Window Butterfly Replacement

[Elanlover]

Hi folks, just curious what our current status is with regard to the infamous plastic butterfly that secures the window to the motor. As we all know, the clip that bends under the window and slides into place to lock the glass into place is prone to breaking. The butterfly itself doesn't break, just the clip (usually). Has anyone sourced a piece that replaces the clip only? I have looked at circlips/snap rings but the problem I've run into is that, while you can find one with the correct inner diameter, the outer diameter isn't big enough and the glass isn't held securely. Anyone find a better solution?

This part is small enough to be scanned and 3D printed of course thereby creating an endless supply but the issue would be choosing the correct material which is at least as strong as the current piece but flexible enough to bend under the window.

[Fredjohn]

Keep up at the back there!!!

Wayne has already 3D'd them and they are available from his website: M100 shop

[Elanlover]

Keep up at the back there!!!

Wayne has already 3D'd them and they are available from his website: M100 shop

Ah yes, but they still break! I had thought I read that someone decided to use some form of retaining clip (and keep the main butterfly in place) to do the job that the clip part does. I am getting older though so.......

[M100TURBOFR]

SHAPEWAYS also does them. However, don't know how strong they are. Does anyone know?
David

[HJ2]

In Nylon... not strong enough.

[Brit-Car-Nut]

They are originally done in a form of acetal. Anything else will not run smoothly in the channel.

The "clip" portion can be grabbed from Toby's drawings and they can probably be printed in nylon, but at £10.00 each from Wayne for the entire butterfly, just buy a couple as spares.

http://elanm100.com/web-shop

[Giniw]

In Nylon... not strong enough.

They might be made thicker then?

[HJ2]

No, there is an error in the model
If the model is perfected (exact copy of the original) then a printend Nylon part will work fine
Mu 2 cents anyway

[Giniw]

Ah, OK!

[Elanlover]

I'm wondering if an alternative is possible. What breaks on the butterfly is the "C" clip end. It should be possible to scan that section, do a little CAD work on it and come up with a C clip section with perhaps a tab on it for easy removal. That would remove the need to replace the entire butterfly. When the C clip section breaks, just slide a new one on. Thoughts?

[wayne]

Keep up at the back there!!!

Wayne has already 3D'd them and they are available from his website: M100 shop

They may still break! I had thought I read that someone decided to use some form of retaining clip (and keep the main butterfly in place) to do the job that the clip part does. I am getting older though so.......

Elanlover, a few years ago, Kelvedon used to offer a clip to repair a broken butterfly clip. They used to recomend keeping the old butterfly and they had a clip to replace the broken part, you could try contacting them to see what they used. They now seem to be recomending the clip that i had remade. These are injection moulded parts and not 3D printed. https://kelvedonlotus.co.uk/product/but ... regulator/

Being plastic, they may still break, not sure how many years the oem clips lasted before they broke. I've owned my car since 2002 and in the Middle East where temps are over 40c for months at a time, I've only had 1 failure of an oem clip on my car and saw 1 fail on my donor car. Maybe they fail more often in extreme cold instead of extreme heat?
Plastic parts here normally fail early.

[chrisP]

I have made a copy of the clip in aluminium sheet for my passenger side window, every so often it would spring the plastic clip from the spigot.
It has been on for the last couple of years without a problem. just took a fret saw and a file to make.

Chris

[Elanlover]

Had a bunch of these made up (the black thing on the left). Windows are out for tinting so when I get them back and installed we'll see how they work.

WP_20190823_14_47_48_Pro (002).jpg

[dapinky]

Before I got proper replacement butterflies, i used a suitable penny washer and a circlip to hold it on - it lasted for 4 years and was still working fine when i fitted the butterfly - after all, it is 'only' to hold the window onto the plastic bit....

[Giniw]

I replaced the one I broke with one carved out of a ... a ... err ... une planche à découper en plastique. What do you called it in English?! ................... out of a plastic chopping board (apparently ^^)