Hopefully this will help others in the future.

My PS door lock actuator died.I did not want to
pay stealer prices so I grabbed a DORMAN 746-147
Actuator off Ebay for like $31.00 or so.

First to remove the old unit. You have to pull the
inner door panel 100% then you need to disconnect the
wire connector from the bottom of the actuator. It is
a normal type connector w/ keeper, pull straight down.

Now you have to drill out the rivet that holds it to the door.
Look at the outside of the door down low and you will
see a large rivet. Just grab a dril w/ maybe a .2" drill bit
and hog out the center of things and all of a sudden it
will all pop loose. To get the unit out it helps if you
just look at the long rod that comes with the new unit.
Just pull the actuator and rod out as one unit.

The actuator comes w/ several rods, you get to
assemble the lift rod of your choice, I selected the longest rod.
After drilling the tiny hole in the rod a wee bit bigger
so it would actually go together (sigh) I was faced
with how to set the height of the rod. If you rip
the rubber off the old unit you will see it is actually
a rotation action that raises and lowers the rod. Well,
I screwed it as low as it would go, but I don't think
that matters a whole lot.


Next I unbolted one bolt that holds the lower window
track in place so I could see things and wiggled the new
unit w/ rod already attached and wire connected into place.
Get it lined up and have your new rivet ready.


I used a McMaster.com rivet #97525A550 WITH a thick washer.
You will need a rivet gun that will pull an 18-8 mandrel I
believe it is. Pop the rivet and test.


Just having the above P/N's will help a lot.

 

Thanks so much for this write up. I have the same issue.

 

Just a FYI. Ford used the same actuators from the mid 80s till the 2000s from cars and trucks
The only difference is the rod that threads on