You will need:
A large, clean (preferably felt-topped) work bench
New cable, guide-pulleys, circlips, anchor pins, copper washers, locknuts
Some graphite grease (NOT silicone-based)
WD40
Two pairs of adjustable-grips (eg Mole or Vise-grips)
Length of ½” square wood
Large screwdriver, plus two tiny ones
7/16” ring spanner
Sharp-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Roll of ½” insulating tape
Spare car battery and jump leads
Considerable strength in your fingers
Supply of Elastoplast
The patience of a Saint
A refusal to give up, like any sane person would
1) Remove door internal trim pad + external handle linkages / window motor
2) Refer Workshop Manual or Internet for diagram of cable run. Remove window frame from door.
3) Slide glass down to half open position
4) Remove the threaded drive-pulley’s housing plate (two set-screws + nuts + washers)
5) Slacken locknuts of cable-to-glass anchor pins, using large screwdriver through ring spanner
6) Remove then discard the old cable
8) Prise off guide-pulley circlips (using tiny screwdrivers), discard; then remove pulleys and discard
9) Clean off all rust, old lubricant etc
10) Lubricate / assemble new guide-pulleys + circlips, using graphite grease
11) If the new cable has a nipple, use pliers to pinch cable to form tight U-bend. Otherwise, tie loop knot
12) Insert cable through holes in drive-pulley. (NB Short end goes toward leading edge of door)
13) Using pliers, crimp nipple snugly in place inside drive-pulley
14) Wind cable onto drive-pulley grooves (one and a half turns, each end).
15) Hold coils in place, and – working THROUGH drive-pulley – tape securely (opposite nipple)
16) Lubricate and assemble drive-pulley and housing to frame
17) Thread long (rear) end of cable to upper rear guide-pulley, through rear glass anchor pin, over
lower rear guide-pulley, diagonally across to upper front guide-pulley (noting whether to cross
inboard or outboard, depending on door side) then through front anchor pin. DO NOT fray ends
18) Thread short (front) end of cable round lower front guide-pulley, then through front anchor pin
19) Pull tight, and lock adjustable-grip pliers to front (upper) cable, with jaws snug against anchor
pin head
20) Begin to tighten front anchor pin nut so that cables JUST slip through
21) Cut / remove tape from drive-pulley
22) Lock second adjustable pliers onto rear (lower) cable and, using wood spacer as protection / fulcrum between glass edge and plier jaws, carefully tighten.
NOTE: Don’t over-tension, or guide-pulleys will spring off.
Correct tension allows 1” deflection, 4 lb lateral pull, on longest cable run.
23) GENTLY tighten front anchor pin locknut. It only needs to just grip cables – not break the glass
24) Ditto, rear anchor pin
25) Slide window up and down manually, checking for cable slack both directions
26) Re-tension if necessary, using steps 19,20,22,23 and 24 above then finally snip off excess cable ends.
27) Assemble electric motor in position (the drive peg position is immaterial: Motor self-adjusts and bench test several times. Repeat step 26 if necessary, and re-test.
This replacement procedure was documented and kindly supplied to Lotus Marques by Dave Freeman
Dave is the proud owner of an Elan Sprint and is a keen Lotus enthusiast with a wicked sense of humour