 ($3.95). I ended up putting one of those in both regulators: cleaned them up internally, installed the new tension springs, packed them w grease and bolted them back together w machine screws and nylocs. Brad is correct....there's not much in there. Hope this helps. Good luck. Dave
Machine screws and nylocs 47-54 Window Regulator Spring 18-781

I drilled out the rivets in each regulator, cleaned everything up and inspected for wear.
There is a bit of wear on the shaft where the internal spring contacts it not bad though. The internal spring is intact and looks to be in very good condition. Packed it with white grease and bolted the assemblies back together. They work very well on the bench! Only issue now is a little bit of "creaking" when winding the crank, feels like the external spring is causing it. Its not loud and may be normal?

Jackie

JC: sounds like you passed Regulator Rebuilding 101 with flying colors! It's always nice to know up front before you install a component that it's good to go....that you'll probably not have to remove it again because you took a chance and didn't check it out thoroughly the first time (like I did! Oooops!). My crank widow regulators "creaked" on the bench a little and I even generously greased that external wound coil spring. They "creak" a little on the truck too: I consider that noise to be part of the truck's personallity and character and part of the "cool" factor; especially when someone gets in the truck and comments how "I've never seen a truck without power windows before!" and then for the first time in their life gets to "crank" the window down and up.....several times. Tells me how spoiled we've all become, or how it doesn't take much to make some people happy....