The Window Butterfly

[TheBard]

Okay, so the car got hit on Monday, and today the driver's window went clunk, and then stayed down for the count. After a quick strip down and temporary repair (ducttape, if you can't duct it **** it!) I've discovered that the strange butterfly shaped clip that holds the window to the centre slider/lift mechanism is broken. I believe it is part #A100B6271S...

So, where is best and quickest to get one, and has anyone tried an alternative, and more sturdy solution?

Cheers,
Ian

[algirdas]

Dear Ian:

Fastest? Dave Bean. http://www.davebean.com/

But probably not the cheapest.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[Specky]

I guess You'll be on about This

TTFN

[TheBard]

Thats it!!! Thanks for the fast response.

PMs had them in stock, so two butterflys, and two centre slides for window regulator (Left and Right) are in a bag and on their way over!

For those in a similar boat, or when it happens again, the part numbers are:
Window Butterfly - A100B6271S
Centre Slide for Window Regulator (Left Door) - A100B6211S
Centre Slide for Window Regulator (Right Door) - A100B6210S

Cheers,
Ian

[TheBard]

So I'm hoping PMs used airmail, as the ducttape solution lasted until the drive home from work on Friday, when the window dropped oh so slowly, and an attempt to catch it left me with tiny chunks of white plastic from a much disgruntled centre slide.

So keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain too hard, because although I'll be keeping her tightly covered, I better encourage the paint shop to do the same...

With any luck I'll have parts when I get her back from the painters midweek.

Saga continues
Ian

[Mel_Boss]

I developed a similar problem this morning.

My driver's side window is down and stays down. The motor is working. I have read about the "orange clip" and I presumed that this would be the problem. I'll be remoing the door panel this afternoon I think to check out what exactly happened. Just prior to the "failure" the up and down windows operation made a slight scraping noise; so, I wasn't surprised when the window failed. Are there other components to be replaced while the patience is open?

Mel

[jabrown39]

Read some more about the "orange" clip. It is the part you will break trying to get to the part that is already broken.

First read the door strip down instructions atwww.charliex.net/door.htm.

Take a good look at the whole mechanism. Unclip the butterfly retainer and pop out the window to determine if it is a stuck window or faulty window regulator.

If it is the regulator you can try and repair it with "Dougs fix" write up.

Good luck and I hope it's a small fix. Dave Bean Enginering is a good place for parts.

Take a good look around. You'll be back sooner than you think so get extra "orange" clips.

Another option is to bring it down to the Palo Alto British car show on Sept 10th and get some free help.

Cheers,
Jim

[Mel_Boss]

Thanks everybody!

I downloaded some excellent instructions from Jade and from Charlie. Yesterday, I drove down to SiliconValley Auto Group's Parts and Service Depts and picked up a half-dozen of the orange doorlock-clips and a butterfly clip. Today, things come apart.

On my Elan, the motor runs in both directions, but something has come undone. When I attempt to elevate the window, the motor runs, and there is increasing pressure against the outer door-skin. I was not able to get the "plastic channel slider" that holds the window to the window lift channel, but I will phone DB if I need to get one. They have an excellent supply of parts for our cars, and they are good people to work with. Dave and Roberta have been great supporters of GGLC over many years!

If I need to get help from a Lotus dealer, it probably won't be SV Auto Group. In talking with their service managers, it became obvious that they don't have much experience with our cars (their showroom in LosGatos is amazing, though. Their Service/Parts are at another site of Camden). Boardwalk Motors is out of the question (jerks). BMC in SF has a good reputation and have been good to the GGLC...

[Ekapol]

Boardwalk Motors is out of the question (jerks).

[Mel_Boss]

Thanks to the good tech tips, I found it not too difficult to remove the door panel and even the orange doorlock clip w/o breaking it (figures - I bought four spares).

Things inside are fairly clean. Some compressed air and silicon spray cleaned-up things well. I'll be replacing the speaker while I'm in here; so, I'll be on to the right side before too long.

The window clip was the problem - broken. It is visible and fairly accessible via the center access panel. There's nothing in my service manual on this operation. Any tips on how to proceed from here - before I just start taking things apart?

ps. I expect to be at the ABCM in Palo Alto on the 10th - see you there.

Thanks.

[Mel_Boss]

Nevermind...

