'53 hardtop quarter window fix ??

[bradnree]

I am working on a quarter window for a '53 hardtop. The window will roll up and down but will not close the last 3 inches. It appears that the arm is not going up in the unhill run on the window guide to pull it shut. We have removed the fuzzy material that was wadded up. We have lubed all the areas needed. The manual is confusing or not enough info.

What is the replacement for the fuzzy material in the qtr. window cavity sides ?

BRAD

[Jeff_H]

Have you read Bill Clark's excellent writeup on these things?

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/tech_quarterwindowinstall.asp

There is also some info in the shop manual.

To replace the liners, the whole business has to come out of the car. The two halves of the housing are riveted together so once you get it out of the C piller, drill those out. The stainless bead has to be carefully pried up a hair with a putty knife and new "velvet" glued in and crimped back under. I got my velvet at a fabric store. Expect to spend a full day on it. The re-rivet process is interesting too. I originally put in pop rivets with the fattened end poking into the housing so I could use the rivet gun but the window frame rubs in there against the back edge pretty hard and was getting stuck on them. That was part of the reason I stripped the gear on one of the regulators. After pulling it apart for repair I removed all my earlier rivets and this time put them in from the inside. Stick 1/8" pop rivet nail into a pc of brake line tubing, stick through the housing and smack the outside with a hammer. Nothing sticking up too high on the inside to catch. There is a strip of felt that glues over the heads in there too and that is critical. Too much friction with the back wall of the housing will cause no end of problems getting the thing to move up and down smoothly. I have mine working although they need a little help to move forward as the velvet I used seems too thick and there is a lot of friction.

Another thing comes to mind, I think there is a pin in there the arm catches on at some point when it starts forward. If the arm is bent or pin is gone, maybe that is the problem... I had this apart last summer but now have forgotten the details again.

Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[leyrret]

Sounds like your horizontal guide adjustment.(the little piece bolt to lift channel on bottom of window) If it's not just right and well lube it will hang and not let window got forward. The popular opinion is use a stronger spring and it may help a bit, but too strong and your window will not stay closed, especially if the spiral spring on the regulator which holds window closed is weak. The pin on regulator has to be in proper position in relation to this guide or it will hang on guide when window starts forward. It takes a bit of screwing with but it can be made to work.

[bradnree]

Jeff: thanks for the referral to the article...brad

[bradnree]

done.........thanks..........brad

and 50 cent wire clips from the car parts store, $2.50 springs from the hardware store. Made thin washers by grinding.