My daughter put the top down on my 2000 XK8 convertible. When she
put it up, the right rear window came up only about halfway. It
was making a clicking sound which I immediately recognized as a
slipped or broken cable on the window regulator. And that is what
it was - the cable had slipped off of the upper roller.
Imagine my surprise when I looked up �window regulator� on the JTIS
CD and found that step 2 is �Remove convertible top.� Egads, can
it be true?
I decided to do all the JTIS steps except Step 2. Sure enough the
regulator assembly must be removed up through the window opening
and toward the rear, where it bumps into the convertible top
bracket and its hardware. It is possible to remove the glass quite
easily. But the regulator is in two parts - the backing plate that
bolts to the body and the motor assembly that mounts onto the
plate. They are joined by three studs on the plate.
Further inspection revealed that when the 3 nuts are removed, the
plate can come out through the window opening at the top and the
motor (with the cable detached from the rollers) can come out the
opening on the inside ahead of the wheel well. The trick is
getting them back together since the motor must be attached to the
plate AND the cables must be installed on the upper and lower
rollers through which he cables pass.
I was very surprised to find no broken parts in the regulator and,
although the cables had wrapped around the spindle, they were not
broken and no strands were frayed. It takes considerable effort
the get the cables properly installed on the spiral grooves of the
spindle and wrapped around the rollers. But after much trial and
error I managed to do it. The power to the windows only has two
wires and it is apparently the polarity that determines the
direction the motor turns. Much to my disappointment after re
stringing the regulator, each time the mechanism approached the
down position, the cable would slip off of the upper roller.
Closer inspection revealed a very poor alignment between the cable
and its roller and a great deal of roughness on the edges of the
roller.
I considered trying to find a new roller. But that is a poor
solution because not only is the roller out of parallel with the
cable but so is the surface it mounts to. Apparently, the
engineers decided to rely on the grove in the roller to pull the
cable into proper alignment. The cable constantly rubs against the
shoulder of the roller, finally making it very rough.
I came up with a fairly simple solution shown in the attached
photos. A small eye bolt is attached to the mounting plate so as
to pull the cable toward the plate and into parallel with the
roller. This allows the cable to make a straight shot into the
roller. Bench testing the regulator through about 20 cycles seems
to indicate that the problem is solved.
(continued)–
Glen - 69 E-type OTS, 2000 XK8, 59 MGA
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