KWIKEE STEP MOTOR REPLACEMENT SERIES 32

[Community Alumni]

NOTE THIS THREAD IS VERY OLD I HAVE SINCE DROPPED THE PHOTOS FROM MY HOSTING SITE.



I had problems with my Kwikee step Series 32. The steps on occasion would not retract. I had to tap the motor with a hammer while closing the door to get them to work even in doing this it was may or not work on the next try. I had lubricated the steps and linkage, and checked the door switch, controller, and battery voltage using the Technical tips on the Kwikee Step internet site. Also I took the motor off the gear box and checked for any worn, or broken parts in the gear box. All checked out fine. This left the step motor as being the part that needed replacement.

I had seen a post from member bsinmich in the forum and contacted him for more information. He said that he used a front door window lift motor that was suppose to fit a 1990 Lincoln.

I called a large RV parts dealer in Texas, and told him that I needed a motor for a 32 series Kwikee step. He said that I could not get just a motor that I would have to buy the complete kit that included the controller, gear box and motor as a matched kit. The cost was $209 for the kit. I told him that I had heard that the motor was a window lift motor. He said that he had not heard that and that he doubted that information.

I did research and found that by looking on the NAPA internet site they had photos of the lift motors. I found that a 1986-1995 Ford Taurus left front window lift motor matched my motor. NAPA part # BK655-1395 $63.99 I ordered my motor from Auto-Zone Manufactured by Dorman part# 742-206. This has a lifetime Warranty and was $49.99.

05-29-08
***NOTE: Gferris has brought to my attention that the photo of the new motor I have does not match the photo of the Dorman 742-206 on their site it matches the motor 742-205. Just wanted to tell you that.
With that said I ordered a drivers door window lift motor from Auto Zone for a 1986-1995 Taurus. I got the a box that was from Dorman part number 742-206 on the box. The motor that was in the box was the one I photographed and installed. If they have changed motor designs or if the wrong motor was in the box I got I have no further explanation. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

With the parts cleaned, I put the conversion gear on the new motor, this is a very tight fit and is machined to fit with no play. Care is needed when it is tapped back on the new motor gear so you don’t misalign the pin and the gear.


Next place the motor locating pin in the top of the conversion gear. This pin goes into the hole on the top of the gear box.



With the step linkage taken out of the gear box, I marked one side of the square in the linkage hole in the center, cleaned out the old grease, checked for any damaged teeth and put new grease in the box next I re-indexed the main gear turning it 180 degrees using the marked square in the center of the gear as a guide.



Next I put the linkage back into place and put the linkage bushing back into the cover plate.





Reinstalling the motor using care that the gearing and the pin is in place and the motor gear housing is seated against the gear box. The plate goes on next and the three bolts. With the motor tightened down the next thing I did was to attach the red wire and the yellow wire to their respective colors placing heat shrink tubing on the wires and then soldering the ends together.



All in all, the task took 1 hour. Care should be taken when the linkage is pulled because the steps will be free to move. Also you should compare the your motor with photos on NAPA, incase Kwikee Step used different motor and gear combinations.

[theburren]

theburren wrote:

theburren wrote:

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

Hmmm. I'd like a manual switch too, actually...
sadly, I'm having trouble understanding completely what you recommended--
Is there a "How to convert your Kwikee steps to Manual using a 3 way switch for Dummies" version?

Very polite thread--
Lots of help and advice:)

For anyone reading this in the future, whose control unit goes bad like mine did--
Here are 2 switches that work perfectly when wired directly to the 2 wires feeding the motor unit--no modifications needed... just connect the hot wire and ground to the center terminals, and then reverse the 2 motor wires so that the polarity reverses.. making the motor retract..

The DPDT Switch, ON/OFF/ON Positions, 6 Blade Terminals here:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=109405&catalogId=10001&...

Or this:

http://www.valmarmarine.com/productdetail/ProdDetail-27237.asp

[theburren]

theburren wrote:

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

Hmmm. I'd like a manual switch too, actually...
sadly, I'm having trouble understanding completely what you recommended--
Is there a "How to convert your Kwikee steps to Manual using a 3 way switch for Dummies" version?

Very polite thread--
Lots of help and advice:)

[D_E_Bishop]

MopaRV wrote:
Just testing to see if I can post a pic

By rummyron at 2009-11-25

Try this link, it took me two years to find the exact motor. I tried the spacers and all that junk and accidently found a link to ACI and there it was.

[D_E_Bishop]

Johnny G1 wrote:
I have had to take the motor off to release the steps twice now because they were jammed, seemed over centre for some reason, driving me nuts, have had to replace the crooked arm the second time now because of over pressure and it is brokin again, have reset the step stop bolts so don't know where to go next, other than put a manual switch on and for get about all the automatic stuff, have thought of a 3 way switch, any thoughts would be very much appreiated.

If your motor is applying that much torque you have a bad controller. The controller senses the current rise when the arm hits the stop on the gear casting. The only thing the adjustable stops do is keep the steps from rattling. The controller is expensive but it beats tearing the stupid motor/gear assembly apart.

