Taking door apart

[sonoman]

Hey guys. My '60 has it's driver side window broken inside the door. I removed the vinyl door panel but I'm wondering if there's a way to remove the metal panel to access the broken glass. I see plenty of bolts I can undo but would rather get some instruction before I start loosening random stuff. Thanks.

['59 Jim]

Not on a '59

I did the glass on both sides of my '59. It is a test of manual dexterity, and no, the metal doesn't disconnect in an easy way. I know there are guys here that will probably tell you how to do quicker, but I got it done without taking the metal panels off. It is another test to get the window rollers back on their tracks and having the window rolling again. I'm going to pay attetnion here to see if someone has a better way.

Good luck!
Jim

Hey guys. My '60 has it's driver side window broken inside the door. I removed the vinyl door panel but I'm wondering if there's a way to remove the metal panel to access the broken glass. I see plenty of bolts I can undo but would rather get some instruction before I start loosening random stuff. Thanks.

[Dakota Boy]

Do you have a copy of the ford shop manual for your car? That would be the first thing I would get if I was you.

I completely overhauled my side windows and door mechanisms, gaskets etc etc last winter. The key is to have lots of patience, that's for sure.

The side window has to be completly removed from the door in order to replace the glass. First loosen the vertical track by the door latch mechanism. Then remove the "equalizer bar/channel". This is a short piece of channel with one roller clipped into it.
Now you have two more rollers to unclip from the metal frame that the bottom of the window attaches to. Those little rollers can be devils.

Then lift the glass out of the top slot in the door.

Good luck.

You will be one of the experts by the time you are done.

[Guest]

Hey Pablo,
Here's what I had to do!
Take magic marker and mark TOP on door glass.
Remove door lock by unscrewing. Remove stainless steel trim. Remove door handle. The door handle is held in place by a hair pin retaining clip. I pushed the door panel back where I could see it and took a long slotted screwdriver and pushed clip until it popped off. Door handle should now slide off and spacer also. Remove arm rest, it is held in place by screws. Remove door panel, I took putty knife and slide it in between door and door panel, twist gently and clips should pop loose. Remove water barrier.
There are two window stops at the top of the door that are held in place by two bolts each, remove these. Also there is a window stop at the bottom of the door held in place by three bolts, one on the face of the door and two under the bottom of the door. Remove these.
Remove guide roller assembly, this is about three quarters back from the front of the door and about half way between the top and the bottom of the door. It is held in place by two nuts. Remove nut and reach up inside door and remove guide.
Remove two nuts that hold motor onto window regulator. I left motor lying in bottom of door.
Center of door there are three bolts, close to where arm rest screw fastened. Remove these. There is a indention down below, remove that bolt also. Window regulator should now be loose.
There are three adjustment screws on the wind glass assembly. Loosen these. Remove bolt right below wind glass. Now it should move freely.
Grab window glass and pull up. You will have to work it to get the back of the glass and stainless steel trim up so you can see two small screws that hold stainless trim and window regulator together. Remove these two screws.
This is where you may need some help. You need to wiggle the glass and hold the window regulator down all at the same time. The glass should come out of the window regulator channel.
Now that you have glass out it is time to remove stainless steel trim. I got hammer and small block of wood. Had wife hold glass. Lay block of wood against glass and against stainless steel trim and gently peck. Work this as one unit, move around and break it loose. Remember this corner on this stainless is welded and if care is not taken it will break.
I then took glass and made a pattern on cardboard and cut it out. I had glass supplier to get me a sample piece of 1/4" Solex. You can tell what color your glass is by holding a white piece of paper behind it. After I determined it was green glass, I gave him the pattern and had him order me a piece of 1/4" Solex tempered glass per my pattern. No labels and no tong marks. It cost me $26.00 dollars for the piece of glass! I decided to go with tempered glass, it is safety glass like in newer cars, and unlike laminated it will not delaminate over time.
I decided I wanted to take out the window regulator and grease it. It will come out the large hole at the bottom of the door. I greased the rollers, gear assembly and the tracks. I also sprayed silicone on the window guides.
Reinstalling. After you receive glass determine which is the top and mark it. Lay you old glass on the new glass is the best way to do this. I got glass supplier to sell me some glass tape to reinstall the glass into the stainless steel trim and the window regulator track.
Run new tape across the top and down the back. Have stainless steel trim ready, hammer and block of wood. Remember this is tempered glass, it is stronger than regular glass and laminated glass. But if bumped against anything it will break. I laid mine on the sofa, got stainless lined up and gently tap block of wood with hammer and got stainless in place. You may need some help, or put it against your legs.
Reinsert window regulator into door. Raise regulator glass channel above door. I let back part stick over back of door and had wife hold wrench through slot and under glass channel. Apply new glass tape to bottom of glass. Reinstall two screws through stainless steel and into window regulator. With hammer and block of wood gently tap top of glass until glass is seated into window regulator channel.
Now that glass is attached to window regulator, pick up on glass and position into door. Rear stainless steel should be in track and front of glass should be in wind glass track.
Position window regulator so you can reinstall guide and guide runner into place. Snug nuts onto guide.
Reattach motor to window regulator, reattach wind glass adjustment nuts and bolt, do not tighten yet.
Turn on key on car and gently work window switch, you will have to adjust wind glass frame so that window glass moves freely. Remember these window motors are old! Check and make sure that motor is not getting hot. You may have to let it sit for a few minutes. If glass stops moving let off switch do not force it. Keep working with adjustments until door glass moves freely.
Once everything is working, reinstall upper and lower glass stops. Upper ones will have to be adjusted. Adjust and close door, adjust and close door. It may take a few tries to get it right.
Tighten all nuts and bolts, check and make sure door glass still works and door shut good.
Reinstall water barrier, I had to use tape on mine to hold it into place. Reinstall door panel, make sure all clips are in place and all are there. Local parts houses have these in stock. Line them up with holes in door and give them a whack with your hand.
Reinstall arm rest. Reinstall door handle, I slide retainer clip on handle and put it into place, and pushed, I heard a click, it was locked into place. Reinstall stainless steel trim.
Clean door glass, wipe off body and clean interior door trim.
You are good to go!!!
Richard D. Hord

[YellowRose]

Taking door apart

Thanks to Richard, that information just posted along with window pictures is in the Technical Resource Library web page! If you go to it, the pictures along with what Richard just posted is all there under Window Replacement... Thanks, Richard, for giving us a step by step procedure and the pictures also. That is exactly the types of Tech Tips we need. Please look through the TRL web page and if you see things that have not been covered and you have the information and pictures, please send them to me so I can add it to the page.

[sonoman]

Thanks for your help everyone. Not sure if I got this right but there's no way to remove the metal panel from the door so I can work on the window? The problem is that the old window is broken and shattered inside. I thought I could just remove the metal panel somehow. I might just not be reading the instructions right though.

[Dakota Boy]

nope. the doors are welded.

[Guest]

Hey Pablo,
Glass will still come out!
Richard D. Hord

[sonoman]

Cool. Thanks guys. Looks like I'll be busy this next weekend.