Window alignment

Over the years here on the Prime I have garnered invaluble information on the NSX. It’s my turn to contribute.
Please excuse the spelling errors…
Here we go.
I decided to align my windows myself. After consulting with a NSX Master Tech I decided it could be done with an afternoon or 2…
The degree of difficulty is about a 7 on a scale of 10. So if you need your windows aligned and have the ability, time and tools then read on.

Disclaimer: Everything here is based on my experience with this procedure. For warrented results get a quote from your local Acura Servive Department.

Consult your year manual for any changes/addendums.

If you havent replaced your “window thinghys” with the Dali part, do so before alignment when door guts are taken apart.

OK, so here is my take:
Tools-
-Body panel prying tool as shown
-Allen wrench *Metric.
-Weatherstrip adhesive black, (Wal-Mart) *Really nasty stuff. Get another person to help at this stage. Unless you want it on the body of your NSX!
-Metric sockets and wrenches. *You will need a deep well 10mm socket for the removal of the rear pillar panel.
-blue tape
-flashlight
-Honda super high temp urea greese. *Most Honda/Acura dealers will have this in stock.
-Any other tools deam to do the job.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429tools.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429window_sealer.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429greese.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429towels.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429glass_cleaner.jpg
The NSX manual calls for measuring the window gap with all the trim and associated panels removed. These measurements are somewhat critical. Getting my digital calipers in the space required was impossible. I suppose Honda makes a measuring tool for this. I made my own “gap gauges.” using 1/8 inch Baltic Birch plywood and cut them close to spec and then using my upright belt sander I fine sanded them to spec. Using a set of digital caliper to match the required mm width.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429spacers.jpg
Step 1:

Assuming you don’t need door adjustment. If so see below diagram 20-18

Lower window fully.
Remove the inner trim plate. *shark gill leather thinghy. Use a putty knife or flat blade screwdriver covered in a sturdy cloth!
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642994.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642993.jpg
Step 2:
Remove the inside door handle. *page 20-6 manual below.
There are 8 screws total, (4 black/4 gold.) Be sure and not get them mixed up when reinstalling the inner door handle. You will ruin the plastic attaching threads if you do! Take a piece of masking tape and mark which side they go on for reassembly. *see pix.
Remove the door lock cable. *Note which of the three settings it is in the clip for reinstal.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642971.jpg
Disconnect the plug for the power door lock.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642961.jpg
Step 3:
Remove the front & rear sash covers. *Use body tool. Be careful of the two stubborn clips holding them in place.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642991.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642981.jpg
Step 4:
Remove the screws holding the door panel on the door. There are 7 screws total. They are hidden under the weatherstriping, (no pix.)
The weatherstrip may come loose from the door. Use the body tool to pry the plastic fastner from the door. Re-attach during reassembly.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642992.jpg
Now comes the hard part. Removing the door panel. The panel is held in place at the top where it meets the sill. Place one hand under the panel,
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642993.jpg
and the other hand at end of jamb near the lock. Now simultaneously push up to relieve the door from the top sill and pull out/slightly backwards with the other hand. You may have to bump it from below to losen from the sill. *Beware there are many connectors still attached to the panel.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642994.jpg
Now while balancing the panel on your thigh disconnect the following:
1-Trunk lid opener, (driver door only.)
2-Power window
3-Courtesy light
4-Security alarm
Once the panel is free, Do not rest it right side up. You will damage the fasting tabs. Place on towel upside down or flat.
Step 5:
Remove the Bose Speaker/Amp unit. *Unscrew and Unplug. At this time feel free to shot-put the Bose into the nearest brick wall. It might be the best thing to do with this failure prone thing.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642997.jpg
Step 6:
Remover the Control switch panel. *The thinghy the has the up/down window switch in the door panel. *4 screws.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429993.jpg
You will need to use this to make the window go up/down during alignment. Connect to the power plug as needed during alignment check.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429994.jpg
Step 7: Remove the Weather stripping. Remove the plastic fastners at each end. *Note: The fastner in the very front is of different size. Use body tool to lift them out.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291001.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291000.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291002.jpg

Clean body metal underneath weatherstrip with a non-paint removing solvent. I used denatured alcohol. But there are other options. If weatherstrip is worn/old. Call Acura, get in other car, get new weather strip.

