Disconnect Moon Roof Motor

[Leannadanna]

Hi there! How are you?

I own a 1996 4.6L LX, my first coupe and my first V-8. She's beautiful... I love her! I want to maintain as much of her original integrity as possible.

Right now there is a ring of moisture surrounding the moon roof on the inside, which is probably doing irreparable damage to the headliner. It must be stopped.

The roof isn't working properly but is a ways down the list of "musts". Pushing the open/close lever results in a horrible grinding sound and just enough movement to put it off kilter. It is impossible to realign it so it's flush without manually pushing up on the glass. Because the dome light switches are less than half an inch from the roof switch, I am constantly bumping it and triggering it to "open". Also, I noticed the inner rubber seal of the mechanism is loose and just kinda flopping around up there.

To prevent further damage until I can fix it properly, I think I should get the roof in place, and then immediately disconnect the motor so it can't become misaligned again.

Does this make sense? I'm not a mechanic... Lol.

Thanks for any wisdom!

Leann

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[1TrueGambit]

You may want to look at the seal around the glass and go from there otherwise you maybe looking at rollers and lift mechanisms

 

[Leannadanna]

You may want to look at the seal around the glass and go from there otherwise you maybe looking at rollers and lift mechanisms

Thank you! I did look and there is a loose section of rubber inside/in-between the actual glass... in the small open space where those things you mentioned are supposed to move in/out. It's laying in there loose, for all I know it could be responsible for throwing everything off track - if not for the cause of the leaking.

The seal around the very outer edge of the glass where it (supposedly) sets flush... that seal is perfect and so is the felt-like stuff (don't know what it's called) . I just can't get it into that position, not even manually now. When the switch is so much as NUDGED, out comes this horrible grinding sound, it moves about a quarter of an inch or not at all, and then I shove it back up there best I can. We had a couple solid days of rain here over the weekend and the water stain on my headliner is worse than ever. I was thinking of taking a hair dryer to it as I think pushing on it with a towel could screw it up permanently.

I went with my friend to the salvage yard to look for a few things for my car recently. I'd been a couple times in the past, but never with as much interest. It was like a morgue... bodies disassembled and laid out for inspection. I had a field day... looked in every Thunderbird they had. We found EVERYTHING.

Anyway, there were more than a few pristeen moon-roofs. Should I just get one and replace all of it? It's gonna have to come apart regardless I think.

I have the original Ford Factory 1996 Thunderbird manual the size of a dictionary. It tells exactly how to test it and in what order to eliminate possibilities. It actually sounds pretty straightforward, assuming I had someone who knows what the heck it all means to help me.

Anyway... thanks.

 

[1TrueGambit]

your gonna have to disassemble it to get at but if you can get the glass to go back that will make it easier there should be about four phillips head screws remove those and the whole glass roof will come out then you can assess the damage from there and the entire track will almost be ready to come out but you have to disconnect the motor

 

[Leannadanna]

I guess I should that A) with a partner and B) with enough time to get the glass back in before it starts to rain ;-)

Only 4 screws? Okay. And if it does need new "mechanism" parts, I will be tripping to Pic-a-Part. Between you and me, the one here in Vegas is awesome ;-)

I've been looking at the factory service manual. The drawings are very confusing but with the help of a friend I think I can do it.

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom ❤

 

[1TrueGambit]

Well like I said there is a couple of phillips head screws on either side of the track buyou must have the the roof popped up to locate some of screws will allow you to remove the roof it's self then you must remove the remaining screws on the track then go to the rear inside the car ans the is a compartment in the roof rear remove that then remove the motor assembly then you can pull the entire track out through the the front the where the the moonroof is or was then reverse to install the the good track and then do it all in reverse to reassemble you sholud do this on one from the jujkyard first si if any mistakes are made it won't be on your car hope all of this helps