Window mechanism repair

[billd45]

Hello all, I was hoping some one could help me out with how to remove the window handle on the drivers side window of a 73 fj40. I need to get inside to figure out what is broke because the glass in the door keeps falling down and the window mechanism just spins when I crank on it.
I apologize if this question has been addressed already but I have searched and searched and have not found any info on the mechanism itself.
Thank you for your time.

 

[addicted56]

I'm with you on this one. I think it is pressed in. But I have the same problem and I'm going to add to your question. Where can you simply get new gears for it that are not stripped or how can I modify them to make them work again? Hope this is not considered a hijack.

 

[Poser]

Welcome.



The handle is part of the regulator assembly, which is retained into the door by four screws. Remove the screws, and wiggle the regulator assembly out of the door, and then out of the window channel, while supporting (lifting up on) the glass, if the door is still on the truck.


If you plan on keeping your Land Cruiser and working on it, I would invest in the Factory Service Manuals for the Chassis and Body and the Engine.


Also-

S O R <---- this is a link has many diagrams and spending just a little time at Marv’s web site looking at exploded diagrams of things, you can learn a lot about how different items work together and were assembled.

 

[Poser]

Also-

You will likely want to remove the access panel that is outboard of the window regulator assembly to help with this. ( #28 in the second picture)




***** PICTURES FROM SOR *****

 

[lostmarbles]

Which is quite different to my 1979.

With mine there is a C-clip in the plastic of the handle near where the spindle/shaft enters. To remove the handle, you just get a piece of rag (a thin strip works best) and use it "like a male stripper uses a tie on the back of his neck" (not that I take an interest in male strippers -I've just seen them on TV - Honest!!!!). The rag will catch the ends of the C-clip and if you exert lifting pressure on the handle at the same time - It will just lift off!

Obviously not relevant to these early models but it might help someone else.

 

[n2666s]

LostMarbles, I had a devil of a time removing the C-Clips on my 55 using the rag technique, maybe the door panels were damp and had swollen; any way there is a thread in the pig section <The FJ55 Weatherstrip Guide>post #198 hope this helps

Lou

 

[Pete]

Don't waste your time with the rag trick! I'm usually all for making my own tools every chance I get, but not on removing window cranks. For a couple of bucks you can get the tool you need at AutoZone, NAPA, Wal-Mart, et al. I cut/ground a notch in the handle of mine to use as a tool to remove the clips that hold the inner door panels on, so I got to fab my own tool too!

Pete

 

[Spitpatch]

Window Crank malfunctions

Two things (very often both) happen to cause the window crank assembly to fail: Stripped gears, and/or flexing of the small tab that retains sprocket against sprocket.

The "fan cam" (for lack of a better description: this is the large half-sprocket that is driven by the small window crank sprocket) can lose part of its notches, and the crank sprocket (small one attached to the crank handle) itself can be stripped.

Secondly, the little bent-metal tab that holds the "fan cam" against the crank sprocket can flex out, allowing the fan cam to not engage the crank sprocket effectively.

I breathed a short amount of additional life into my assembly by removing the entire regulator and smacking that little tab back against the "fan cam". Used a flat punch with anvil behind the crank axle. Even though my notches were worn, this gave me about 6 months more life. This is only a temporary fix, and finally I had to get a new regulator assembly, especially when I replaced my window weather stripping, creating more drag on the operation.

Liberal application of a silicone-based lubricant on all moving parts (try not to use petroleum-based since it eats rubber) helps reduce overall drag on the entire mechanism.

 

[lostmarbles]

LostMarbles, I had a devil of a time removing the C-Clips on my 55 using the rag technique, maybe the door panels were damp and had swollen; any way there is a thread in the pig section <The FJ55 Weatherstrip Guide>post #198 hope this helps

Lou

Don't waste your time with the rag trick! I'm usually all for making my own tools every chance I get, but not on removing window cranks. For a couple of bucks you can get the tool you need at AutoZone, NAPA, Wal-Mart, et al. I cut/ground a notch in the handle of mine to use as a tool to remove the clips that hold the inner door panels on, so I got to fab my own tool too!

Pete

That's interesting because the "rag technique" has always worked so easily for me?

