[BDD]

I have to re-install the drivers door window regulator and cable of my 1972 Opel GT. Could someone try to do a step by step guide to properly install this?
I'm wondering:
1) if the "winder drum" has to be in a certain position and the cables wound on it in a certain way when the window is all the way down. The point where the cables are fixed to the drum might be a good reference point.
2)The gears on the original regulator seem to slip when too much cranking pressure is applied. I guess the distance between gear and drum sprocket centers is not adjustable to fix this. I have a replacement regulator and will install that if necessary. The other one's "cleaner" but slips, the cables are also somewhat chewed up by the p.o.
3) Should the window be down when re-installing?
4) If the window is down, how much of the "top" cable wound onto the drum? Does it matter?
5) I assume that as the drum is rotated, one end of the cable wind further onto the drum and the other cable end is "payed out".
6) How do you get the wound regulator mounted into the door and keep the cable wound tightly? As soon as the cables are moved at all I find that they just unwind and become all fouled up.
7) When looking down from above at the installed regulator is the cable towards the "outside" side of the drum going to the top pulley at the window and the "inside" (towards the inside of the car) wound cable going to the bottom pulley? I assume that with the window down, this part of the cable is fully wound onto the drum. Correct?
8) I looked at the 1973 repair manual and it is less than useless in regulator installation. About one sentence and a very blurry photo.
9) I don't see how forcing the cable into the two "lugs" keeps things aligned. When moved the cables just come unwound.

Any help would be appreciated by many. I've read the threads but don't find clear answers to these things.

Thanks.

 

[pvcar]

well yes the manuals i looked at are mostly useless when it comes to this, first off save yourself some trouble by removing the glass altpghter and just installing the mechanicals first the window is a sinch to put in one the mechanicals are in and working, the other thing is if those cabels are frayed they are bond to snap no matter how gently you role the window up and down and once u install this u wont want to have to do it again because u used the one with the frayed cabels, this happened to me, i can never rember which wire goes on which side but i have figured it out three or four time now jus by trail and error and loking at the way the passenger side is wound roundu bassicly want an even amount of cable on the roller at one time so when ur putting it in try and have each cable i think its something like 2 times around the drum just guessing off the top of my head, also anthor thing once u install it and put the window in make sure u adjust the window itself so when it seets at the top when u close it that u dont have to force it in that last half inch or so this will also lead to premature failure of the cabels, im sure someone can give u a more specific installation procedure, or jus do a search for window regulators, or such.

 

[Jim Branham]

window regulator

I posted a couple pics to show which side of the winder goes where. I just checked mine and I unwound the cable so that it was not connected at all to the winder and the pulleys or the window itself. I had the point where the cable attaches to the winder completely unwound and the cable pointing staight to and around the bottom pulley and then ran the cable up to and around the top pulley. Make sure you use the correct cable, remember, one side goes to the top pulley, one goes to the bottom. Holding the slack on the cable from the top pulley,I then just cranked the window crank and it just rolled itself onto the winder.I took the bolts and screws off the top black sill piece so that gave it some flex to the vertical window thing in the middle that raises and lowers the window. I loosened the bolts on the bottom of that vertical piece as well so that it had plenty on room to move because as it got to the end of the rewinding, the other cable as it attaches to the winder could be pushed onto the winder and into its own groove. Then it was free to wind either way, up or down. I think when the winder reaches the complete unwinding of the cable from half of itself, it is either the up or down position. It uses both sides of the winder ( both sides of the winder from where the cable attaches ) only when it is in between up or down. Concentrate on just getting the cable to wind on the side of the winder towards the door, leaving the window side loose. The window doesn't have to be out but it does make it much easier. I would recommend removing it since it only is attached by two additional bolts, just be sure to not overtighten them when you reattach the glass or it will shatter like some one shot it. I know this from first hand experience back in my youth. HTH Good luck..... I just did the same procedure on the drivers side, it didn't go as easy but it went. My drivers side has a lot of extra cable on it, must've gotten stretched over the years. I saw a thread here with a pic of a tensioner pulley between the crank and bottom pulley to take out the slack on the cable. I think I might need to do this because my drivers side window doesn't operate very smooth.

 

[pvcar]

anthor thing i did for the window is the two holes in the glass have those plastic pieces that act as a sort of washer/spacer i took some silicon sealer and attatched those right to the glass so it is easier to put the bolts in thru them. and like said dont overtighten them they just need to be snug.

