Window Regulators

["Torbjorn (Toby) Bergstrom" <torbjorn@WPI.EDU>]

Hi All,

I just acquired a brand spanking new 1987 5ks auto with only 165k miles from
a fellow lister (nice to meet you Bob.)  Of course with the car came a
shopping list of parts and repairs needed among them both left side window
regulators.

Broken (cut?) cable in the front, and one of the "guide pins" (where the
cable enters the motor housing) was broken on the rear both of these pins
were missing in the front.

As the local salvage yard quoted me $85 each regulator and I'm a full time
grad student (doesn't pay well)  with an MS in mechanical engineering,
access to a well equipped machine shop, and have a little free time (since
it is summer and no one is around), I decided to make new "guide pins", and
fix it myself.  I just finished machining the pins and borrowed some
stainless steel cable from one of the labs so I'm now going to put them back
together and see if it works.

Here are the questions...

1. Is this the design for a large number of window regulators in audis?

2. Is this a common failure in regulators which end up being replaced?

3. If the answer to the above questions is yes do you think there is a
market for a rebuild kit for window regulators including new cable, cable
crimps, new pins, and maybe a new drum that the cable wraps around in the
motor housing?

If this seems like a good idea I'll take my drawing to a local  job shop and
have a couple hundred  pins made, buy a spool of cable, a case of crimps and
package them for all of you to enjoy on your Saturday afternoons.

Any replies on or off line would be appreciated.  I'll let you know how they
work when I'm done installing them this afternoon.

Torbjorn Bergstrom

'90 90
'87 5ks
'85 vw gti (for sale)
'88 pont. lemans  (for sale)

(that's all I can fit in the driveway)