aerostar window motor upgrade

I suggest you look into the later upgrade idea that uses Taurus motors -

http://panteraplace.com/Page187.htm

In any case, if you gather motors from a junk yard, in the case of the Taurus, get the rear door motors that have less use on them.

Larry

I did the Taurus motors. Install the same way. Piece of cake. Work great.

What year Taurus? And is this the identical motor to the Aerostar but only with 3 lugs? Or, is is a totally different casting?

Got them out of a 93 sho. Fit right in like the Aerostar. However, I have a feeling that the motors are like pretty much generic for Ford.

When you get them turn them upside down and make sure that powdered rust doesn't come out of it.

I THINK that I have a spare one in the shop...ah...somewhere. If fact I know I do...but where?

If you are being paranoid about this I could go look for it and eventually I will find it. Then I could shoot you a pic.

You do not need to be a German Rocket Scientist to do this swap. It is pretty easy.

You can email me at hammer-99@optonline.net if you like. Just don't send me no stinking spam ok?

I used the Taurus motors as per Bill Taylor’s article on PP. I purchased remanufactured motors at O’Reillys Auto Parts for around $40 each. It was not worth my time to rummage a junk yard for questionable motors. Plus the remans were lifetime warranted.

Bill’s install was not hard, even for me the “Mechanically Challenged”

My 2 Cents now worth ½ of 1 cent.
Jeff

Agreed that used motors are not worth the trouble or risk of failure. I have ordered a standard Ford unit with a 3 lug casting and will report back when I receive it. Then I will compare it to the Taurus unit once I have it in my hand. I will update when I look at both. They will probably be the same.

I have done a window conversion on my car using Aerostar motors. I have helped do two other motor conversions since then on my friends' Panteras using Taurus motors and I have to say that the Taurus conversion is way simpler. There are currently two Taurus motors for sale on ebay for $11.99 each BIN.
Here are the links :
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...fPartsQ5fAccessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...fPartsQ5fAccessories

However way you go, you will thank yourself for doing the conversion. Important to note is that it's very important you remove and replace the mounting spacers(washers) carefully. You will save yourself the headache of trying to lining up the window class/runners on reassembly.

Good luck.

With the Taurus conversion, aside from better speed, does the window go ALL the way down?

quote:

Originally posted by David B:
With the Taurus conversion, aside from better speed, does the window go ALL the way down?

David,

Short answer is NO, not if you just do the motor swap. However, at the same time you can grind a few bits and make the window go all the way down. Follow instructions at Mike Daileys website; http://www.panteraplace.com/page188.htm

Julian

How much is the Vader system? Easy install? I think Ron M has installed one before. Ron?

$750.

Link to website:

http://www.tmitch.com/

Vader install -- simple.

It will not, however, fix any problem with a sticking window or warped channel. Make sure that the window goes up and down easy first, and then do this install or the PanteraPlace fix.

Honestly, the Vader windows work great; and the reason for the cost is because of the special tool that was purchased to make the new motors work with the Pantera window channels. Yes, the windows go down all the way with the Vader system -- and very fast too I might add -- but it is all good.

Mark

My driver side window has never worked (since I bought the car at least)...there have been too many other more important projects so it went to the bottom of the priorities. But I am getting through the big items so it would be nice to have a working window...I replaced the switches with new bosch switches and it still doesn't work...any thoughts? Is there somewhere else I should look or is it a bad motor?

Tom,

If the fuse is good and the switch is wired correctly, then it could be a broken gear, bad motor, or bad wiring.

If the motor hasn't been run in a very long time, the grease on the worm gear shaft will harden (or the shaft rusts). This increases the torque required to rotate the shaft, and the stock motors don't have much torque. With the door panel removed, try rotating the rubber motor coupling by hand. Try both directions to see if it will free up. If it won't rotate, then you will need to remove the window regulator from the door and remove the gear cover.

John

If the Taurus/Sable or Aerostar motors use the 3 plastic drive pins inside the gear as fail safe points (shear under load....safety?) and yours are bad, I sell these on ebay for repairs. See my auctions under seller id Fastmerc, or drop me an email..... I use them in a number of my own cars which all have power windows, front and rear! Six pins with shipping is $9.

Beware of other vendors selling hardware store nylon stand offs as OEM parts....ugly pictures that do not let you see that what you are getting is not an automotive part. They probably work, but when you can get the right parts for less money....wouldn't you?

Steve

I looked at link contained in LIV1s response and it looks like the Taurus uses a 3 lug setup. I was trying to avoid cutting off the raised lugs on the regulator as called for in the Taurus revision so that I could have the option of reversing the modification. Here is what I have found out about 4 lug versus 3 lug Aerostar motors( Keep in mind that the Aerostar conversion calls for a 4 lug motor ).I have found that there are no more 4 lug units available for the left hand door ( I have even made direct contact with the rebuilders rather than distributors ). But, I have found the 4 lug motor for the right hand door. Does anyone know if the right hand motor can be rotated and used on the left door in this revision?

There are two versions of the Taurus motor install, Chris Difani's method mounts the motor at 90 degrees to the original, thus you don't have to cut off the original motor mount. IMO it also makes the whole unit more compact.

