RE: [GrizHFMinimill] Fixing a Saab 9-3 with the lathe



Hello Harvey,
 
I actually purchased my lathe to make a repair on my handicapped accessible van's power side door. It was going to cost $1600 for the new power door motor and mechanism, plus installation costs.
 
I investigated what was causing the mechanism to fail and found it to be a small polyurethane thrust washer in the electromagnetic clutch that was wearing out after 4 or 5 years. This means that every 4 or 5 years it would be costing $1800 or so keep the side power door working. Of course you cannot buy the part, the clutch, or any other parts separately. You need to buy the entire assembly as a unit, and they will only sell it to an authorized dealer, who you need to pay to install it at $150 an hour shop labor.
 
I decided to buy the lathe to do the machining on the electromagnetic clutch to make some room for a replacement roller thrust bearing and races which replaces the polyurethane thrust washer.
 
The door has worked fine ever since, and I have modified about 6 other door mechanisms for others. So the lathe paid for itself the first time I used it.
 
I purchased my mill (since this is a mill group) after attempting to use the lathe's milling attachment. The milling attachment for the lathe was a big waste of money which would have been better used toward the purchase of the mill in the first place.
 
Michael - California, USA
Micro-Mark MicroLux 7x16
LMS Hi-Torque Mill
 
-----Original Message-----
From: GrizHFMinimill@yahoogroups.com [mailto:GrizHFMinimill@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2015 3:49 PM
To: GrizHFMinimill@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [GrizHFMinimill] Fixing a Saab 9-3 with the lathe

 

Generally, most of the things that go wrong with my car (such as key
locking mechanisms and door lock mechanisms) are things where I need
the original parts, and a local repair garage specializing in Saabs
manages to fix the problem (insert large amounts of money).

However, the rear window regulator (raise/lower mechanism for those
who haven't had to replace one) broke.

The mechanism has a small carrier that runs on a vertical brace that
attaches to the window glass itself. The motor drives a drum which
pulls a steel cable over a top pulley to pull up the window, and when
run in reverse, using a lower pulley, pulls down the window.

In the two scenarios I've seen myself, the top pulley (made of durable
precision machined plastic) shatters due to stress and temperature.

Insert at least $150 for the mechanism, hoping the motor is good, and
then we see if the garage puts it in or we do.

This actually devolved into two scenarios, one on a 1989 Ford Probe GT
(really liked that car despite the numerous problems). That got
replaced by a screen door roller (ball bearings) that had the right
diameter. Drill out the swaged in center and put a 1/4-20 bolt in,
using locktite, and you're ok.

2007 Saab 9-3... mostly GM-ized (another discussion entirely).
Regulator is available, maybe, sometime in December, at least 200
dollars (without motor which was OK), and then another 100 dollars in
shop time to put it in. Same plastic upper pulley.

Solution: make replacement pulley from aluminum. Drill out swaged
post that held the original plastic in place. Construction was swaged
post, bracket, spacer, pulley.

Make swaged shaft from steel to fit spacer. Assemble post, pulley,
and spacer onto bracket. Pound the heck out of the swaged post to
fasten it in place. (note to self, thinner wall might be better).

Take steel cable and get rid of kinks made by previous pulley breaking
(straighten with pliers, compressing cable. hope that no strands
break). Watch YouTube video showing how to manage to get the cable
strung on something different, but it involves oddly shaped green
pulley that was designed for restringing.

Install in car, making sure that pulley is lubricated, and that window
sled moves up and down properly.

Put door back together.

Call local Saab service people to see if they can reset "Alarm system
failure" because the car was run with the locking mechanism removed.

They can.

Promise to show local people how to fix this and what they might need
for a lathe if they decide to go this way.

Save several hundred dollars in not-available parts and shop fees.

Enjoy adult beverage in celebration.

Harvey



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Posted by: "Michael Jablonski" <michaeljab@cox.net>



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