'94 G20 broken power window

[vanguy]

hi guys. i got a 1994 chevy  G20 conversion van. the drivers side window hasn't worked since i got it a year ago. it would sort of ka-chunk ka-chunk its way up and down, and only go down halfway.  but last time i tried it, it went past the half way point and will now do the same thing but only go halfway up. i had been a mechanic before but this one has me stumped. i have a friend with a '94 camaro that probably had the same problem (and part). he said the window assembly (regulator) pulls away from the pinion teeth of the motor over time and zip-ties can fix the problem, but i can't even see where the teeth meet the window gear. 
   when it gets halfway up, i can hear the motor just spin freely and not move the window.
  i loosened all the bolts   and tried adjusting it but nothing. 
google has been no help so far. 
you guys have any experience with this? 
any help appreciated. thanks

 

[GotSmart]

Look the power window assembly up on eBay. I have replaced a lot of them, and once you take your time and put it under a bright light, poke and twist things... perhaps pull it to look it over...You will figure it out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Windo...6553?fits=Model:G20&hash=item3cf61dcf79&vxp=m

The teeth are in the middle of the unit behind it.

 

[LeeRevell]

I bought both my E150 power window units at RockAuto. Good folks to deal with and none of ebay's nonsense.

 

[ccbreder]

If you have the door panel off you can see what happens or not happens. The parts are not all that expensive from RockAuto and similar.

 

[GotSmart]

The GM vehicles I worked on all took a metric 10mm driver to remove the bolts holding the motor down. On one Buick one bolt was lose, and that was the reason it slipped.

On a Lincoln I had I had to drill the panel to get access to the window motor.

I have used A1Auto before. Good prices and video directions.

 

[highdesertranger]

if it's a factory motor it's held in with rivets. drill out the rivets and you can separate the motor from the regulator then check the teeth on both, replace the rivets with 1/4" bolts. btw the gm motors are universal on all gm cars, vans, and trucks. at least they used to be. highdesertranger

 

[Milk Hauler]

What ever you do!! If you remove the motor assembly, make sure that you secure the regulator spring with a clamp or visegrips. Don't ask me how I learned that lesson. [emoji53]

Anyway, HDR is correct on the older GM vehicles. When I went in to replace mine lastby year, the rivets were already drilled and an aftermarket motor was in place. Its common for those motors to fail.

 

[GotSmart]

if it's a factory motor it's held in with rivets.  drill out the rivets and you can separate the motor from the regulator then check the teeth on both,  replace the rivets with 1/4" bolts.  btw the gm motors are universal on all gm cars,  vans,  and trucks.  at least they used to be.  highdesertranger

I learned the hard way they are different.  Many use the same ones, but there are at least a dozen different motors.  Just like in the truck starters that are block and year specific.   Just order a new one, as getting one from a wrecking yard is spending the same money on something that has years of use on it vs new. 

My experiences were that the GM CARS I worked on were bolted in.  The trucks could be riveted in.   :huh: 

 

[vanguy]

thanks guys. and thanks for telling me about the spring. i had had all the bolts off of the assembly when i first posted but couldn't get the window up. after un-doing the spring it went up no problem by hand and i jammed a block under it so it stays up. at this point, i just want the window up and i'll fix it later. 
thanks again