Step 8:
Remove furry strip near weather strip. It is held in place by self friction and is tucked under the body panels at both ends. I had no problem during reassembly to just tuck it back in at both ends. I don’t know if the manual calls for the removal of this furry strip, but when you re-attach the weatherstripping with the weatherstrip adhesive it will get on the furry strip if not removed….
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291005.jpg
Step 9:
Take break. Have lunch.
Step 10:
Remove the front pillar trim panel. *The long body trim piece that is painted running from front of body to top back of body.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291003.jpg
Remove the rear trim panel. *3 screws.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291004.jpg
Step 11:
Remove the rear pillar panel. This is the sail like painted panel just aft of the window. This part was the hardest step. You need this removed to measure during align period. You have to remove the rear inside trim panel, and a portion of the headliner panel and the seat belt bolt.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291006.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291007.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291008.jpg
Now the hard part. The rear pillar panel is held in place by a nut on elongated shafts, (2 shafts total.)
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291010.jpg
and some body clips. Use your 10mm deep socket to get at these nuts. Prying back the headliner taking care as to not bend it too much,

Pix is 10mm socket turned by hand.

http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291009.jpg
(I suppose you could remove the whole headliner, but thats too much.)
Once the nuts are loosend take extra care as to not drop them in the body cavity. I cannot stress this enough. The elongated shafts are there to help you not drop them into the body of the car.
Pix of shaft without nut.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291012.jpg
Pix of inside pillar without nuts.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291011.jpg
Step 12:
Loosen the 4 bolts holding the regulator assembly. *Middle top/bottom of door. *Pix taken from above.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429998.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429991.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/642998.jpg
Step 13:
Loosen the 1 bolt at the front and rear sash, (2 bolts to loosen total.) The one that is non adjusting.

Top bolt in pix.

http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429995.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429996.jpg
Loosen both the front and rear sash adjusting nuts. *Use a box wrench with a allen wrench so as to not change adjustment. Truth be told. The nut can be loosend without the allen wrench using a socket.

The first pix below is of adjusting the rear glass guide nut, not the sash adjust nut.

Pix is used for wrench demo only.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429999.jpg

The pix below is one of the sash adjusting nut, (lower nut in pix.)

There is one adjusting nut for each sash. loosen them both.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429995.jpg
It may happen where the adjusting nut is stubborn and you can’t hold the inner screw portion with the allen wrench while turning the outside nut with box wrench. If this is the case, do not force it. Remove the allen wrench and completly unscrew the adjusting bolt/nut with the box wrench. Get two same size metric nuts and thread them on the opposite end, jamming them against eah other. Clamp them your vice and unscrew the adjusting nut with box wrench.
Clean entire bolt/nut with whatever it takes to remove gunk/grime. *Pix shown is a toothpick in allen hole.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429992.jpg
Step 14:
Move both the front and rear sash fore & aft to to align the door glass with the body at the front and center pillar. *No pix. Simply move the front one forward and the aft one back.
Step 15:
Loosen the nuts securing the rear glass guide. and adjust the fore and aft by moving the glass guide. * This was kind of hoksey at best. See diagram page # 20-15 below.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429999.jpg
Step 16:
Carefully close door while holding glass at top, (prevents shattering window if you slam it with no protecting weatherstrip.)
Loosen the bolts at the stopper plates and adjust so that clearance “H” is within spec. *See page 20-15 diagram below.
Take your marking/measuring device(s) and measure the “H” clearance. *See daigram page 20-14 below for specs. Measured at 5 points along window.

Note. The measure “H” is the top of glass to the frame. ie; how far up the window is to the frame. Truth be told. This spec is usually not out of whack. The critical adjust is the “B” measure, ie: how far the window is from the inside to the weatherstrip. This “B” measure is how far the window is bowed out or in. *usually out=wind noise at high speed.

Step 17:
Adjust “B” clearance by loosening the 4 nuts on the front & rear glass guides.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429999.jpg
Turn each bolt with the allen wrench the same amount
Turning the allen counterclockwise lessen the clearance between window and frame. “sucks top of window closer to body.”
Sit in car. take measuring device and measure along the 5 points as referenced in the diagram 20-14 below.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291013.jpg
Step 18:
Greese window rails with Honda urea greese. *reach around rails with glop on finger, spread at will.

if you have not installed the Dali window fixit thinghy, too late!

Posted elsewhere here on Prime. Pix is of old plastic part. Yes I replaced it before I did the alignment.
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/64291014.jpg
Step 19:
Tighten everything back up. Just reverse the order above.
Check alignment specs again before putting the body panels/weatherstriping back on.
I’m sure I forgot something. Please feel free to add a post of any corrections you may have.
Good luck!
Skyguy
Pages from a 1991 NSX shop manual below:
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429scan_9.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429scan_9b.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429scan_9c.jpg
http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/data/500/6429scan_9d.jpg
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