Window Regulator Replacement 4000 series

[afinney@tamsconsultants.com]

Well, I did it. I replaced the cable in my window regulator for
$10 and saved $400. My UrQ window would only go up, not
down after a lound twang noise. I knew that the cable had
broken. Not wanting to spend $400 to replace the
motor/cable assembly I bought 2 Shimano Deraileur cables
and one $0.99 package of 1/16 inch double barreled wire
crimps. Here goes the procedure. Remove the door panel.
Remove the window regulator. 3-10mm bolts at the top, one
at the bottom. Remove the motor, 3-10mm bolts which is
attached approximately where the hand crank on a manual
window would be. Remove the window glass. 2-10mm bolts.
Window will need to be below it's midpoint of travel to see
them. Otherwise it's a PITA. Remove the wire to the motor.
Don't cut it, there's a connection just inside the left side of
the car, under the driver's side lower dash panel. Who knows
where it is on the other side of the car and I don't want to find
out. The wire comes through the rubber boot between the
door and the car body and connects just inside. Remove
here and pull the wire out through the boot. 

Remove the 6 or so screws that hold the front cover to the
motor assembly. It's the round part of the window motor, not
the rectangular part. Be carefull. The wire inside will want to
unwind. Draw yourself a picture of how the two cables enter
the assembly. You'll need to put them back the right way.
Note where all the parts come from as you remove the spool
of cable inside. Cut the wires where you need to, to remove
them from the track assembly. To remove the wire and
window runner drill out the rivet that holds the plastic pulley
wheel. Now slide the runner off the track. Remove the little
black clip (note the position) and you'll be able to take the
wire completely off the runner. Make sure you don't throw
away the dead wire, you'll need to measure exactly where
that little crimpy thing is in relation to the wire ends. Now
comes the fun part.

The shimano cables come with a little crimped thing on the
end. Measure the distance on the old cable between the end
crimp and the mid length crimp, the one on the runner. Mark
off the same distance on the new cable. Do this for both
cables. What you're going to do is replace one cable with
two. Now, this is where I made a mistake the first time.
Thread the new cable through the funny plastic pieces at the
end near the motor assembly, thread it through the cable
housing, thru the black metal clips at either end of the
window slider assembly (forgot those) and get ready to
crimp. First you will need a replacement for the drilled rivet
on the pulley wheel. Use a fat, short bolt and washers. You
must FILE the bolt head, or what ever side of the bolt that is
facing the pulley wheel. File it level or even below the edge of
the aluminum window track. Remember, shorter is better
here. Believe me, otherwise the window won't go all the way
up because it will hit the bolt head and jam. Now take the
cables and thread them through the 1/16 inch crimp thingey
you bought. Thread them through the same hole from
opposite directions. Make sure you line up the crimp with the
length marks you made earlier. There will be a lot of extra
cable on either side. Now bend each cable back through the
other barrel of the crimpey thing. Pull the cables through as
tight as you can. Now crimp the crimpey thing with a
hammer or pliers. Remember to get it to be somewhat
square in shape because it has to fit into the slot in the back
of the window runner. Now stuff the whole crimped mess into
the little slot and replace the black metal clip remembering of
course how it came off. 

Now comes the pain and despair. Remembering which cable
came from which side of the plastic cable wheel in the motor
housing, put the cable into the slot on the back side of the
plastic wheel and start winding the cable up. You'll see that
as you have it taught the spring on the cable housing helps
to keep the cable taught. Now wind up all the slack. With
one hand compress the spring, with the other slip the wheel
back onto the drive hub, making sure not to tear and mangle
the funny rubber cushions. You're 50% done. Now wind up
the slack on the other cable as much as you can. Get an
assistant, I didn't have one. The object is to get the cable as
taught as possible. With one hand using pliers pull the
remaining cable while compressing one or both of the
springs. Now with a third hand crimp vicegrips on the cable
just as it comes into the housing to hold it taught. Now
quickly, before the vicegrips slip, wind up the remaining cable
and push the crimp into the slot on the top of the plastic
wheel. Ta dah. You're mostly done. Now put it together with
lots of grease and test the thing by connecting only the
power to the motor and running the window. 

Executive summary. 

Major PITA job. Almost not worth the money if you make a
mistake or two and have to repeat the steps. Attempt only if
you are mechanically minded. Have fun.

Andrew Finney
1983 UrQ.