Find Chris' article in the Dec 2008 PCNC newsletter, here;

http://www.panteraclubnorcal.c...rticles/News0812.pdf

Julian

Does anyone have a picture of the innards of the drive gear area once you take the little round clip off of the center gear shaft and lift the gear out????

Now I'm really interested in knowing if my window repair pins will work in these motors too!!! ...without having to go to a junkyard and do exploratory surgery....

Thanks!
Steve

Ok, I looked at the article written by Difani as suggested by Joules5. But, the article says that the mounting bosses must be removed as well as part of the regulator body. I dont understand your comment that when mounted at 90 degrees, no cutting is necessary. What am I missing??

Okay, I see what you are referring to now "the gear housing standoffs", but those are basically just three spacers so you could add those back pretty easily if you so wished. What I referred to is the motor mounting which in the alternative method is removed altogether.

In all honesty if you don't want to go cutting anything up then this mod probably isn't for you. Just add the bronze gears to your existing motors and accept the factory rate of up/down of the window. Alternatively start searching for a set of window regulators from a scrap vehicle and keep your own 'as is' or look at Ted Mitchell's aftermarket window regulators.

Julian

Agreed. But, this change does look simpler and cleaner than the Aerostar upgrade. So, I think I will do the revision per the Difani article. Thanks for your help.

Some additional info for anyone else wanting to do the Taurus motor swap - I found a company ad on Ebay offering rebuilt Taurus motors for $22 ea. I was already familiar with the supplier so I ordered them today via Ebay- 2 rebuilt motors with warranty for $44. Interestingly, they are cheaper on Ebay than a direct buy from the supplier. Direct buy price is $39 ea. If anyone is interested in more details, pls let me know.

I have received a couple of questions about the source of the motors, so I will share with everyone interested. Go to EBay and look for a site with the logo SFWL which stands for South Florida Window Lift. Again, they are cheaper on Ebay than if ordered direct ( $22 ea vs 39 ). But the folks at SFWL are good people and are very helpful. I talked to them and still ordered through Ebay to get the cheaper price ( which SFWL suggested ). Hope that helps.

This should be the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...fPartsQ5fAccessories

My Taurus motor upgrade is now complete and I agree with others that this is a fairly simple and worthwhile upgrade. Windows are quiet, fast and smooth. And no more stopping up or down since the motors are so much more powerful. I had a machinist do the cutting on the regulator which took less than one hour. I couldnt make sense out of the picture in the Difani article which says that the picture is for the drivers door. Possibly the image was reversed in the photo translation, but to clear up the confusion I put the motor on the same side of the regulator as the arm points to when the arm is in the window up position. Keep in mind that there is a right hand and left hand motor which are mirror images of each other. Another worthwhile tweek is to install grommets on the regulator mounting holes to reduce noise even more. You can buy the grommets at Home Depot.

Congratulations on a successful upgrade.

Next upgrade while you have the doors open - POWER DOOR LOCK/REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY. Another modern convenience you will appreciate for less than $30 + shipping. The fun never ends.

quote:

Originally posted by LIV1S:
Congratulations on a successful upgrade.

Next upgrade while you have the doors open - POWER DOOR LOCK/REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY. Another modern convenience you will appreciate for less than $30 + shipping. The fun never ends.

Yes I have to agree with this. The remote access power locks are great. You'll love them. Don't even hesitate to do them.

I was just looking into it. I found a system at JC Whitney for about $79. Is that the one?

quote:

I was just looking into it. I found a system at JC Whitney for about $79. Is that the one?

Those things are all pretty much the same. All China.

eBay has good sets for $30-40

I've also been looking. Get a set with two 5-wire actuators and that way what ever happens physically with one door, happens with both. Key unlock one, both open. etc.

I also see there are a bunch of remotes out there - some more visually appealing than others.

eBay UK seems to have some stuff I'm not seeing on eBay USA.

Almost as cheap to get a set that comes with a cheapo alarm, if you want to go to that added install effort.

One install tip I've picked up. Use a pair of small cable clamps to attach the actuator plunger shaft to the Pantera shaft. The kit clamps are evidently not too good.

Larry

Thanks for the info

quote:

One install tip I've picked up. Use a pair of small cable clamps to attach the actuator plunger shaft to the Pantera shaft. The kit clamps are evidently not too good.

Actually the clamps that come with the power lock kit is fine in my experience. If you want to insure that they don't get loose, just put some locktite on the rod screw. I've done three Pantera's, including mine, and have had no failures from playing with the remote

Don't spend more than $30 on a keyless entry kit. Ebay is a good source for them starting at $24. If you already have an alarm system installed in your car with a keyless remote, they have provisions for keyless entry, in which case all you need are two 2-wire door lock actuators and relays if the alarm system requires it to reverse polarity on the actuators to lock/unlock.

Sorry for thread-jacking. Probably should start a new thread since we are going off subject.

Aloha

That's actually the kit that I installed and it works very nicely.

I installed this setup a couple of years ago and I love it.
Doug M


http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...610074525#1610074525