advise needed removal of door glass

[tomac1975]

Hi,

I have started to strip my door to swap parts to a new door as the hinge has rusted free causing the door to drop. I'm having trouble removing the glass. should i have wound the windoq down before taking the door off or am i just overlooking something?
I can see the window bobbins but cannot see how to remove them a.

car door.jpg

Cheers,

Tom

[RayD]

You have probably seen this Tom ....

[tomac1975]

Yeah I've seen that one but having trouble uncoupling it, it's the 2 window bobbins that you need to take off are getting me, because I can see them but I can't work out how to get them off

I'll see if I can put a photo up

[kenich]

2 Bobbins. As in the egg cup style stops? Think there screwed in right through the middle with a Pozi 2 headed bolt. You would need the glass lowered to really get to them. unless you have a small right angled attachment for your ratchet? Even still might be a nightmare to try!

[tomac1975]

Yeah they are the ones! Looks like I'll have to connect the electrics and lower the window a bit then.
Probably not the best time to do such a job:( oh well let's hope I can get every thing switched by Monday, it's too cold for a cycle to work

[tomac1975]

bobbin.jpg

This one.

[tomac1975]

clip.jpg

presumably you just pull this apart??

[dapinky]

If it's the bobbins that are a bit difficult to get to, then you will notice a couple of holes in the door half way up - usually filled with a rubber grommet - with the window in the right place, they allow a normal screwdriver to get to the bobbin screw

To get the glass out, it is far easier if you remove the rubber strips first (self tapping screws and pop rivets), as they will need to come off anyway to swap them over (unless they're already on the other door), but with them in situ, its a bugger to get the glass into the runners - with them out, it's a piece of proverbial - take it from a man who spent ages trying to do it without, then had an epiphany

I had to completely strip the donor door to spray it, then use all the bits off the old one - I'm sure i could save hours on the job by doing it in a different order another time - but it is fairly straightforward - and don't believe anyone who tells you the motor HAS to be fitted before the glass - it can go in afterwards - just a little fidly, but overall, the easiest way (IMHO).

[Specky]

Hi,

I have started to strip my door to swap parts to a new door as the hinge has rusted free causing the door to drop. I'm having trouble removing the glass. should i have wound the windoq down before taking the door off or am i just overlooking something?
I can see the window bobbins but cannot see how to remove them a.

car door.jpg

Cheers,

Tom

I'm not sure if anyone has answered your question per say.

Firstly I agree with DaPinky, That's the method that works for me.

My top tips.... when working on the door windows...

Have electric power available, be it from the car.... or if working in a workshop have an external battery available.

Drop the window down so you can easily remove the butterfly plastic C-clip, chances are the loop will have broken, so ideal to grab with a pair of pliers.

remove the butterfly, now you can manipulate the window eleclectrically up and down, this will allow you to remove the window off the butterfly stud.

Manually pull the window fully up

Remove the motor

This will now give you loads of access to the bobins and the removal of the window as DaPinky says.

TTFN

[tomac1975]

Thanks pinky and specky have now got the window out ok.
I did need to power it down, being able to see the bits made it easy, luckily the plastic clip stayed in one piece.

now for the locks these look harder any advise on these please.

Then the task of putting it all back together. hopefully before tomorrow.

[dapinky]

When you say locks, do you mean the power locking bit, the actual lock mechanism or the keyhole bit????

Not that it really matters, they are all straightforwrd, if a little fiddly.......

Mostly held in with small torqs (SP?) bits - i think they are T40, but could be wrong - with a couple of phillips screws every so often (notably on the plastic exterior door catch - the bit hidden in the recess with the door closed, that you get to with your fingers to undo the door from outside).

The key barrel is held with a simple 'U' spring clip.

All of the bits come out really easily, and in a logical order. Assuming that you've got this far, and the window motor is out, then it is really just a case of ensuring all the Central locking wires are unplugged, and undoing whichever bit you get to first (I started at the rear end and worked forward, into the recesses of darkness).

It may be worth taking a couple of photos of which way the operating bars/rods run inside the door, although they will only go in one way, it may help to orientate them in front/behind other bits when reassembling. Not all of them need to be removed, just enough to free the unit that is coming out.

I also assume that you have undone the wiring inside the car???? There is a multipin plug (or maybe two) inside the footwell, tucked up behind the dashboard/A pillar and cable tied to the frame - undoing them means the door can come off as a total assembly.

[Specky]

What DaPinky said...Edit

It's not that bad...

Take a few pictures as you go for the rebuild.

It's more a case of popping the elbows on the control rods

The door lock allen key bolts are sometimes quite tight

It's a bit of a bugger to get it in and out, it quite heavy for it's size.

but there are no real issues

TTFN

[tomac1975]

lock.jpg

Thanks it came out ok, just wondering what these wires a

lock.jpg

re? they weren't connected but not sure if they need to be?

[Specky]

I'm not in my normal part of the world, so I haven't got access to my stripped doors, but IIRC the first generation of Elans were going to have remote central locking. so the loom is fitted.

If no one can give you an answer, I can give you an answer next week.

TTFN

[tomac1975]

Thanks Specky and Pinky for advise, one new (ish) door fitted with working window.
just door card to refit and spray job for the rest of the car to match the excellent job on the new door.