Nearly inoperable window

I replaced the inner/outer scrapers and felt channel on the driver's door of my 1969 standard Beetle. The inner scraper was a cheap nightmare on which the clips broke if you looked at them wrong. Almost as cheap were the $1.75 felt channel clips. I'm glad I bought twice as many as I needed. I put everything back together, and now the window is so hard to operate that I fear breaking the regulator (already broke my new crank). I've already tried shifting the window around, and it raises as straight as it ever will. The felt channel was off-spec (wider profile than original), but I don't think that's the reason, as I widened the channel as much as I could with plastic putty knife after installation. Maybe the new rubber on the scrapers is creating a problem. I was ready to leave the inner scraper out totally :-(. Any suggestions besides the usual silicone spray? I've searched this group and not found a problem quite like mine.

Did you take the regulator apart to clean and regrease it? That made a huge difference. With the old scrapers (read: nonexistent) the regulators took a bath each time it rained so they were rather rusty and dirty. After I carefully pried the crimped metal on the end of the regulator open so I could remove the "gears" (more like a fuzzy spring) I was able to clean and regrease both my regulators so they work *great*. It was still a bitch getting the scrapers in properly though. Glad that's over with.

Years ago i replaced the window scrapers and I do remember that they wanted to "grab" the window as it went down. They wanted to roll under as the window went down. something about the new rubber. The window went down easier it the car was real dusty. I suppose the dust on the scrapers made the rubber less "sticky". I even tried to use just a little baby powder, seemed to help a little. but if it gets wet, well, then well you'd have to clean and re-apply. After a while the window worked fine.

Is that the design with a "spiral" coil in a channel?. As you tyurn the handle the spiral coil rotates in the channel. It almost certainly needs regreasing or oiling. John

This is a common problem when you change the scrapers and felt channels.

If the window binds when you lower it only (it sticks on the new rubber of the scrappers) then this is normal for new rubber. You have to dust the inner and outer surface of the window with plenty of talcum powder and roll the window up and down several times so that talcum is trapped in the scrapers' inside grooves. In time, the rubber will wear-in and the problem will go away. Baby powder doesn't always contain talcum powder. Read the label first. Talcum is not good when inhaled, so it gets used less often on baby powders nowadays.

If you have the problem when you raise the window, then it is a problem with window alignment or tight felt channels. Loosen the window mounting screws on the regulator and work the window up and down to settle it in a better position. Then tighten the screws again. New felt channels could be a bit tight, and they will settle in over a short time. You can use talcum powder on them too. Washing the windows often will help things settle down sooner. You may need to re-apply talcum after the wash for the first couple of times.

Bill Spiliotopoulos, '67 bug.