1997 J30 power antenna mast installation -- where to begin?

[InfinitiFreak101]

Howdy

I'm trying to fix my power antenna unit, the antenna of which was chopped off by the previous owner. Ive got the new mast and removed the trunk's cloth panels which blocked way to the power antenna motor. But I dont know where to go from here.

How do I remove the motor? There's a metal bar attached to the jack that won't come undone, and I can't get to the motor screws.

Can anyone offer more detail on getting the power antenna motor out?

Thanks

[fourdrinie]

do you have just the mast or the entire antenna unit?Once you let us know which you have, we can give you help.

[InfinitiFreak101]

Just the mast.

[fourdrinie]

you replace the antenna mast from the top....use a needle nose plier and unscrew the top chrome piece....its one piece....turn the radio on so the antenna goes up....the mast will come up....notice which way the teeth are oriented...either to the front of the car or the rear...pull it all the way....put the new mast thru the chrome top nut and feed it into the hole while turning the radio off which will pull in the mast, feeding the notches the same direction it came out...if it doesnt go in all the way, repeat the raising and lowering of the mast by turning the radio off and on. Then replace the nut like it came out

[InfinitiFreak101]

Well, I unscrewed the chrome nut until it came loose, then it came out with the original cut off end of the antenna at the top of it, and what looks like a segment of antenna below. I turned on the radio and heard the antenna motor run but saw nothing else. I turned it off and heard the motor run but nothing else

Now I have the chrome nut with the segment of antenna stuck in it. What do I do? Is the chrome nut supposed to be all alone? Where did the original antenna mast/plastic go? Did I do something wrong?

Thank you for any responses you have offered, I want to fix this desperatly

[rsiwicki]

check out this site....very very useful

http://www.fuzzycats.com/j30_diy.htm

[InfinitiFreak101]

Thank you but I already started with those instructions. They simply do not offer enough detail to help me when I have very little mechanical experience or knowledge of j30's.

[fourdrinie]

is the part of the antenna that came out (the part with the teeth on it) as long as the new replacement antenna part? If it is, youre fine to separate the nut from the antenna mast and feed the new antenna thru the nut and lower it into the car by turning the radio on....

If the part of the antenna is shorter than the new replacement antenna mast, then there is mast still left in the power antenna housing which must be removed by removing the antenna housing from the trunk and opening it up and clearing it out...very messy...but do-able...if youre not as mechanically inclined as you say...find someone who is.

[InfinitiFreak101]

EDIT:Alright, did it!

Once I used a needlenose to seperate the chrome nut from the old antenna, I fed the new antenna mast with the plastic gears facing towards the rear of the vehicle, it went in 90%. Then I turned the radio on again, then off again very quickly (without pause between them) and it pulled the new antenna in. Then I screwd the chrome nut on till tight. DONE

Thanks everyone for the help especially the post above.
Modified by saw192837 at 3:45 PM 9/2/2005