Roof Problem and Bolt Found

[simon007]

Hi, im new to this forum, so have already read about the main problems for the roof, and think I have found the solution.

One thing I am concerned about is that while i was putting the hood back up i found a bolt in the compartment under the roof lid!

Ive posted a picture of this - if anyone knows what it is and where it is supposed to go - please let me know

It is about 2cm long and about 7mm diameter

[1schoir]

Hi, im new to this forum, so have already read about the main problems for the roof, and think I have found the solution.

One thing I am concerned about is that while i was putting the hood back up i found a bolt in the compartment under the roof lid!

Ive posted a picture of this - if anyone knows what it is and where it is supposed to go - please let me know

It is about 2cm long and about 7mm diameter

That's either one of the steel balls onto which one of the four pushrods' ball cups get pressed on to (two one each side, front and rear pushrods) or one of the two steel balls onto which the tension ropes' ball cups are pressed onto.

First check whether each of the pushrods' ball cups are in place, and follow each one of the pushrods to its end and see whether each one is pressed onto a steel ball or whether you have a missing one. You will find each of the two pushrods attached to the V-levers. One is a black "Hydraulic" pushrod and the other is a two-piece pushrod with a red (or white) plastic ball cup at the end.

The only potentially expensive problem is if the steel ball that you have found came off because the magnesium lug onto which it is threaded broke off under the B-Pillar section. That is the part where the front pushrod's plastic ball cup is attached. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will simply have "unscrewed" itself, or it will be from one of the other parts I have described.

Then check under the rear main bow, on the left and right side and see if each of the tension ropes is still attached at the highest point. If it's correct, there will be one of these steel balls threaded onto the rear main bow's lower horizontal surface, and the bottom of the tension rope will be pressed onto the steel ball that is attached to the adjusting bracket with the 14mm bolt head exposed.

Let us know what you find.

Regards, Maurice.

[simon007]

Hi, im new to this forum, so have already read about the main problems for the roof, and think I have found the solution.

One thing I am concerned about is that while i was putting the hood back up i found a bolt in the compartment under the roof lid!

Ive posted a picture of this - if anyone knows what it is and where it is supposed to go - please let me know

It is about 2cm long and about 7mm diameter

That's either one of the steel balls onto which one of the four pushrods' ball cups get pressed on to (two one each side, front and rear pushrods) or one of the two steel balls onto which the tension ropes' ball cups are pressed onto.

First check whether each of the pushrods' ball cups are in place, and follow each one of the pushrods to its end and see whether each one is pressed onto a steel ball or whether you have a missing one. You will find each of the two pushrods attached to the V-levers. One is a black "Hydraulic" pushrod and the other is a two-piece pushrod with a red (or white) plastic ball cup at the end.

The only potentially expensive problem is if the steel ball that you have found came off because the magnesium lug onto which it is threaded broke off under the B-Pillar section. That is the part where the front pushrod's plastic ball cup is attached. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will simply have "unscrewed" itself, or it will be from one of the other parts I have described.

Then check under the rear main bow, on the left and right side and see if each of the tension ropes is still attached at the highest point. If it's correct, there will be one of these steel balls threaded onto the rear main bow's lower horizontal surface, and the bottom of the tension rope will be pressed onto the steel ball that is attached to the adjusting bracket with the 14mm bolt head exposed.

Let us know what you find.

Regards, Maurice.

Hi Maurice

I will check tomorrow

One thing I can tell you is that i found the bolt near the front of the roof compartment (just behind the passenger seat)

Is there a diagram anywhere that i may be able to look at? Also - do i partially open the roof and look under it to see these parts?

Simon

Edited September 20, 2009 by simon007

[1schoir]

Hi, im new to this forum, so have already read about the main problems for the roof, and think I have found the solution.

One thing I am concerned about is that while i was putting the hood back up i found a bolt in the compartment under the roof lid!

Ive posted a picture of this - if anyone knows what it is and where it is supposed to go - please let me know

It is about 2cm long and about 7mm diameter

That's either one of the steel balls onto which one of the four pushrods' ball cups get pressed on to (two one each side, front and rear pushrods) or one of the two steel balls onto which the tension ropes' ball cups are pressed onto.

First check whether each of the pushrods' ball cups are in place, and follow each one of the pushrods to its end and see whether each one is pressed onto a steel ball or whether you have a missing one. You will find each of the two pushrods attached to the V-levers. One is a black "Hydraulic" pushrod and the other is a two-piece pushrod with a red (or white) plastic ball cup at the end.

The only potentially expensive problem is if the steel ball that you have found came off because the magnesium lug onto which it is threaded broke off under the B-Pillar section. That is the part where the front pushrod's plastic ball cup is attached. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will simply have "unscrewed" itself, or it will be from one of the other parts I have described.

Then check under the rear main bow, on the left and right side and see if each of the tension ropes is still attached at the highest point. If it's correct, there will be one of these steel balls threaded onto the rear main bow's lower horizontal surface, and the bottom of the tension rope will be pressed onto the steel ball that is attached to the adjusting bracket with the 14mm bolt head exposed.

Let us know what you find.

Regards, Maurice.

Hi Maurice

I will check tomorrow

One thing I can tell you is that i found the bolt near the front of the roof compartment (just behind the passenger seat)

Is there a diagram anywhere that i may be able to look at? Also - do i partially open the roof and look under it to see these parts?

Simon

Simon:

If that is where you found the bolt (threaded steel ball), then most likely it came off the base of the B-pillar, where the front pushrod's red (or white) plastic ball cup is normally attached. It's a good sign that the steel ball did not have a piece of the magnesium frame's lug attached to it, so yours may have just unscrewed itself.

Take a look at the operation of the roof when it is going up and down. If one side "lags" behind the other and then catches up, then you can bet the passenger side pushrod is disconnected. There's also the possibility, if you are not the original owner, that someone replaced that steel ball with a new one (if you find the passenger side front pushrod still connected).

I'll see if I can find some photos of where to look. If you just follow the front pushrod on the driver's side, you will see where it is pressed on to what should be an intact steel ball on that side.

With the canvas top completely open and the clamshell completely down on top of it, you should clearly see the red (or white) plastic ball cup attached on the driver's side.

You can operate the top to a 45degree position of the clamshell and then pull up on the rear main bow, and get the front edge of the top about 4 to 6 inches from the windshield (after you disconnect the rear plastic bar that attaches the vinyl apron to the rear firewall and the two steel ball cups at the bottom of each tension rope) and that will allow you to see and to reach under the B-pillar from the rear.

Be careful not to drop anything into the drains under the V-lever. Even though they are made of foam and plastic, they seem to be magnetic. :D

Regards, Maurice.

[Tool Pants]

It does look like the ball that goes into the red/white plastic joint. The threaded end screws into the frame for the top, and there is a lock nut that is supposed to keep it from unscrewing. Go luck find the nut. Might be inside the drain tube.

I hope the mounting lug that the threaded end goes into has not broken off.

[proto31]

My top stopped working yesterday (2003 Boxster). I was raising the top and the light on the dash did not go off after the top closed, held the button for another 5 seconds or so but nothing, lowered the top and the driver's side clamshell was stuck half way open. After inspection I found a thin nut and noticed that the solid control line was disconnected from the ball at the bulkhead. The ball is in fact missing, can't find it. The magnesium bracket is fine, not cracked, can someone give me the part number for that ball, should be the one described earlier in this thread. Also, the "transmission" that lifts the clamshell on the driver's side appears stuck and doesn't seem to move. Any thoughts on what I need to do to fix this other than replacing the ball and attaching the control rod?

Thanks,

Dan