The butterfly clip was not very difficult to replace.
1. I used a short length of 1x3 oak inserted into the foreward access panel to hold up the unattached window glass. The old bf-clip was broken at the end that's shaped like an open-end wrench.
2. With the slide-mechanism in its lowest position, the bf-clip can be removed (via the center panel) by wiggling it a bit firmly dislodging it from the slide-mech.. Note that there are two index-pins (one above and one below the center-pin).
3. With the slider still in its lowest position, I had the most room to manuever the new bf-clip into a position where I was able to slip it into place. The steel door guard was in the way for much of the slider's travel.
4. I raised the slider just above the door guard by operating the window button. Watch your fingers! In this position, I was able to push the bf-clip further into the slider applying a bit of force (no tools - just fingers).
5. Removing the oak wedge, I lowered the window glass to the bf-clip. The hole in the glass mated with the center-pin on the slider. I pressed the slider-mech and bf-clip assembly firmly against the glass so that the pin protruded through the hole in the glass - enough so that I could slide the "other end" (this is the end that broke on the original clip) of the bf-clip over the pin to lock it.

I cleaned up the rails (not too gunky actually) and sprayed them liberally with silicon spray lubricant. The window runs up and down the rails well). Tomorrow, I'll get replacement speakers (the heat in a car is murder on speaker cone suspension)...

Thanks for pointers. I hope that my contribution is helpful to someone down-the-road.

Cheers!

[Doug]

Mel,

I've been in my door a bit so if you need other pointers let me know. You can adjust the upper limit of the window with the stops to make it seal the top if you need to.

[TheBard]

Whoops, sorry Mel, I missed this in the drugged up haze of having my wisdom teeth removed (why do at 18 what you can put off until you're 31 is my motto)...

Hope all is fixed, sounds like you were luckier than me, my entire center slider block had shattered, and it is a bit of a b^gger to replace.

As Doug said, you can adjust the raise height and pitch of the window from inside the door guts, and might also need to reset the top seals (fiddle with the star shaped screws on the hood frame will get you the vital mill of adjustment needed.)

Happy Elaning
Ian

[Mel_Boss]

THANKS. All has gone quite well! I had some excellent 4-inch 4ohm speakers that needed to be rebuilt with new suspension. That will take a couple of weeks, and I'm having 2-8" speakers rebuilt also; so, I'll replace the speakers behind the seat as well... I think that I'll make the screws along the bottom of the door panel external (so that I don't have to rip off the carpet material next time to get to them). Visible screws don't look bad to me! I worked on my '72 Elan today - needed an oil change and a toe-in adjustment. Then, I went out for a "spirited" drive!

[Ekapol]

Hi Mel,

Very nice meeting you last Sunday. Yes, I noticed your orange clip wasn't there on the driver side's lock.

Today my passenger side went 'clunk' and stayed there. Same deal I think, motor is working. Your write-up indeed will be very useful to me. Don't know if my butterfly is gone. It made scraping noise for few days too.

Plan to work on fixing stereo this coming weekend. Crossed that out, jotted down passenger window repair instead.

I promise not getting too close to your Elan again. Your bugs are strong

[Mel_Boss]

Good meeting you as well.

I don't recall if I mentioned it, but I was able to remove the orange clip w/o breaking it thanks entirely to the excellent writeup on this topic. Using two jewelers screwdrivers and exercising a bit of patience worked very well. Of course, I bought a bag of these clips nevertheless...

[Ekapol]

Drove down to SiliconValley Auto Group's Parts and Service Depts and picked up 2 butterfly clips, 2 plastic channel sliders on order, and some Lotus goodies.

The guys there asked if the clip is for the Elan's window. He remember the other people just bought them 2 weeks ago

[Mel_Boss]

They're not too expensive, but I'll be getting stuff of this sort from Dave Bean in the future. Bean has been a great supporter of the GGLC over many yrs, and they have a big inventory of M100 parts. You need to compare prices, however...

The fact that the service dept at SV was not familiar with these clips should tell us something abou their experience w/our cars.

[stevieg8571]

Hi guys,

I've just read this thread and wondered if the "pitch" of the window is the angle it leaves the door frame and engages with the the roof, or is it the angle it leaves the frame if looking square onto it?

"As Doug said, you can adjust the raise height and pitch of the window from inside the door guts, and might also need to reset the top seals (fiddle with the star shaped screws on the hood frame will get you the vital mill of adjustment needed.)"

The problem I have with my drivers door is that it needs to be raised about 1-2mm and appears to be higher at the front than the back so wondered if you can raise the back accordingly?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

[nitroman]

I want to thank all you guys for the excellent info in this thread... you make the job seem easy!

My butterfly-clip in the driver-door broke today with no warning... I had no problems with the window whatsoever. No noises, no slowness, nothing.

Anyway, will order these parts on Tuesday. So why order the LH-door or RH-door part if all that broke is the "loop under the window" on the butterfly-clip?

I've had both door-panels off before when I put in new speakers. I've never messed with the windows though.