1966 mercury comet
 

I have a 1966 mercury comet that I am restoring. The drivers side window, which is a manual crank, rolls up and down but when I roll it up and release the crank it automatically rolls down. It wont hold in any position. What is causing this and how do I fix it? Matt

There is a flat balancing spring included in the window regulator assy. I would suspect it probably has become disconnected or broken. You may be able to find one similar from another manual unit.

I don't have a pix to show,but it is a flat spiral wound spring that is quite common on any vehicle that has manual windows. It is about 1/2 in wide has a flat inner tail that indexes with the regulator assy and has another tail to keep some tension on it so it doesn't fall out. If you remove the door panel on your vehicle you will be able to see it then ask a dealer what he has that looks close to what is in your car. You'll know just by looking at it if it will work. I forgot to mention stick with a ford vehicle because some other makes use a nylon band with holes to move the window.

Yes, like hanky, I'm having flashbacks to exactly what these used. The counterbalance spring (which is what's broken on yours) has become disconneted from the mechanism.
If I remember these correctly, These were like an old large "X" type regulator, which was used on just about everything back then. I think one corner of that spring is attached to the oppisite arm to balance the weight of the window glass. When the nylon rollers break, or the spring rusts off the regulator, that is the result.
Try to see what you can make work to fix it. If you're lucky to live near anywhere a swap meet takes place, then you could possibly find some parts or someone with a brighter soloution. I've lost a lot of brain cells, and I try not to give it too much tought to back when people actually had the determintation to roll up the window manually. My job requires me to not think past what was before power windows.
Of course, I try to think rationally and hope that someone can still remember those days.
After all think about it. This car is 40 or so years old, and is just now having window problems. Do you think a power window will work in that many years?