Replaced entire top assembly, now it just doesn't want to work, se

[voltairesb]

Three weeks ago we broke 50f here in austin, and my back window finally gave up. I looked into stitching in a new window, but didn't think my canvas was perfect enough to justify going that route. Luckily, a local boxster lover had a gaah/robbins style replacement glass windowed top already installed on a frame that he pulled from his track car. We installed the top in his driveway the sunday before last and found it to be nothing but trouble. After getting everything installed, the top wouldn't close in the front, leaving a several inch gap. We adjusted the arm position (we'd unbolted them to take off the old top) which at least allowed us to get it closed, but it was clear that the top was too tight. We hoped it might stretch.

It has now stretched slightly (such that it will comfortably closed but it is still much too tight for my comfort) but several other problems persist.

1) the passenger side main cable continues to fall outside the channel. The cable is intact, i've turned around the finger spring to increase tension, and the upper tether is in good condition.

2) when fully open the back passenger side of the clam shell doesn't close perfectly, leaving a 1/4 inch gap. this goes away when you manually compress the top. I've tried tightening the tension cables on the 3rd bow, but this doesn't seem to help

3) when opening, the front weatherstripping has started to push into the windscreens, and the top gets stuck on the rollbar. a quick push sets it free and it closes the rest of the way without incident, but i've never had this problem before.

Any advice?

[1schoir]

Three weeks ago we broke 50f here in austin, and my back window finally gave up. I looked into stitching in a new window, but didn't think my canvas was perfect enough to justify going that route. Luckily, a local boxster lover had a gaah/robbins style replacement glass windowed top already installed on a frame that he pulled from his track car. We installed the top in his driveway the sunday before last and found it to be nothing but trouble. After getting everything installed, the top wouldn't close in the front, leaving a several inch gap. We adjusted the arm position (we'd unbolted them to take off the old top) which at least allowed us to get it closed, but it was clear that the top was too tight. We hoped it might stretch.

It has now stretched slightly (such that it will comfortably closed but it is still much too tight for my comfort) but several other problems persist.

1) the passenger side main cable continues to fall outside the channel. The cable is intact, i've turned around the finger spring to increase tension, and the upper tether is in good condition.

2) when fully open the back passenger side of the clam shell doesn't close perfectly, leaving a 1/4 inch gap. this goes away when you manually compress the top. I've tried tightening the tension cables on the 3rd bow, but this doesn't seem to help

3) when opening, the front weatherstripping has started to push into the windscreens, and the top gets stuck on the rollbar. a quick push sets it free and it closes the rest of the way without incident, but i've never had this problem before.

Any advice?

Voltaire:

1) the passenger side main cable continues to fall outside the channel. The cable is intact, i've turned around the finger spring to increase tension, and the upper tether is in good condition.

There are a few other possible causes for the cable falling outside the guide channel. Check the overall length of the cable to see if has stretched, and double check that it is properly attached at the shoulder plate and at the rear, under the B-Pillar. Here is a write-up that covers all of the possibilities: http://sites.google....fallintoguidech

2) when fully open the back passenger side of the clam shell doesn't close perfectly, leaving a 1/4 inch gap. this goes away when you manually compress the top. I've tried tightening the tension cables on the 3rd bow, but this doesn't seem to help.

Another few possibilities here...The most likely cause is that your top transmissions are not synchronized. You can do a quick check by standing behind your Boxster and measuring the distance between the left rear edge of the clamshell and the left front corner of the rear trunk lid and comparing it with the same spot on the right side when the clamshell is only about 2 or 3 inches from completely closed. If that is not exactly the same, you can drive one of the transmissions with a cordless drill to get the two sides equal, then reattach the drive cable to the electric motor. If that's not the cause, we can try a couple of other adjustments, just post here again.

3) when opening, the front weatherstripping has started to push into the windscreens, and the top gets stuck on the rollbar. a quick push sets it free and it closes the rest of the way without incident, but i've never had this problem before.

