Ok I have a drivers door with nothing in it, I have to take all the guts out of my original door and swap them into the new door but my questions are. Do I have to take and drill any of the window rivets out in order to get the track and window mechanism out or just unbolt it and pull it all as one unit? I hope I don't have to drill the rivets out cause I don't know if I can get that style of rivet again. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes, you have to drill the rivets. There are 4 holding the motor/regulator and 3 on the window. I've hear of people pulling the window without drilling the window rivets but I've just done this over the past week and I think drilling them is the best way. I tried to do it at the junkyard and it was a pita. Anyway, use 1/4" bolts to put them in the new door. 1/2" long for the regulator and 1" for the window. I used stainless hardware and lock nuts. If the motor is working it will make life a lot easier. Take the vertical track near the rear of the window out first, this will give you access to the window rivets. Also take the brace out of the front by the mirror. This will help too. Position the window so you can get the back 2 out then roll it up more for the front. Make sure you hold the window forward so it stays in the front track since you've taken the vertical track out. Once you have the 3 window rivets drilled you can lift the window straight out. Next, drill out the rivets holding the regulator. Take it out the big hole in the back. Now you pretty much have access for everything else. For the rivets, take a small punch and push the pin out of the center of the rivet first. I put some Styrofoam between the window and outer skin to stabilize the glass some. Be careful and don't beat them too hard. Then take a 1/4" drill to drill the head off the rivet. If you have a "center drill" drill bit it will help a lot because it doesn't walk as much. During assembly it's a bit tricky to get the nuts on some of the bolts, especially one of the regulator bolts. I had to tape the nut on an open ended wrench and access it from the front hole to get it. Be patient you can do it. Don't worry, it's a little daunting at first but isn't too bad if you like Chinese puzzles!

 

One more tip I just remembered, take a sharpie and mark all the bolts with slotted holes prior to dissassembly. I used black on the plated parts and silver on the door since my car is black. This will give you a starting point for adjustment. It may not be perfect since you're swapping skins but it's a start.

 

Now that was some helpful advise and I really appreciate you taking he time to help me with this. [/B]

 

Sure, no problem. I just reassembled my passengers door last night. It is a puzzle. It would have been very difficult if the power window motor wasn't working. Especially for accessing the bolts/nuts, my arm only has two joints (lol) so I don't think I could have put the bolts in the window if I couldn't have rolled it up/down. Part of the regulator blocks two of the bolts so it has to be all the way up for one and down for the other. These are two of the 1/2" long bolts, check the clearance on them where the big gear part of the regulator swings by them. I put some flat washers under the bolt heads to shorten them a little because the clearance was tight. Be patient and take breaks, don't force anything or let yourself get frustrated. I used tape on an open end wrench to hold the nuts to get some of them started. The 4 regulator bolts go in so the nuts are on the inside of the door and the window bolts went the in so the nuts are facing you (bolt heads toward the door skin). Also, if you have power locks the same process applies for the actuator and bell crank. I used 1/4" x 3/8" for the actuator and #10 x 3/8" on the bell crank. Remove the wiring last and install first, that way you can get to the plastic clips from the inside and maybe not break them all. Finally, check your hinges, if they are loose now is the time to rebuild them. Hawks sells a kit for $75 and OER makes a kit for ~$15 available through Summit or your local auto store.

 

Once again I really appreciate the help and the parts list to. I was really worried about having to find those rivets that were used on them to put it back together right. My door hinges seem to be tight still and in good shape I just think the latch itself is worn out or needs to be adjusted if that's possible because you really have to slam the door to get it to shut and stay closed tightly.

 

Glad to help. There is actually no adjustment available on the doors, latch or striker, unless someone made a modification. Look to see if there is wear on the strikers. If so the stainless ones from Hawks are about .010" oversize which may help. Open your door about 2-4" and grab it at the bottom and lift. If there is any play at all you will benefit from hinge rebuild. It's a involved job but makes a lot of difference. I couldn't notice any play on my passenger door but when I took the hinges apart there was a lot of wear. Also, try to shut your door with the window down an inch or two. If it shuts ok with the window down you may need some adjustment there. The window is about the only thing you can adjust.

 

Nice explanation Antman!

I have new windows I will be installing with my rebuild and after my first look at this task, was starting to reconsider if it was worth the hassle. You have cleared up my concerns. Thanks also for the bolt sizes