57 ford 4 door custom

[gacannon]

I am new to the forum.  Retired mechanical Eng Age 62.  I have a 57 ford custom 4 door in restoration.  Ran into a problem trying to change out the drivers door glass.  I have new felts and everything but having problems getting the riser arm into the window channel.

Briefly, I removed the top and back felt and lower felt channel, installed the window riser channel on the window, stuck the window in the door sideways and then turned it into position.  At that point, I set the window into the vent window/ forward felt and then slide the rear felt channel into place.  Next I slid the new felt down into the aft channel and fitted it up the back of the door and over the top.  Next I took the riser loose and tried to get the regulator arm into the window riser channel.

Seems like there must be a trick or sequence to get that accomplished.  I am assuming the window riser channel must be installed on the window prior to installing it in the door. I have replaced many regulators on old cars, but this one has me worn out.  Have many cuts and abrasions to prove it.

What is the proper sequence for window glass replacement on the drivers door.  This is a 4 door car.

I was able to assemble it complete by fitting the window riser channel to the window glass after first attaching it to the regulator arm.  I did not use any cement on the channel rubber as I figured it should be done out of the car where you can tend to that operation closely.

Any help is appreciated.  I have all four doors to accomplish.  Hopefully someone can give me some hints that will help me out.

E-mail is joatman2@bellsouth.net or post to this forum.

I hope I am in the right place on the web page for this post.  As I said I am a first time poster on this forum.

thanks

Bob

[RICH MUISE]

I did mine with aftermarket electric windows, so I didn't have the regulator channel to deal with...so I won't be of much help to you. I did want to welcome you to the site though. I'm currently away from home, so I can't check, but it seems like the repair manual had the sequence for reassembly. If you don't have a manual, I'd sure recommend picking one up..they're reproduced and redily available at the major  vintage ford places. If you haven't found it yet, there is a list of about 40 websites of suppliers that sell '57 Ford specific parts. It's in our "suppier links" board.
Be patient, I'm sure one of our members will pipe in with the info you need.
Rich

[gacannon]

I will post this just FYI.  On the front window regulator, the way you get it attached to the window channel is to turn the glass at a 30 deg. angle inside the door with the aft side of the glass elevated and the window channel just in view.  Unbolt the regulator and push it back inside the door.  Move it around until you can connect it to the window riser channel. This is not easy to do!  Then bolt the regulator back in place.  Insert the window into the vent window side felt.  Then slide the rear felt channel around the window glass  on the aft side into place.  Bolt it in at the bottom.  Lastly, snap the top felts into place.

I do everything myself so I just fooled around with it until I found a method to get the darn regulator into the glass bottom channel slide.  Took me a while to figure it out.

The 57 ford custom four door front regulator / window replacement was much more of a challenge than other classics I have worked on, but in general, working on door parts can be a pain as anyone who does it knows.  Patience is the key sometimes, most times.

The car will be on the road soon.  Its a real looker.  Actually belongs to a very good friend and I am helping him with it.  I am a hot rodder for the most part with a 28 Ford PU hot rod right now. like to help people with their cars as I have a machine shop and complete welding shop.  Have had many classics over the years but like hot rods now. Old school.

Thanks

Bob

[Ford Blue blood]

Are the rollers held to the arm with a clip?  Don't have my stuff with me (in WI right now) and I don't remember for sure.  But if they do you are supposed to put the roller in the window then snap the arm into it after all wrestling is done....

[JPotter57]

Thats the easy way Bill, lol...

[Zapato]

James not sure I'd ever use ''easy'' and door glass replacement in the same sentence. For me its one of the tasks I despise most. Never have done one without leaving some hide behind.  Remember back in high school replacing passenger side wing window in my 57 with one out of a 58 and noticing they were different tints till installing door handles. Lot of work caused by some idiot jockey-boxing for a lousy 8 track player and tapes.

But since its not me doing this one guess I can second the LOL.

Zap-

[clusterbuster]

I as well have a 57 Ford Custom 300 4door, and recently removed the front door glass as well as the vent division channel and frame. I had one hell of a time just to get the regulator out of the lift channel on the bottom of the glass. I am retired and was in the body and fender business for 30 years and this one is the hardest I have worked on. I plan to put all new channels in and then install the glass into the channels first, so i can raise it up and down by hand. I noticed on the rear door that I have apart, that the regulator arm is closest to coming out of the lift channel when the glass is all the way up to the top. I seems to me there would be enough room to get the regulator arm in and and out by taking the bolts out of the regulator where it is fastened to the door, and then sliding it forward. I am going to try that when I am ready to reassemble it. I plan to cover my new glass completely with duct tape, except the edges where it has to slide in the channels.This will keep the glass from being scratched up in case I have to some fiddling with the regulator. I did file the front entrance to the lift channel with a V pattern so the roller on the regulator so it  will slip in easier. Also greased the lift channel and roller. When I worked in the body shop the only way I took the regulator off the glass was by leaving the glass in the front and rear channels and slid the regulator out of the lift channel.  Don' know if my method will be successful or not, but it is worth a try.  Good luck.

[RICH MUISE]

It's been at least 6 years since I removed the glass from my 2 dr front door, but I honestly don't remember having any major problems doing so....but I'm sure it was because of what Bill was saying about uncliping the glass from the regulator and removing them seperatly.

[clusterbuster]

Will look into unclipping the roller from the arm and putting it into the lift channel first. That sounds like a good idea, if it will work. I think I might buy nylon rollers to replace my steel ones. Won't be doing it for a while. Thanks for the tip.