The cause here is that the convertible top frame has not been pulled far enough back and up to align it properly and avoid hitting the windscreen. Note that while it may not appear that there is any adjustment or movement possible there, a tiny (small fraction of an inch) movement there translates to a big adjustment on the position of the leading edge of the convertible top. Here is a section from another write-up that deals with this problem:

"If you find that your top latch hits or just brushes your windstop, it's probably because the base of the frame of the B-Pillar is not pulled back and up enough. In that case, you will have to remove and discard the two Phillips screws on each side of the frame base (see step #4 in first main section). Then just loosen all six bolts (three on each side) and have someone pull the base of the frame on the right side back while you tighten the first of the three bolts on that side, and then repeat the procedure on the left side. Then tighten the other two bolts on each side. You may find it easier to access the forwardmost upper bolt with the top in the completely open position. "

If you go to that write-up, which can be found at page 43 of the Part III PDF here: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/installinga'03-'04glasstopandframeona'97 , you will find more details. At pages 38 and 39 of that same Part III PDF, there is the more precise method of measuring for transmission synchronization, in case the measurements at the rear of the clamshell are not sufficient.

Also, a word of caution...Be VERY careful when operating the top while you still have interference from the windscreen. During the opening cycle, if the latch gets tapped into the closed position by hitting the windscreen, if you are not paying attention when you close the top, the latch will catch on the top horizontal surface of the windshield frame and promptly cause breakage of a few parts.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited October 23, 2010 by 1schoir

[voltairesb]

k

Edited October 25, 2010 by voltairesb

[voltairesb]

Maurice;

Still a work in progress. I'll go backwards

3) I followed this procedure, and it resolved the issue that i had with the windscreen and the rollbar. That said, it renewed the problem of the leading edge not coming down low enough to close properly

2) Let me say one thing first, when the top is up, the clamshell has closed properly. I tried your method, and indeed the right side was higher at 3 inches. So i used the drill to synchronize the transmissions, to two results

a:i got them where they were even at 3 inches, however when the top is DOWN, the right side still doesn't close 100%, it sits up about 1/4 inch. a little push makes it flat.

b: the leading edge is now uneven when closing the top, where the drivers side sits up 1.5 -2 inches higher than the passenger side. I can still pull the top down and latch it, but its very frustrating.

Any advice?

[1schoir]

Maurice;

Still a work in progress. I'll go backwards

3) I followed this procedure, and it resolved the issue that i had with the windscreen and the rollbar. That said, it renewed the problem of the leading edge not coming down low enough to close properly

2) Let me say one thing first, when the top is up, the clamshell has closed properly. I tried your method, and indeed the right side was higher at 3 inches. So i used the drill to synchronize the transmissions, to two results

a:i got them where they were even at 3 inches, however when the top is DOWN, the right side still doesn't close 100%, it sits up about 1/4 inch. a little push makes it flat.

b: the leading edge is now uneven when closing the top, where the drivers side sits up 1.5 -2 inches higher than the passenger side. I can still pull the top down and latch it, but its very frustrating.

Any advice?

If that side of the clamshell is sitting up 1/4 inch only when the top is down, double check that your tension rope (the black cable that goes from under the rear main bow to the steel ball on the inboard side of the drain tray) on that side is properly adjusted so as to not let the rearmost part of the top "ride" up. If that is okay, then:

a. Take a look at the little "bumper" that is under the rear right corner of the clamshell and see if it is either not centered into the large plastic body-colored nut that sits directly ahead of the trunk lid in that corner, or if perhaps screwing in that plastic nut by 1/4 inch fixes the problem.

Here is a photos of the large plastic nut and its location...the little bumper will fit right into the center of it.

b. If you lengthen the front pushrod on the side that is not as close to the top horizontal part of the windshield frame, you will find that the leading edge of the top will end up a little closer. You can make fine adjustments to that pushrod by unscrewing (one turn at a time) the plastic ball cup on the end of it, and gross adjustments by loosening the 10mm bolt with fat washer and pulling apart the two parts of the pushrod before you tighten that bolt again. Mark your starting points on each of those parts so that you have a reference point.

The red arrow points to the 10mm bolt. The plastic ball cup is white on the end of this pushrod...yours may be red.

Regards, Maurice.