Yup. I need to do this also. I, too, bought those heavy-duty motors and they have been sitting on the workbench for over a year. I work my windows with one hand on the switch and one hand on the glass. Can't wait to fix it!! Thanks for the post guys!
Here here!!! My 328 just came out of storage last week and this is next on the list! Thanks for posting the pics again too. Best! Wes
It looks like the motors from the 308 are the same as the TR. I did a writeup on the same procedure for the TR, so maybe some of the extra pictures and tips would help 308 owners: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44288&highlight=tr+window+motors
Thanks Birdman! Pics will be very helpful when I undertake this project myself. I bought the "stronger" EBay window motors a few weeks ago and have been waiting for the right time to jump into this project. I'll post my results, re: if the new motors are really better..... Greg 77 308
Man, you can tell spring has sprung. Everybody is scrammbling to prep the old horse for the summer fun. I rebuilt both my window motor/regulator assemblies including new cables two weeks ago. WOW, the difference is amazing. It is a PAIN, but it is worth it. With my old motors properly lubed with white lithium and fresh cables that are adjusted properly, my windows go up in less than 3 seconds. By the way, this job can be done in a day and costs about ten bucks including new cables and ferrules. Dont forget to spray a little grease on the pulleys as well. Not in the cable grooves, but where they mount to the door. Mine were dry as a desert. I enjoyed my new found window speed for two weeks before I ripped all 4 corners off the car to do a complete suspension rebuild including bigger brakes. Should be done this weekend I hope. John
The "stronger" window motors will not fix any of the slow window problems without complete cleaning and lubing of the gears/cables/pulleys. The problem is not generally related to poor electricals, or weak motors. The window motors in these things are generally pretty darned good. The problem is the 25 year old grease has long since turned into glue. Several Fchatters in the past reported that the "stronger" motors are actually weaker than OEM. Meaning, if you just swap out the motors without fixing the sticking mechanism, your windows will actually be slower than they are now. Birdman
@Birdman, Very good id to repost these pictures. I was discussing the problem with my dad last week and I told him I think it is something electrical. Now I have to admit he is right. He said can't be elctrical, has something todo with cable, grease or anything else.......... Is also on my "todo" llist!!
Since I have the mechanical ability of a spider monkey, is here anyone in S. FL who wants to physically "help" me with this job? Note: "help" = do for me while I watch
For clarification...someone who has done this before who can help me? I don't want to be the "test" case.
It's not that hard! The first door will take a couple hours. The second one will take half that. It's just a cable, a motor and a couple pulleys. It's nothing more than a fancy motorized clothes line! Birdman
Clearly you haven't seen me hang clothes... I seem to watch my mechanic alot...watch him spend my money! But you're right. He would be the best to do it...and it probably wouldn't take him that long....and at $90/hour...yikes.
Birdman is right on the money on all accounts. The problem does not lie in the motors. It is the crud in the gear assembly that slows these windows to a crawl. Simple hand tools, a free Sunday, and a little ambition is all it takes to fix this problem. The cable/motor/gear set up is remarkably simple. Tip #1--make a sketch of the cable routing before you dis-assemble it. Tip #2--make sure you thoroughly clean the worm gear assembly and the housing. Tip #3--use white lithium grease to lube. The time and effort is well spent. Glad I did it. John
I think my biggest problem is lack of patience...I see myself getting frustrated and that outways the joy I would feel doing the job myself. I would learn much quicker watching an expert do it.
FWIW, I purchased a set of those motors on ebay a couple of years ago and the improvement was not that significant. I'll be redoing the electrical and cleaning the old grease off and well see what % of improvement each job contributes to improved speed. Countach has the same $%#^$@#% prob
I find a digital camera is invaluable in recording where everything was before I start dismantling it. Not so hard later to put it back again
I posted Ed Shryer & my complete write-up of the slow power window service procedure in this thread: http://70.85.40.84/~ferrari/discus/messages/256120/114996.html I'm afraid that Stewart Chung's addendum is incorrect. You get the effect he described when you miss-route the cable while reinstalling it(been there). The parts manual in Steve Jenkin's private Ferrari Document collection has a pretty good pix of both doors showing the cable routing around the pulleys.
Question to all you guys that have done this job - Is it possible to get to the worm gear and pulleys etc. with a can of spray grease? Maybe even spraying first with WD40 as a solvent for the old crud? I'd like to do the job, but then I'm a lazy s*d.... Richard
I am glad to hear of your success on the window motors. When someone says that they have motors with more power, I worry. Like you, I addressed the problem with the same approach. In typical F fashion, the fuse block and wire size can turn out to be an issue. And horror of all horrors, wisps of blue smoke, and a potential of YIKES a fire! More power such as larger motor, requires more current, any voltage drop that is caused by the motor running, just adds to this potential nightmare. The current can in fact increase in a multiple of 5. ( just think, the slower the motor, the more time the current is heating up the wire, fuse block and the control portion of the relay). They design these with the minimum duty cycle they can get away with. One other suggestion is BMW motors are the same, now I don't remember what year, because it has been a while.
I just finished the window restoration about 3 weeks ago. Total PITA but at the same time very doable. Sounds crazy I know. The biggest problem is the small amount of space to work with in the door. If you have paiteince (I have little to none) you will be fine. It is one of those 2 steps forward and 10 steps back things. LOL Alot of testing to get it right. Single best advice that I can give you is that once you get the spool all back together and the wire wound around the the spool, you will need something to hold the wound wire on the spool while you replace it back into the door.I used a piece of foam wedged into the spool to hold the wire in place. Once you have the wire replaced correctly the foam peice is simply pullled out. Worked like a charm but took me 2 hours to figure that one out. Once I got one side figured out the other side took me about 2 hours total. My windows are still not all that great but fantastic to the method of press window switch and pull up window at the same time. Next try silicone in the window channels and maybe new motors and wire. Question for forum? I read about fixing this problem on the old forum a 2 years ago and some where some one replaced the wire and said that seemed to help alot. My wire certainly seemed a little stiff. I would have replaced it but I could not figure out how to get the damn thing off. The wire disapeared into the large gear and I could not figure out how to get that apart without drilling out a rivet. Anybody changed out the wire? Bill Smith
Gianluca Changed out the wire, this thread gives replacement cable sizes, crimp-on ends for it, & a hint as to how to get it apart. (Think the trick is a hidden c-clip & a healthy pull, but it's been a long time for me.) Also some good pix of the procedure. http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/112/305954.html BTW, binder clips are great for holding the cables in place while working on the window drive. Don't try to use WD40 & spray lube, it' can't get inside where it's needed, & even inside won't touch the dried on gunk. Also, WD-40 leaves a very sticky wax coating that won't help anyway. Best way I've found is to soak the gear drive overnight in either citrus solvent, or mineral spirits, scrape off as much as you can with a brass 'toothbrush', then soak again & re brush. BTW, there are a couple of ends on the worm gear that can come off & get lost if you're not careful.
Thanks Verrell. That is the thead I was looking for. I new you had it some where. Looks like I have to do it all over again. LOL Bill