 

[BDD]

Thanks:
I think that this info. will be very helpful to anyone who has to work on the window regulators. I know it's a hundred times better than the original repair manual. Many times for the re-installation instructions they'll just say "re-install the part". It's important to know which end of the cable goes where partly because when winding them with the regulator removed from the door the cables will probably get twisted and won't reel and unreel properly.
I'll try this out on my car.

 

[BDD]

Window regulator installation this worked for me

This is what I found worked for me when installing a replacement window regulator:
1) For simplicity, I left the window in the door. Just be careful not to scratch it when removing and installing the regulator unit. This also means you won't break the window by overtightening the window sash mounting screws.
2) To get access to the top pulley, remove the black metal piece that's along the top edge of the door. This isn't decorative trim or anything. It reinforces the top of the door panel and keeps the top pulley assembly from twisting when the window is cranked. It has to be re-installed before you try to crank the window. The "clamp" at the bottom of the window carrier has to be unscrewed so that the cable can go through it and so that the cable can be kept under tension as its wound, etc.
3) I found it difficult to wind the cables on the drum and keep them wound with the regulator out of the car so I wound the cable with the regulator in the door.
4) With the window at the bottom of the door, pull the cable through the top of the door and turn the window crank to wrap the cable onto the drum. Make sure that the cable is winding in the right direction (one end of the cable is attached so that it wraps around in one direction and the other end of the cable wraps in the opposite direction. Keep tension on the cable so that it winds tight on the drum. Also make sure the cable doesn't get twisted or caught behind the gear on the winding drum. This would fray the cable.
5) For the drivers side door and with the window at the lowest position, when looking down from above, the cable to be wound is the one towards the inside face of the door (I think). this cable will go down to the lower pulley.
6) With the window lowered the cable that wraps toward the outside face of the door and which goes to the top pulley will be almost fully unwound. When you crank the window up, that cable will start to wind onto the drum, becoming shorter and the bottom end of the cable will unwind.
7) With the cable fully wound on the inside face of the drum I put the top cable on the top pulley. Keep tension on the cable to the drum so that the cable doesn't come unwound from the drum or slip out of the guide grooves.
8) The bottom part of the cable will probably not have enough slack to go onto the bottom pulley at this point.
9) Holding the cable with tension on it down near the bottom pulley wind and unwind the window crank. The cable will lengthen and then shorten when cranking in either direction. Just crank in the right direction so that the cable is at maximum length. It should then fit just around the bottom pulley.
10) Then turn the window crank just a bit to snug up the slightly loose cable on the bottom pulley.
11) Tighten the "clamp" that secures the cable to the window carrier.
12) Make sure that when you turn the crank, the cable will now pull up to raise the window.
13) Re-install the black bent metal door reinforcing piece.
14) Test the window movement.
15) You may have to loosen the window carrier to snug the glass into the window guide at the rear of the door. Then re-tighten carefully.
16) Some trial and error might still be required. Especially if I didn't remember something correctly.

 

[opeldean]

regulator interchange

four questions:
1-will a 70 passenger side regulator fit in a 73 passenger side door?
2-will a 72 " " ?

3- will a 70 drivers side regulator fit in a 73 drivers side door?
4 will a 72 "
thanks "?

 

[nobody]

1 yes
2 yes
3 no
4 yes

69 and 70 drivers doors were different and had the cranks down low. To my knowledge the passenger side never changed, but then again in a GT I seldom if ever sit in that seat so I could be mistaken.

 

[BQS4]

Dean;
The only real difference in all the GT window regulators is, that the 69 models had the mech located further down the door. It was moved up in the 70 model. That being said, the only real difference between ALL of them is the length of the cable. This applies only to the driver's door. ALL passenger doors were the same 69-73. My cable broke on my 69 GT, and someone here had an excellent repair for it, which involves a trip to a good hardware store for 85" of steel cable, total cost: $1.75, but, at the same time, I wanted to move my mech up the door like the later model cars, without changing the whole door. So, I made a cardboard template of all the mounting holes and marked the door where the later models moved to and with the help of a drill and a Dremel, I had easily upgraded my 69 door to a 70 and newer door!!

 

[kent]

In my 69 both drivers and pass mechs are in the low position how . how do you remove the old cable and attache the new one ? mine seems to be fixed to the drum

 

[BQS4]

Kent;
You take a dremel tool and cut off the old cable on the take-up drum. Cut as close as possible to the groove in the drum. Then drill out the remainder with the correct size drill bit. This can be done by hand, but, if you have access to a drill press, you can do it better. Then get 85" of steel cable (an ACE hardware in Tucker, GA has the correct cable, costs $1.75 for the cable) and loop the cable through the two holes when you drilled out the old cable, but, feed the new cable in form inside the take-up drum, then using the FSM wind up the new cable per instructions in the FSM and the run the cable through the pulleys and you have it.

