How do I stop my side window glass to fall down?

[Lars S]

On my 4-door 1973 412 the right front door glass falls dow about ½" after I have winded it fully up. I do not have to drive the car, the glass goes down at once even when standing still.
When winding up there is a good and even drag all the way up except for the last inch or so.
The felt in the channels looks pretty good (not worse than the driver side where the glass stays up)...is there a way I can adjust the drag at the top so that the glass stays up?


/Lars S

_________________
Porsche 914 -72, Bahia Red daily driver
VW411 2-d -70, White, sold
VW412 4-d, -73, Gold Metallic, daily driver
Suzuki T500, -69, Candy Gold, sold
Suzuki K50, -77, Black, daily driver
BMW R69S -69, White, sold
Husqvarna 118cc, -47, Black, Sold

[raygreenwood]

Ok going of memory here.... because I have had this problem and fixed it but I am not in the same city ascmy notebooks.
When it drops.....is it dropping straight or slightly crooked?

From memory there are about three common issues.

1. On the rearward side in each door there is the felt channel guide that is bolted to the door by one or two steel tabs welded to the channel and attached by 10mm bolt/screw. With age and drag in the channel the steel tab cracks allowing the glass channel to fall crooked....unguiding the window so it falls crooked....but from memory I think that is near bottom of stroke. I believe it is part #79. Part 86 can do the same on the forward edge. I think the fix was pulling it out, removing the felt and tack welding the tab back on.

2. I think that the vertical lift track that is attached to the bottom of the glass can come loose from part # 41. I belive it has two 10mm bolts. If one bolt falls loose it rides crooked up the track....and I think the crooked travel is what wedges the glass in the track and cracks the mount tab on the felt channel.

3. Third problem is most common....if the window is dropping straight vertical. Over th3 years....the grease/oil in the plastic tube of the window lift unit #41....dries up. It causes drag you do not really feel. It wears out.....not so much the gears in the winder part....but the housing opening in the window gear mechanism that is rivetted together. It makes the gear fit sloppy and it allows gear movement at the top of stroke.

What I found to be best for this entire mechanism.....is to remove it.....soak the entire unit in solvent....clean solvent that evaporates and can dry out. Remove all the old caked on factory lithium lube. Especially inside the plastic tube. In that tube is actually a large coil or sprng that the gear rides in like a flexible screw drive. In the center of that screw is a felt lubricating wick.
Once you clean it out...relube it with ATF fluid. It will never go dry......or you can use the clear superlube grease.


Then with a grease needle pack the gearbox section with a soft synthetic non hardening, grease like superlube. Then......with a punch peen the gear box sheet metal halves tighter together and around the opening hole so that the gearbox jnternal parts have a tighter fit.
Ray

[Lars S]

Thanks Ray for an excellent explanation!


/Lars S
_________________
Porsche 914 -72, Bahia Red daily driver
VW411 2-d -70, White, sold
VW412 4-d, -73, Gold Metallic, daily driver
Suzuki T500, -69, Candy Gold, sold
Suzuki K50, -77, Black, daily driver
BMW R69S -69, White, sold
Husqvarna 118cc, -47, Black, Sold

[Lahti411]

I had similar problems with my car even though i had cleaned the whole mechanism and replaced worn parts etc. Ofcourse i got rid of most of the problem but one final and very simple finishing detail was changing the crank position so that it pointed slightly upwards and towards the cars front (like 2 o'clock position). This way even on rough roads the crank was pushing the window slightly up when it rattled. I hope you understand what i was trying to explain...
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My cars: 1972 VW 411 Variant; 1973 VW 412 4d sedan

[Lars S]

Thanks Lahti!
That's smart, never thought of this... I have it on 10'a clock position (to avoid contact to the passengers right knee) so it pulls the window down/open in bumps etc. Will try 2a clock for sure!

Thanks !

Lars S
_________________
Porsche 914 -72, Bahia Red daily driver
VW411 2-d -70, White, sold
VW412 4-d, -73, Gold Metallic, daily driver
Suzuki T500, -69, Candy Gold, sold
Suzuki K50, -77, Black, daily driver
BMW R69S -69, White, sold
Husqvarna 118cc, -47, Black, Sold

[Lahti411]

Oops, sorry, on a passengers side it should be on 10 o'clock position. I wrote about drivers side...
_________________
My cars: 1972 VW 411 Variant; 1973 VW 412 4d sedan

[Lars S]