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Electric Back Window

aglinks

aglinks

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I have the electric back window in my suburban and it works great when it is warm. It doesnt really work in the winter. Is there a way to fix that? Since it does engage, I assume its not the actual electric motor...but I could be very wrong.
 
ktmoutfront said:
Clean the tracks, rollers, lube everything. Put in good felt.
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He's right you know. Adding to that, a little lube down the cable won't hurt either. You might have to replace the rollers as they tend to wear a flat edge into them and then cease to roll anymore and just slide.
 
I said lube everything. Sheesh.

He is right. Make sure the cable is nice and free. I have replaced both on my k5's. The new ones suck. So take of the one you have.
 
ktmoutfront said:
I said lube everything. Sheesh.

He is right. Make sure the cable is nice and free. I have replaced both on my k5's. The new ones suck. So take of the one you have.
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Or get rid of the cable all together. Completely lubed up my manual gate glass opens whenever I want it to. Hot or cold outside. Battery dead or not.

I switched mine to manual and lost my fear of camping with a full load of gear and having to unload it through the front doors so I could access the dang panel to release the cable and wind it open with a cordless drill.
 
ZooMad75 said:
Or get rid of the cable all together. Completely lubed up my manual gate glass opens whenever I want it to. Hot or cold outside. Battery dead or not.

I switched mine to manual and lost my fear of camping with a full load of gear and having to unload it through the front doors so I could access the dang panel to release the cable and wind it open with a cordless drill.
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Do you have any info on how you switched it to manual? Is this all I would need?

https://www.ebay.com/i/391892308885...3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1338034358054
 
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Get used to giving it some manual assist(ie. pull up on it as it raises). Lube and new parts only do so much. Such has been the story for 20+ years. So wishing GM would introduce a modern version of the K5 where all the little square body idiosyncrasies are eliminated........
 
Mine don't need help. But I do relube every couple of years back or when it starts getting harder to crank.

The swap is easy. You need a manual regulator and the handle/crank assembly. If you want the lock to match you'll need to get a new lock cylinder coded to match. I re-used the one from my old blazer and still had the door keys. So I just added the extra key to my ring.

Take the wiring and tape the ends up when you unplug them and tuck them in the corner away from the regulator.

Pretty easy swap.
 
ZooMad75 said:
Mine don't need help. But I do relube every couple of years back or when it starts getting harder to crank.

The swap is easy. You need a manual regulator and the handle/crank assembly. If you want the lock to match you'll need to get a new lock cylinder coded to match. I re-used the one from my old blazer and still had the door keys. So I just added the extra key to my ring.

Take the wiring and tape the ends up when you unplug them and tuck them in the corner away from the regulator.

Pretty easy swap.
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Did you do a write up or take pictures for your swap? Having never done this, I want to get as much info as possible before I start ordering parts. Also, is the link I provided above all that will be needed for the swap?
 
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aglinks said:
Did you do a write up or take pictures for your swap? Having never done this, I want to get as much info as possible before I start ordering parts. Also, is the link I provided above all that will be needed for the swap?
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Looking back through my build thread I posted about the change on June 10th and 12th of last year. I didn't take a lot of photos and what I did post got ate up by photo bucket.

The repairs have been documented by many here. Just not sure how many have broken photo links due to photo bucket. The process is pretty simple. Get the gate open. Pull the access panel. Take the drive cable off of the motor. Chuck the square cable into a cordless drill. Run the glass out enough to unbolt it from the regulator. Slide the glass out carefully so you don't have it in the way. Then pull the regulator. Next you can remove the power handle and lock cylinder/switch assembly.

From there is just reverse order swapping in the manual handle, regulator and re-attaching the glass. Wind the glass down before attempting to close the gate though.
 
All my parts came in for the conversion so I attempted to assemble last night; however, the clutch on the manual crank doesnt engage the manual regulator. Its as though "T" shaped component of the regulator that the clutch is supposed to engage is 1/2" too close to the body of the regulator. Is there by chance a longer clutch that I should be using?
 
The parts that I got from LMC truck said they fit up to 1989 tailgates. Did they change the components?
 
aglinks said:
The parts that I got from LMC truck said they fit up to 1989 tailgates. Did they change the components?
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Near as I can tell they did not change except 90-91 K5's got the power gate glass as standard equipment. Even on the base trucks like mine.

Looking at the GM parts catalog, they list the same part number (09702916) for the clutch on the Burbs with a manual crank window as the 89 and earlier K5's. Being a 1/2" off is a lot. I don't think you can put the clutch on backwards. I'm thinking out loud here, but is the bezel that bolts to the gate that the handle goes through sitting flush to the gasket and gate itself? If the crank bezel is flush then is the regulator bolted in right? Please don't take that the wrong way, as I don't think it will bolt in any other way, but being off by as much as you say with all the right parts can only come back to something not being in the right position. The gate, as long as it not being tweaked or bent shouldn't have any problem taking the manual parts when it was built with the power regulator. I know because mine is proof of it. The gate is original to my 91 and the guts got swapped out of my 75 gate.

I'll I can suggest is review how you got it together right now.
 
The regulator and crank only bolt in one way, and the clutch only attaches one way. Mechanically, everything is positioned in such a way that it would work...if the clutch could reach to engage the manual regulator.
 
aglinks said:
The regulator and crank only bolt in one way, and the clutch only attaches one way. Mechanically, everything is positioned in such a way that it would work...if the clutch could reach to engage the manual regulator.
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You got me. I don't remember mine going in any other way. The only thing left is LMC's parts are off. Either the clutch or the regulator.

My bet is you got a regulator for a Blazer instead of a Burb. They are different. LMC's listing for the burb is 38-6689 and is 38-6588 for the Blazer.
 
aglinks said:
I bought the regulator from Brothers. I bought this one.

https://www.brotherstrucks.com/73-91-TAILGATE-WINDOW-REGULATOR-MANUAL/productinfo/WR091MN/
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I went back and checked the GM parts catalog for both the Blazer and Suburban and they also list two different part numbers for the manual regulators. The clutch is the same part number for either so it tells me the Regulator on the Suburban fits in a slightly different location in the gate due to the difference in sheetmetal.

I don't know why Brother's shows one part number for both when GM listed two different part numbers. I'd call them and find out what's up. I don't think they should give you much grief to return it.
 
The Suburban tail gate is wider than a K5,maybe that is the difference..

Learned that the hard way,when I scored a mint tailgate off a Suburban at a salvage yard,and was bitterly dissapointed when it didn't fit my "75 K5..luckily the manager took it back (minus $10 ),because he knew he'd have no trouble re-selling it--and I did all the work of removing it!.
 
I don’t think anyone mentioned it, but I would also lube the rubber and window guides with silicon spray lube. This increased the window speed considerably after I replaced the seals. Same for side windows. Realigning the window guides in the tailgate as well as the latch positions helped too. Instead of buying a felt kit, I used the hook side of some Velcro that comes in roles for $5 at Walmart that already has the adhesive. I was a bit surprised to find that one of the tracks had a bullet hole through it. I should have known from the hole on the inside of the tailgate and the bulge on the outside...go figure.

It’s a bit slower when it’s under 30 degrees but still works well.
 
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So I am just asking, since i don't know, and can't see where anyone said. But how does it disengage when locked? Is there a possibility that it is in the "locked" position? Or is there a setting which has to be done at first, upon initial install?
 
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