replacing window motor in 98 Bird

[GldRush98]

To start off with, both window motors have already been replaced once, but it was under warranty. Now, a year later, the passenger side motor has gone out AGAIN, and I don't want to go bend over at Pontiac and pay the 200-300 they want to fix it. I went to A-Zone and bought the $66 window motor and decided I was going to do it myself. Boy, was I wrong on that. When I got home, I couldn't even figure out how the door comes apart. I have the inner plactic piece, and the plastic liner inside off, but I can't see any bolts or anything to take apart the framing... Any tips here?

[Shadly]

You don't take apart the framing! Use the big hole. There are three rivets you need to remove. You need a rivet gun to put them back when you are finished.

[Only4U]

you don't need a rivet gun at all. my car had the same problem. first of all, you'll need a friend, if you don't have one of those, you are a loser; and foremost, you can't do this job. the motor will be in place by 3 rivet screws (two on the bottom, one on the top)...we just used a chivel and a hammer and put the chivel in between the two pieces of metal where the screws are (you can see this once you look at it) and you hammer the chivel until you can break the rivets apart. remember, these rivets are BEHIND THE FRAME. my friend and i made the mistake of dremmeling the wrong rivets and it caused us a little more pain and suffering than most--no one had even given us hints as to how to do it before it started. well, once the rivets are off, you pull the freakin motor out. the one autozone sold you will probably have the wrong gear on it--EVERY MOTOR i found had the initial wrong gear. gm lists all of their replacement motors with this wrong gear on it. no worries, you can take the gears off and switch them (be careful though, do not break off the ring holding them on). once you do this, fit the motor in place, use simple screws and locking nuts (make sure you have these, and no, your own balls won't work) and bolt the thing down. not an easy job at all; as a matter of a fact, it took my friend and i roughly 8 hours to do this. good luck, you'll need it. godspeed.

[Only4U]

hey man, if you need any questions, just email me at tuffluck@mail.utexas.edu and i'll be glad to help you out on that motor. unless you think you got it all...?

[GldRush98]

Thanks alot for the tips guys! I ended up calling my step-dad who owns a shop, and I'm just going to have them do it Wednesday morning, because it sounds like I'm a bit in over my head on this one. Thanks again though!

[v6maro]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Shadly:
You don't take apart the framing! Use the big hole. There are three rivets you need to remove. You need a rivet gun to put them back when you are finished.<hr></blockquote>

Not true, you can use a nut/bolt combination that the head of the bolt is larger than the old rivet hole.
-Steve

[Shadly]

Well, I guess that will work with the nuts and bolts. I wouldn't do it though. I don't want to have to worry about that thing coming loose or rattling. If you take a rivet out, you should put a rivet back in. My dealer even sells the exact rivet for the job, but I already had a few to handle my car.

[Only4U]

nah dude, nothing will rattle as long as you put in the nuts and bolts with locking washers.