Hardtop Help Again

[Mike M]

Hi all...

Still trying to properly adjust my newly acquired hardtop on my 2000S.

I've tried every combination of loosening and tightening,pushing and pulling that I can think of

and I'm still not happy. The passenger side fits perfectly. On the driver's side the front of the top

is easily 15mm away from lining up with the front of the quarter panel. This causes wind and water leaks at the back of the door window, as the seal on the top doesn't fit snuggly to the glass.

I hope I'm explaining this in a way that's understandable!!

Anyway...I just can't see how I'll ever get that much movement to get it to fit.

I guess it's possible that the top or the car is twisted,but I highly doubt it's the car.

Am I missing something?

Any and all suggestions are really appreciated.

Cheers

Mike

[KevinH90]

Other than this: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...c=10070&hl=

which you probably saw when I posted it on the 986Forum, I can't think of too much else. I know I had a very difficult time when I first installed my top. (It was a very bad feeling since I was about 300 miles from home.)

I think the technique that finally worked for me was this:

1. The seller and I stood on opposite sides of the car.

2. We aligned the top with the windshield header.

3. We pressed the spinlocks down into the receivers and turned the handles while pushing down on the back of the top.

I'm beginning to wonder if the pressure might have forced the top to align to the shape of my car, but I'm not advocating that you use brute force to make it fit.

Here are some "thinking out loud" ideas:

1. Was the top ever dropped or involved in some type of accident?

2. Is something causing the spin locks to be out of alignment?

3. Were the spinlock inserts installed correctly in your car? If I recall correctly there are different inserts for each side of the car. Did your dealer sell you one of each or two identical parts?

4. Have you asked someone else to look at it? Even if they are not a Porsche enthusiast, a fresh look from someone who is mechanically inclined may point out something you missed.

Good luck. I know from experience this can be frustrating. If you are anywhere near Richmond, VA I'd be happy to take a look at it.

[Mike M]

Other than this: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...c=10070&hl=

which you probably saw when I posted it on the 986Forum, I can't think of too much else. I know I had a very difficult time when I first installed my top. (It was a very bad feeling since I was about 300 miles from home.)

I think the technique that finally worked for me was this:

1. The seller and I stood on opposite sides of the car.

2. We aligned the top with the windshield header.

3. We pressed the spinlocks down into the receivers and turned the handles while pushing down on the back of the top.

I'm beginning to wonder if the pressure might have forced the top to align to the shape of my car, but I'm not advocating that you use brute force to make it fit.

Here are some "thinking out loud" ideas:

1. Was the top ever dropped or involved in some type of accident?

2. Is something causing the spin locks to be out of alignment?

3. Were the spinlock inserts installed correctly in your car? If I recall correctly there are different inserts for each side of the car. Did your dealer sell you one of each or two identical parts?

4. Have you asked someone else to look at it? Even if they are not a Porsche enthusiast, a fresh look from someone who is mechanically inclined may point out something you missed.

Good luck. I know from experience this can be frustrating. If you are anywhere near Richmond, VA I'd be happy to take a look at it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I was very careful to install the spinlocks correctly. They are actually labeled L and R.

The top is in perfect condition as is the car. That being said it's possible that something is out of whack

causing the top to fit poorly.

I'm getting frustrated and may just sell the thing.

Interestingly,the guy I bought the top from said it fit perfectly on his car.

I may actually try the dealership ...just don't know what else to do.

Thanks again.

[bzzlink]

I spoke to a friend that has built his boxster from the ground up after a wreck. He told med there was adjustment screws to allow adjustment in all four corners of the engine lid. To allow adjustment of the height of the folded top, and the lid over the folded top. Could it be that the top, and the lid is higher on one side of the car thus preventing the top from fitting properly ?

I haven't looked at this myself, just re-telling what I've been told

[1schoir]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I was very careful to install the spinlocks correctly. They are actually labeled L and R.

The top is in perfect condition as is the car. That being said it's possible that something is out of whack

causing the top to fit poorly.

I'm getting frustrated and may just sell the thing.

Interestingly,the guy I bought the top from said it fit perfectly on his car.

I may actually try the dealership ...just don't know what else to do.

Thanks again.

There are adjustment points which can affect how the clamshell itself ends up when it is closed down tight over the convertible top well.

Take a look at the spaces between the sides of the clamshell and the rear quarter panel. Check to see if the spacing is even between the right side and the left side.

Since you stated that the passenger side lines up correctly, look at the position of the clamshell relative to the surfaces around it (top of the quarter panel at the rear edge on passenger side, top of quarter panel at left side behind the door, spaces between the clamshell and the rest of the car body on passenger side) and see how those distances and spaces match up with the same distances and spaces on the driver side.

If you find that the driver side is different than the passenger side, post again and I'll give you a couple of adjustment points you can try.

Aside from the clamshell possibly being out of line (and thereby affecting how far down the rear bottom left side of the hardtop sits and then changes the distance between the front of the hardtop and the windshield on that side), I would also measure the following:

1. The distance between an exact point on the top left of the windshield frame and the center of the driver side spinlock;

2. The distance between an exact point on the top left of the windshield frame and the center of the passenger side spinlock;

3. The distance between an exact point on the top right of the windshield frame and the center of the driver side spinlock;

4. The distance between an exact point on the top right of the windshield frame and the center of the passenger side spinlock.

Let us know what you find.

Regards, Maurice.

[Tool Pants]

Adjusting the hardtop is a fussy project. We filmed the install and adjustment for 1 of the 3 DVDs. It is 18 minutes. If someone has that DVD I would not mind seeing the hardtop section on youtube or something like that.

[Mike M]

Adjusting the hardtop is a fussy project. We filmed the install and adjustment for 1 of the 3 DVDs. It is 18 minutes. If someone has that DVD I would not mind seeing the hardtop section on youtube or something like that.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

TP...I'd love to see that dvd.

Maurice...good idea about the measurements...I'll do that.

Got frustrated and took the hardtop off...

I'll fight with it later!

Cheers

Mike