[FMD159]

Hello Alfa community

I am reaching out to anyone that can help me with the problem illustrated and attached.

I am a month out of completion of my full restoration, and I have recently had the door glass installed and unfortunately on the left hand side, the glass is poking out in the top corner - see photos (yes its dusty - but its protecting a beautiful paint job underneath).

Is there a way to adjust this or is there a problem with the glass???

Note: This is a series 1 with the scissor mechanism.

Anyone who has experience the same problem and can provide some advice here would be extremely greatly appreciated!!

 

[Alex]

Too many variables to know what's going on here, but my initial hunch would be that the scissor mechanism might have to be shimmed in places, or that the aluminium extrusion that holds the bottom of the window (105.02.55.032.00) is twisted or incorrectly fitted. Almost impossible to tell by looking at photos, but a good start might be to have a closer look at the driver's side mechanism and making comparisons.

 

[Alfajay]

The good news is that it is NOT a problem with the glass. All of the parts holding the glass (primarily the front channel and rear channels) can be adjusted.

The bad news is that you can spend countless hours adjusting those parts so that the glass fits tightly, the windows roll up-down smoothly, and the doors close easily. On a new restoration it is absolutely typical for this not to be right on the first try.

A related question is how the workers at Arese in 1966 made these adjustments at production line speeds? I guess they just got good at it!

 

[acalvi]

You have to align correctly the front and back channels of the glass.
For this there are 2 screws on the bottom of the channels.
The back one only fixes the position.
For the front, unlock the fixing nut, turn the screw acting on the cut in the center of the nut and quarter light frame will move in or out.
I hope this helps.
(borrowed picture from Alfaholics)

 

[FMD159]

The good news is that it is NOT a problem with the glass. All of the parts holding the glass (primarily the front channel and rear channels) can be adjusted.

The bad news is that you can spend countless hours adjusting those parts so that the glass fits tightly, the windows roll up-down smoothly, and the doors close easily. On a new restoration it is absolutely typical for this not to be right on the first try.

A related question is how the workers at Arese in 1966 made these adjustments at production line speeds? I guess they just got good at it!

Thanks Alfajay!! - Yes you pose a very interesting question regarding those workers in Arese!! But I suspect that all those great secrets and tips have been lost somewhat!!

I suspect its an adjustment thing, any advice where to start or how to make those adjustments to front and rear channel??

We just put all the door internals together, drivers side is fine. Unfortunately I cannot do a comparison with the drivers side because the drives side has the cable mechanism. (Must have been replace at some time of its life before me)

I'm hoping we don't have to pull the scissor mechanism out to make these adjustments??

 

[FMD159]

You have to align correctly the front and back channels of the glass.
For this there are 2 screws on the bottom of the channels.
The back one only fixes the position.
For the front, unlock the fixing nut, turn the screw acting on the cut in the center of the nut and quarter light frame will move in or out.
I hope this helps.
(borrowed picture from Alfaholics)

Thank you acalvi for this...but forgive my ignorance but the adjustment screws you describe, I cannot seem to see these in the image you have kindly attached. Do you have a more detailed illustration showing these steps you describe?

Thanks again for your time, much appreciated.

 

[acalvi]

These are the 2 screws you can see at the bottom of the picture.
The front one in the picture doesn't show the locking nut.
To access to the rear screw you have to remove one of the door bungs.

If you remove the door panel you will understand.
If the screws are in good condition, the job is quite easy.

Doors with cable mechanism have the same channels.

 

[FMD159]

These are the 2 screws you can see at the bottom of the picture.
The front one in the picture doesn't show the locking nut.

These 2 screws in the attached

 

[FMD159]

These are the 2 screws you can see at the bottom of the picture.
The front one in the picture doesn't show the locking nut.
To access to the rear screw you have to remove one of the door bungs.

If you remove the door panel you will understand.
If the screws are in good condition, the job is quite easy.

Doors with cable mechanism have the same channels.

These 2 screw??

 

[acalvi]

No, look at my picture

 

[FMD159]

These 2 screw??

Grazie!!

 

[acalvi]

You might have to level the glass front to rear too. This is made rotating the scissor mechanism wich has some play if you losen the bolts.
You can also limit the stroke of the glass, but I don't remember exactly.

Iì'll have to do this job one of these days because when I assembled the door I forgot to tighten one of the screws.

 

[Alfajay]

Thanks Alfajay!! - I suspect its an adjustment thing, any advice where to start or how to make those adjustments to front and rear channel??

I would begin by loosening the two screws circled in red in your post #9 and trying to rotate the rear channel so that the bottom is shifted outward. If glass were flexible (which of course, it isn't) that would rotate the glass' rear/top inward, which is what you want.

The problem is that since glass is rigid, the front and rear channels need to be parallel for the glass to move smoothly. So, if they are parallel now, just shifting the rear channel may cause the glass to bind. If that happens, you will also need to readjust the front channel-vent window assembly.

How well does the top of the vent window fit to the body now? If it fits perfectly, then you don't want to move it, and I am out of ideas.

If the top of the vent window can move closer in to the body, you need to loosen ALL of the screws that secure the front channel-vent window assembly to the body, and re-adjust the screw circled in red on the right side of the picture in acalvi's post #10.