Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

We are restoring a 56 Packard 400. The front and rear driver's side windows need new motors. Are there any other makes of window motors that could be adapted to work. I am a non-mechanic and would appreciate any suggestions.

I don't know about swap-outs or conversions, but NOS motors can still be found, often the one that has failed can be repaired, and used ones are plentiful, so I don't see the need for conversion.

It really is easier to put original Packard motors on the car than goof around with a conversion. There are plenty of the original motors out there and eBay is a good source.

Thanks for the info

I suspect that what may be happening to a lot of these motors is similar in nature to what I am finding with most pushbutton actuator motors--the grease in the gearing attached is aged and petrifying and the motor lead wires are suffering from age and the isulation is cracking.
On the Pushbutton motors I now stock ample quanities of the four colors of 12 GA wire, including the elusive gray color (not that elusive, if you know where to buy wire) and every unit is completely dissassembled and all mechanical parts go through my parts cleaner, then re-assembled using modern grease. No one in the modern commercial auto electric business likes working on anything this small, they are used to motors the size of a starter, and complain bitterly about the conditions of working on small motors like the window motors.
I would try to take them apart and inspect everything, thouroughly clean and relubricate the gearing and replace the primary wires if they look marginal. If you are not comfortible doing the wiring find a shop that will do the work locally, or you could send me one to look at, I probably could replace those wires the right way (going directly to the brush and field connections as I do with the PB motors, no lazy shortcuts). Being inside the car's closed body those wires may be just fine, in which case leave well enough alone.

As Mr PB said, the biggest problem with those motors is old grease. There is also a missing bearing where the shaft becomes the worm drive and allows the shaft to flex and break at that point. Bob Aller used to make these small bronze bushings and they supported the motor shaft much better.

Bottom line to all - if you buy a new one, don't throw out the old one!!! Cores will become valuable at some point in the future, if they're not so already. Same thinking applies to many other parts.