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1956 150 Nu-Relic Power Window And Electric Life Power Lock Install

10K views 18 replies 5 participants last post by  Carinsulation.com 
#1 ·
I have a customer with a nice example of a power window / lock conversion. Many pictures and steps. There is also installation of an electric trunk release and vehicle wiring harness. any added info or questions welcome.
 
#2 ·
To start off I looked around for a install that I could take notes from. No such thing. The picture listed shows 4 phillips screws at the regulator and 2 at the center right side holding the small guide track. There is a 9/16" nut at the lower left part of the door. This is a window track adjustment and should be marked where the threads meet the window guide on the inside of the door with a high contrast paint pen prior to removal.


 
#3 ·
Before the regulator assembly is removed, the window must first be separated from the regulator. To do this, roll the window to just above the stop at the down position. you will see 4 screws, two on each side of the window visible through cut outs in the door. Support the window glass properly to prevent a bad day.



 
#4 ·
Once this has been done you can remove the tracks and regulator. Get the tracks clean! these had lithium grease. This type of grease is a bad idea in my opinion because it's inconsistent on ability to lubricate properly in changing temperatures. Brake caliper grease is a better use in this area.
 
#6 ·
Just reverse steps to remove and this unit is installed. slightly snug bolts and run window to make any needed adjustments to prevent binding. I suggest using dielectric grease at all connections. Do not go overboard on it. It is not conductive. Use a thread locker on all mounting bolts. You don't want to tear this apart later to tighten or strip out the threads trying to keep it from loosening.
 
#7 ·
On to the locks! these were quite simple once all the planning was put forth.
The kits are Electric-Life. I ordered the strongest pull actuators so the customer would not have to constantly lubricate the lock assemblies. The room between the inner door skin and the window glass is just right. The locks can mount directly to the door and allows for a short linkage which should be very strong and resistant to bending. I used 1/4" x 20 x 3" pan head screws with a lock nut. Pan head on the inside and cut the remaining threads off. The linkages to the door locks are a good place to connect to. make sure that both linkages move around freely. binding will ensure a premature failure of the actuator and wearing a groove into the door lock cap / knob.






 
#8 ·
The driver side window switch installation is a tricky one. the 2 gang switch will come into contact with the power regulator and on the 4 gang, it will hit the hinge support bracing. Fortunately the customer only wanted power windows up front. I installed the switch into the panel first. Then I fit the panel to the door and marked where I needed clearance. I then took my hacksaw and cut the upper and lower sections. The regulator was removed and trimmed to the markings. I took a file to smooth any edges so wire abrasion would not occur.



 
#10 ·
I forgot to take progress pictures of the trunk, but it was a pain in the butt! Avoid this one if you can, but if you must... You need to remove the lock assembly and cut off the release lever guard. The release latch must be case hardened or something because I could not drill it. Instead I cut a channel into it with a cut off wheel, made the appropriate length cable (supplied with the kit) and crimped a loop at the latch side. I then tacked a weld at the top of the channel to secure the cable without welding the cable itself. The solenoid was able to be mounted directly behind the latch assembly. This is where you need to take your time. The Electric-Life trunk kit is a 45 lb. pull solenoid, but that 45 lbs. is at about 1/2 inch before bottoming out. About an inch outward will not pull the latch open. Many crimps were lost in this fight! I fabricated a bracket with holes where it mounts to the deck lid and slots where the solenoid mounts so you can adjust slack. The power wire was routed inside the lid and exited out a factory hole by the left side hinge.
 
#13 ·
Nice of you to post the step by step instructions. Any photos? Mike
 
#14 · (Edited)
So far I am not a fan of the AAW kit for the 56. They supply you with a new headlight switch which has an incorrect knob and you cannot use the original knob due to shape and length. they supply you with a dimmer switch that is not threaded so you will need to reuse your original or cut an access hole. The harness for the dimmer is too short. The layout of what wire runs go where is a mess. I had to cut ties to separate the interior harness from the engine harness! None of the harness connectors (i.e. engine bay harness, front lights harness) are weather resistant. There is no firewall grommets included with this kit even though it is designed for the 55 and 56 only. I plan to wrap the connection plugs in self fusing tape when placement is confirmed.
 
#15 ·
So far I am not a fan of the AAW kit
That is one on this site that you will pretty much find yourself alone in. I used the AAW harness and recommend it all the time, as well as do many more here.
Terry
 
#17 ·
OK, working with the harness is not as bad as I let on. The dimmer switch is relocated to a surface mount under the carpet. Thank you customer service. The connectors for front and rear body runs still need to be weatherproofed. You need to run a auxiliary wire from the cooling fan controller to the battery and use the fan wire from the harness to control things like electric choke(not provided in the harness) and the 12v switched ignition to the fan controller.
 
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