Someone listed the old address and phone numbers for Kwikee. They were bought out by a gear company that makes slide mechinisms for RVs. They will not deal with end users and sometimes they will not deal with dealers either. Good luck finding someone knowledgable to help you.

[theburren]

C-Leigh Racing wrote:
That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

Hmmm. I'd like a manual switch too, actually...
sadly, I'm having trouble understanding completely what you recommended--
Is there a "How to convert your Kwikee steps to Manual using a 3 way switch for Dummies" version?

[C-Leigh_Racing]

That three way switch sounds good.
One 12V hot wire with a jumper wire hooked to the other switch side & then two wires from each switch side, then all four wires running from the switch to the motor connector plug end converted down to two wires.

Walla, overide switch doing away with that crazy control box & D/H will get a little recongnition boost from on looking thinking hes opening the door like a gentelman & helping D/W out of the M/H.
Neil

[Johnny_G1]

I have had to take the motor off to release the steps twice now because they were jammed, seemed over centre for some reason, driving me nuts, have had to replace the crooked arm the second time now because of over pressure and it is brokin again, have reset the step stop bolts so don't know where to go next, other than put a manual switch on and for get about all the automatic stuff, have thought of a 3 way switch, any thoughts would be very much appreiated.

[theburren]

I have a model #909506000 sealed control unit with newer (used) steps that I think I may have sizzled. I decided to re-run my ground from the main fuel tank since the gauge stopped working, and as luck would have it the ground wire location for my Kwikee steps was most accessible on my '92 Safari-- I didn't disconnect the battery power to the steps before removing its ground. It sparked a bit, but nothing major--
So I attached the new ground from the fuel tank, but after reconnecting the Kwikee ground wire my steps would not stay extended.
The steps would go down and then immediately back up into the retracted position regardless of whether the door was open or closed. I made sure everything was back the way it was...checked the fuses.. nothing.
There is an open purple wire coming from the control unit wiring harness that I believe was unattached previously, since there is nothing I see that it could connect to. Its an old coach and the wires were all tied up underneath. After playing with the unit for a bit trying to figure out if I fried the insides by disconnecting the ground without disconnecting it from the battery.. the motor unit has stopped retracting and appears seized in the extended position.

Is it possible that I fried the control unit JUST by removing the ground? Thats all I did.. honest--

The light goes out and the control unit clicks when shut the door but the motor doesn't make a noise and doesn't move--
Thanks

[D_E_Bishop]

Dorman no longer makes that motor but ACI does and AutoZone carries it. See my post, Part number and mfg of Kwikee step motor dated 01-14-12, for details.

[jsimons3]

Just replaced mine a week ago. Bought the conversion kit for series 32 ... 202 dollars ppl houston tx. ....solved all my problems.

[rad_valve]

folivier wrote:
I have Kwikee series 32 made in 1993 steps. The large metal gear in the gear housing had a couple broken teeth. I ended up turning the gear so that it uses the other side and it is working for now. \\
I sure would like to find a new METAL gear. I really hate the thought of having to pay so much for the conversion kit from Kwikee that has the plastic gears.
anybody ever found the gear or gear case assembly?

This it the company that made the gear boxes and linkages and gears for Kwikee I don't know if you can get parts from them.

http://www.henrymfg.com/default.asp?active_page_id=1

[folivier]

I have Kwikee series 32 made in 1993 steps. The large metal gear in the gear housing had a couple broken teeth. I ended up turning the gear so that it uses the other side and it is working for now. \\
I sure would like to find a new METAL gear. I really hate the thought of having to pay so much for the conversion kit from Kwikee that has the plastic gears.
anybody ever found the gear or gear case assembly?

[vladen]

ya its definately a motor they use in car and truckwndows, thanks this will save me some research or buyin that foolish kit

[jtfcons]

longhauler wrote:
Most likely this is a common commutator style DC motor and the brushes are worn down quite a bit or there is a bad spot on the armature. When Randy taps the motor with a hammer, it is making the brushes in the motor shift and come into contact with the armature or it is causing the armature to shift slightly moving one or more of the brushes off the bad spot. In a lot of cases, motors like these are not setup to be repaired in the field since the cases are sealed o keep out the weather and one has to open them like a can to get to the internals. So a field overhaul is just not possible. One can only swap out the motor as a complete unit like Randy had to. Killer deal on finding the cross over part. I have had to do the same thing with my vette a couple times.

I am sure I will face this same project one day soon as well. I pick up my 95 Destiny M400SI next friday. Drop me a PM about the manual you have. I think I am going to definately need it. Nice write up on the repair, photos, and documentation Randy!

The OP's repair is neat, but, as described above the DC motor brush/armature contact gets worn out. On mine, I took the motor off the gear box, rotated the armature a bit, and put it back together. It's ran fine for 3 years now. The reassembly of the motor, that is, keeping all those small parts in the right place to get it back together was tedious, but very possible. If doing it again and knowing that the assembly was available for <$50, I would probably buy it.

[Community Alumni]

I see, yes we were talking about two different gears. I thought you meant the gears actuating the steps. I have had my Dorman motor in now for 4 years. Gosh has it been that long..wow how fast time flies.