Milgard windows with no takeout clips

Sorry to hear of your trouble. We have had plenty of customers encounter a similar issue when their existing take-out clips were misplaced. Not even having a slit for them to begin with is a little weird, but also not necessarily surprising in this business, as manufacturers aren't exactly upset if you are left with the impression that you have no choice other than to replace the whole dang window! At any rate, we do have a working solution for customers who are missing their take-out clips, and I think it could work in your situation too. 

What you'll need to do is drill screws into the window jamb, perhaps halfway up to the very top (see the video below, you'd normally drill these screws in right below where the take-out clips would be). When you raise the sash, the head of the screws should catch the channel balances, just like the take-out clips would. You should be able to then remove the sash and follow the replacement procedure as shown in our video below. This isn't an ideal solution, as you'll need to remove the screws whenever the window is in regular use. But it's your only option in lieu of having any take-out clips, and we've found it will work in your situation. Let me know if you have any questions. 

Awesome! Thanks for reporting back. Yes, this is not an uncommon dilemma, which could lead to giving up on replacing the balances if one doesn't know this little trick, so I'm glad you came to us. Let us know if you ever need anything else, and thanks again for reaching out. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the odds are very high that you won't be able to remove your sash at all. It looks like you have an old, aluminum builder's grade window, which were mass produced for use in new constructions several decades ago. These are not meant to be repaired and were not designed for maintenance. Rather, the manufacturer wanted you to just buy a new window instead.

That's not helpful when the people who made this window are likely long since out of business, unfortunately, but that is the scenario you're in now. It is possible to remove the sash but it requires partial disassembly of the entire window frame just to get to it. I wouldn't try it. Instead, your next step should be to contact a local professional to come out and look at this window for you.