 

[kent]

thanks my FSM is missing several sections i do not have that part but I think I can get it once the cable is out. How did you adjust the cable when it was original? Its a solid loop?

 

[BQS4]

Kent;
No, it's not a solid loop any more, what you have is two long cables. One goes one direction (according to the FSM) and the other goes the other direction, the ends meet at the little clamp that actually "lifts" the glass on the vertical runner in the middle of the door. It has two 7 or 8mm hex head screws. You pass the two cable ends under this clamp and tighten it down. Roll the window up and down a few times, then loosen (NOT REMOVE) the clamp, and with a pair of needle nose pliers, grab each one of the ends of the cable (one at a time) and pull the slack out of them. When you're satisfied all the slack is out, tighten the clamp for good and you're done.
Gene

 

[opeldean]

Window regulator wasnt that bad...use the tape

Kent;
You take a dremel tool and cut off the old cable on the take-up drum. Cut as close as possible to the groove in the drum. Then drill out the remainder with the correct size drill bit. This can be done by hand, but, if you have access to a drill press, you can do it better. Then get 85" of steel cable (an ACE hardware in Tucker, GA has the correct cable, costs $1.75 for the cable) and loop the cable through the two holes when you drilled out the old cable, but, feed the new cable in form inside the take-up drum, then using the FSM wind up the new cable per instructions in the FSM and the run the cable through the pulleys and you have it.

I couldnt have done it without the tips in this thread. here are my photos.
I put the window mechanism in the down position. no window was in. cable was wound on inner reel and taped, the I bolted it in, the I fed the ends to the center and tightened up thetwo 8mm nuts.thanks Gene

 

[BQS4]

I couldnt have done it without the tips in this thread. here are my photos.
I put the window mechanism in the down position. no window was in. cable was wound on inner reel and taped, the I bolted it in, the I fed the ends to the center and tightened up thetwo 8mm nuts.thanks Gene

Dean;
I was just passing on something I learned off this site. I can't take credit for it. So, to whomever it was, Thank You from both Dean and I!

 

[opeldean]

Center post of window regulator-easy replacement

Now, I had to fix my other door.

The cable was fine,but my window would "bind and come uncentered".

the center post had missing ears of the plastic bushing...it wobbled.

So I swapped in a better central post(yellow). What made it an easy afterwork job, was using some clay material instead of tape to hold my wires in place to the reel. tape wouldnt reach, i just used a rod to push the ball of clay on my reel. After the bolts were tightened when I finished , i knocked it off. the clay kept the wires on the reel,when I took the tension off the cable. I hope this makes sense. I didnt feel like I wanted to go buy cable to restring, like I did on the other side.

Front part of door on bottom ,has adj for guide rail

 

[BDD]

for the regulator on the drivers side door.

Does the cable towards the inside of the car go to the bottom pulley and the opposite for the cable on the outside of the pulley?

With the window down, how many turns on the outside face of the pulley?

how many turns on the inside face of the pulley with the window down?

At that position, is the track that holds the window all the way down?

Does the inside cable start winding counterclockwise with the regulator in the door and facing towards the outside of the car? Does the outside cable start winding in a clockwise direction?

Winding the pulley outside of the door Ive had a problem getting the right amount of cable. I either have too much and can't take up the slack or too little and can't get the cable over both pulleys.

When I was putting on 1.5 turns on the inside cable and running it to the bottom pulley, the cable towards the outside would unwind when I tried to crank the window up. The only way I could keep tension on the cable was by cranking down but the window was already at the down position.


What I had outlined earlier seemed to work but I need to replace the regulator with one with good nylon guides so the window rolls up right.

 

[Anonymous D]

Procedure is Available

An article was written on the procedure for installing the door window regulators, including different model year styles and cable lengths, which can be found in the August 1996 back issue of the OMC Blitz.

Reference:
Interior

 

[opelgtworld]

four questions:
1-will a 70 passenger side regulator fit in a 73 passenger side door?
2-will a 72 " " ?

3- will a 70 drivers side regulator fit in a 73 drivers side door?
4 will a 72 "

1 yes
2 yes
3 no
4 yes

69 and 70 drivers doors were different and had the cranks down low. To my knowledge the passenger side never changed, but then again in a GT I seldom if ever sit in that seat so I could be mistaken.

When there were only the new doors available (starting from VIN 1925379) Opel published a technical information: How to convert the new door to the old mechanism.

 

[Mach1Tom (R.I.P.)]

Door Information Bulletin

Here is the US version of the Door Window Crank bulletin.

~ Tom