Convertible top repair issue

[yan]

howdy all...

my 996 soft top is in need of some repairs. as you can see from pictures, the wire which runs on the very edge of the top snapped at the very bottom (only clip is left in place):

because of the wire not pulling on the side of the top, it does not end up sitting inside the grove properly:

it looks like i should be able to pull the old cable out and put a new one in. the questions are:

1. is this an easy DIY project? (looks like it)

2. i could not find how the wire is secured on the opposite end.

3. any special tools i might need?

thanks.

[yan]

sorry for the bump...

anybody (loren) has info on how i can replace part number 996 561 931 01 (tension rope)?

that is what broke...

[1schoir]

howdy all...

my 996 soft top is in need of some repairs. as you can see from pictures, the wire which runs on the very edge of the top snapped at the very bottom (only clip is left in place):

because of the wire not pulling on the side of the top, it does not end up sitting inside the grove properly:

it looks like i should be able to pull the old cable out and put a new one in. the questions are:

1. is this an easy DIY project? (looks like it)

2. i could not find how the wire is secured on the opposite end.

3. any special tools i might need?

thanks.

Yan:

I'm not 100% sure if the tension rope and where it attaches on the other end is similar to a Boxster's top, but if it is, it is a DIY which is not too difficult, but does take some time. No special tools required.

On the Boxster, that tension cable terminates at a connection to an aluminum "shoulder plate" which is glued into and screwed in to one of the metal folding frame members of the convertible top mechanism. To access it, you will have to peel off the front of the canvas (where it meets the windshield frame) and undo the rubber gasket that covers the part of the metal folding frame to get access to the four screws that hold the aluminum shoulder plate in place.

Take a look at Mike Focke's Boxster Pages and read up on the Convertible Top DIY pages there to see if your 996 top is similar. I posted some additional instructions and photos there when I installed my top this past summer, but if you need additional photos that might help you figure it out, let me know and I'll post some more specific photos.

Here is one photo that shows how the cable it attached at the aluminum shoulder plate end:

Note that the black plastic covering on the end of the cable is heat shrink tubing that covers a spring (the spring keeps some tension on the cable).

Here is the link to Mike Focke's Boxster Pages for the top: http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/replacingthetop-adiy

Regards, Maurice.