(Hey - I finally learnt how to "multi-quote"!)

 

[lostmarbles]

.....Liberal application of a silicone-based lubricant on all moving parts (try not to use petroleum-based since it eats rubber) helps reduce overall drag on the entire mechanism.

Yeah. Took me a long while to learn this trick Spitpatch.

I had been using a fish oil product inside the doors (to stop rust) and some had gotten onto the "runners" for both windows. This caused the glass to always "jam" when winding the windows up. But with a quick spray of silicone on the runners - the windows were back to opening/closing with little or no effort.

(I would soon have worn out/damaged the winding mechansim if I had continued without the silicone.)

 

[fj40_73]

Window Regulator Quick Fix

Fix your window regulator with out spending a cent

If your window regulator is "clicking" and your windows are having a hard time rolling up, you may be able to fix the problem without having to buying a new regulator. This will only work if your regulator is not fully hammered, and the gears are still mostly in tack.

We learned this trick one day when Matt cruised over to my house with only one door on. As he rumbled down the street I could tell he needed some help with something, mainly because he only had one door on.

So the first thing we did was take his door into my mess of a garage and set the thing on its side. From there we removed the window regulator. Tip - placing the door on it's side will make it easy to remove/replace the regulator with out fighting the glass window and gravity. If your door is on your rig, just take your time, you can still remove the regulator with little to no problems.

The window regulators are simple to say the least. On the back side there is a half circle with teeth on it. This half circle is driven by the gear that is connected to the handle that you turn. And there is a tension spring that aids in the rolling up of the window. Then there is the "tab".

The "tab" is where the regulators fail. This "tab" does two things. It centers the shaft on the backside of the handle and it holds the half circle gear down so that it full engages the gear driven by the handle. After time this "tab" opens up and the gears start to misalign. Taking a closer look at the "tab" you can see that there is a crease, bend, where it flattens out to hold the half circle gear down.

Locate this crease on your regulator.

Get a thick screw driver and place the tip on the crease. Hit the screwdriver with low-medium force. Make sure the gears now align up properly and replace the regulator into your door.

After we did this, Matt's window has worked fine. In another 5 years or so we may have to do this again, and then reenforce the "tab" with a steel gusset and weld. But for now it works great and Matt can spend his money on things for his cruiser that he really wants.

 

[billd45]

Thank you all for your tips and information. Now I just need to wait for the snow to quit and my nice muddy work area to dry up a little and I'll tear into it.
I appreciate the help.

 

[fj40_73]

Thank you all for your tips and information. Now I just need to wait for the snow to quit and my nice muddy work area to dry up a little and I'll tear into it.
I appreciate the help.

I'm getting ready to restore my old doors..I'm not ruling out a full 3d printed solution for these old door regulators.

 

[Joe LaSpisa]

Window Crank malfunctions

Two things (very often both) happen to cause the window crank assembly to fail: Stripped gears, and/or flexing of the small tab that retains sprocket against sprocket.

The "fan cam" (for lack of a better description: this is the large half-sprocket that is driven by the small window crank sprocket) can lose part of its notches, and the crank sprocket (small one attached to the crank handle) itself can be stripped.

Secondly, the little bent-metal tab that holds the "fan cam" against the crank sprocket can flex out, allowing the fan cam to not engage the crank sprocket effectively.

I breathed a short amount of additional life into my assembly by removing the entire regulator and smacking that little tab back against the "fan cam". Used a flat punch with anvil behind the crank axle. Even though my notches were worn, this gave me about 6 months more life. This is only a temporary fix, and finally I had to get a new regulator assembly, especially when I replaced my window weather stripping, creating more drag on the operation.

Liberal application of a silicone-based lubricant on all moving parts (try not to use petroleum-based since it eats rubber) helps reduce overall drag on the entire mechanism.

I just replaced the felt with the newer metal channel felt which works awesome but my regulator now does exactly what you are saying above. It doesn't appear I can remove the window handle which i assume is what i need to get to the fan cam. Can someone post a method to get to this fan cam for these models? or some updated PICs, the pics on this post are gone now. thanks in advance! early 1972 FJ40 btw