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Phil Marx · 10-23-2009, 07:11 PM

Great write-up. Much of this has been touched-on before by others here and elsewhere in dribbs and drabs. Nice to have all the methodology together in one post.

After doing this years ago with no repeats of regulator failure (knock on wood done), I recently had to revisit the passenger door panel because the door-panel clips all came apart. I delayed, thinking it was one on which I'd already fixed the panel-clip supports but yesterday I found out it wasn't so I was in relatively virgin territory except for #9 and
#10 clips which had apparently been done with hot-glue by the dealer under warranty for the previous owner (tip: don't waste your time with hot glue!).

So, knowing my drivers door panel repair had worked for well over four years, I set out to apply that same method to this panel and I thought I'd add to this post with my resolution of the door-panel problem.

My first deviation from the method offered in the first post here is to NOT remove the factory glue which has never come loose from the door panel. It doesn't bond well to the plastic clips but it is obstinately tenacious on the fiberboard panel. If you don't remove it it makes positioning the clip supports so much easier as they fit only one way in the original blob of adhesive, and the numbers are visible in the adhesive blob to properly orient the supports.

I did, however, use a medium sandpaper to rough-up the contact surface on the old adhesive blob where the support seats, working around the molded number to help re-positioning the supports. Next I took each support and drilled six holes of about 1/8" in diameter in the supports from the contact side (to minimize burrs on that surface. I put one in each corner, leaving enough around the edge and avoiding the little posts on some corners, and two in the middle which on some meant inside the "tower" on the support or close to it's base without causing any structural deficiencies. Then I sanded the contact surface of each base with the same medium sandpaper just enough to rough it up but not enough to obliterated the molded-in number.

I then mixed up about half the tubes of a small JB Weld "Quick" package with a popsicle stick cut like a chisel, and slathered it on each clip, one at a time, so that some entered each hole, and pressed each clip in place so the JB Quick oozes out the holes before applying the JB Quick to the next clip. You get about four minutes of working time before the JB Weld sets up so if you're quick (no pun intended) you can do all ten at once, or mix up some more for the last few, if you have to.

Let it setup for twelve hours. I went out to re-install the panel this morning and it was raining so I hurriedly snapped it in-place only to remember I'd forgotten to connect the speakers and the door panel had to come off. That would be a real test of the adhesive application—and they all passed!

Another frustration is the way the top of the door panel attaches to the door frame. When the clip supports fail the panel comes out of the metal clips at the door slot wiper and normally folks just try to press it back into place. Eventually the panel can crack horizontally along the upper edge, inside the curved section from the loose panel hanging on the door-opening gasket or other handling issues. This time I carefully removed the six-or-so top metal clips with the wiper molding still attached to them by prying the tabs gently out of the recesses in the door skin. I then installed the entire strip with the clips on the panel taking care to note depressions indicating past position, and slipped the door-panel assembly over the door slot edge and snapped it all in place against the raised window glass. It was much simpler than I thought it would be and actually easier than trying to get the panel to "bite" into the clips while they are still attached to the door. I believe this is how the old BMW manuals showed how to do it on a 2002 but I don't bother with the manuals on the newer cars so Bentley may already show this as the proper procedure. Or not.

All the clips lined up perfectly, with only a small bit of crawling underneath to help the alignment to the hole due to the free-play within the clip supports, and that darn panel fits as well as it ever did, which isn't really saying much since the crappy production standards on these little cars never had them fitting that well at the top of the rear-edge of the doors even when new.

Anyway, just thought I'd add that wordy addition to a great thread so others might benefit from my experience. I hope never to have to go in there again! As cheap insurance, I've kept a new-in-bag window regulator in the trunk for four years, not telling the car which side it's for. I think it's scared-straight!

10-23-2009, 07:11 PM	#64
Phil Marx Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 368 iTrader: (0) Photo Gallery	More info on gluing door panel clip-supports Great write-up. Much of this has been touched-on before by others here and elsewhere in dribbs and drabs. Nice to have all the methodology together in one post. After doing this years ago with no repeats of regulator failure (knock on wood done), I recently had to revisit the passenger door panel because the door-panel clips all came apart. I delayed, thinking it was one on which I'd already fixed the panel-clip supports but yesterday I found out it wasn't so I was in relatively virgin territory except for #9 and #10 clips which had apparently been done with hot-glue by the dealer under warranty for the previous owner (tip: don't waste your time with hot glue!). So, knowing my drivers door panel repair had worked for well over four years, I set out to apply that same method to this panel and I thought I'd add to this post with my resolution of the door-panel problem. My first deviation from the method offered in the first post here is to NOT remove the factory glue which has never come loose from the door panel. It doesn't bond well to the plastic clips but it is obstinately tenacious on the fiberboard panel. If you don't remove it it makes positioning the clip supports so much easier as they fit only one way in the original blob of adhesive, and the numbers are visible in the adhesive blob to properly orient the supports. I did, however, use a medium sandpaper to rough-up the contact surface on the old adhesive blob where the support seats, working around the molded number to help re-positioning the supports. Next I took each support and drilled six holes of about 1/8" in diameter in the supports from the contact side (to minimize burrs on that surface. I put one in each corner, leaving enough around the edge and avoiding the little posts on some corners, and two in the middle which on some meant inside the "tower" on the support or close to it's base without causing any structural deficiencies. Then I sanded the contact surface of each base with the same medium sandpaper just enough to rough it up but not enough to obliterated the molded-in number. I then mixed up about half the tubes of a small JB Weld "Quick" package with a popsicle stick cut like a chisel, and slathered it on each clip, one at a time, so that some entered each hole, and pressed each clip in place so the JB Quick oozes out the holes before applying the JB Quick to the next clip. You get about four minutes of working time before the JB Weld sets up so if you're quick (no pun intended) you can do all ten at once, or mix up some more for the last few, if you have to. Let it setup for twelve hours. I went out to re-install the panel this morning and it was raining so I hurriedly snapped it in-place only to remember I'd forgotten to connect the speakers and the door panel had to come off. That would be a real test of the adhesive application—and they all passed! Another frustration is the way the top of the door panel attaches to the door frame. When the clip supports fail the panel comes out of the metal clips at the door slot wiper and normally folks just try to press it back into place. Eventually the panel can crack horizontally along the upper edge, inside the curved section from the loose panel hanging on the door-opening gasket or other handling issues. This time I carefully removed the six-or-so top metal clips with the wiper molding still attached to them by prying the tabs gently out of the recesses in the door skin. I then installed the entire strip with the clips on the panel taking care to note depressions indicating past position, and slipped the door-panel assembly over the door slot edge and snapped it all in place against the raised window glass. It was much simpler than I thought it would be and actually easier than trying to get the panel to "bite" into the clips while they are still attached to the door. I believe this is how the old BMW manuals showed how to do it on a 2002 but I don't bother with the manuals on the newer cars so Bentley may already show this as the proper procedure. Or not. All the clips lined up perfectly, with only a small bit of crawling underneath to help the alignment to the hole due to the free-play within the clip supports, and that darn panel fits as well as it ever did, which isn't really saying much since the crappy production standards on these little cars never had them fitting that well at the top of the rear-edge of the doors even when new. Anyway, just thought I'd add that wordy addition to a great thread so others might benefit from my experience. I hope never to have to go in there again! As cheap insurance, I've kept a new-in-bag window regulator in the trunk for four years, not telling the car which side it's for. I think it's scared-straight! Last edited by Phil Marx; 10-23-2009 at 07:13 PM.