2003 Targa roof squeeking and slow to open

[Targaguy]

Sorry, Maurice, I meant to direct my reply to Nick. To clarify my comment about the curved gear, I wanted to state that the gears from the factory roof motors are angled to match the cable spiral wire. And I need to add that it is my OPINION, not an empirical fact, that the new gears are flat in PROFILE, not curved. I have looked at several newer Porsche roof motors for sale on Ebay and all have teeth that are flat when viewed in profile from the thin end. The gears I found were from a Nissan repair source, still on Ebay and easy to find. Just match the number of teeth (19), the outer gear diameter and shaft diameter. Then it's just a matter of grinding off the old knurl that holds the original gear, dropping the new one on and hitting it carefully with a counterpunch in several spots to bend the lip of the shaft over new gear.

[Targaguy]

Fellow 997-996 Targa owners -- if anyone is interested in rebuilt Targa motors I can be reached by PM. I'll be glad to purchase the parts and rebuild your old, worn Targa roof motors. Since this is not a classified section I won't quote pricing. I just want all 996/997 Targa owners out there to know that buying an expensive new motor is not the only solution when your roof gets stuck. 

[kul]

Hello all,

I am very interested in the Targa roof issues that seem to be resolved by Targaguy. If he or anyone else can send me how he managed to get this done that would be very grateful. 

Thanks all

 

Kul

 

 

[kul]

On 2/25/2021 at 6:07 AM, Targaguy said:

Maurice, you were mislead by someone. Porsche did not patent the gears simply because Porsche did not invent nor build the roof motors. Look on the side of any roof motor and you will see one name -- Siemens. They make all the sunroof motors for the German and Japanese automakers. I have personally rebuilt two Targa roof motors and purchased a used one with a worn gear. I replaced the cable drive gears for about $12 and they now work perfectly. The steel drive gear that contacts and moves the cables is not curved when new. They get worn to a curve over many years of use. Also, there should be no grease of any type on the cables. They are installed dry by the factory. However, many shops or owners add grease to help the problem, not knowing that they are making the roof move slower over time. How do I know? I disassembled my Targa's cable drive area when I replaced the side curtains and "parking tubes" (after an engine fire) that hold the rear curtains when the roof is open. The cables are not designed for grease, but they can be dry lubed with spray Teflon lubricant (PTFE). They only contact the gear as the upper and lower cables pass by the gear in each motor, so twice at any one moment during operation for each cable. The rest of the path is simply a guide tube with no pressure on the cable downstream of the gears. Upstream, the cables push or pull the roof panel via steel guide tubes until they attach to the sides of the roof. They are under considerable pressure as they push the roof closed, which is why all 993 and 996 Targa owners describe the roof opening quicker and smoother than it closes.

 

I also found a way to access 24" of cable in hand to aid in cleaning the cables. No one has ever mentioned this on any Porsche forum that I have found, so I may be the first to discover this little known secret. I have taken numerous photos of my method and it really is not difficult. I'll upload as soon as I can. I have even put a magnifying glass on my cables when I had them free of the tubes and found that they were jammed solid with, wait for it... curtain fabric! Yes, Porsche's desire for an aesthetically pleasing hatch area (and to protect the roof guides from debris or from curious rear seat passengers' fingers) caused our now famous gunky cable problem. It is not dirt, but small fabric hairs that get caught in the twisted wires that form the cable, which are then wrapped by a spiral steel wire, which is what the gears grab and move along. And how did I remove this mass of fabric stuck in my cables? With fire! I will go into detail when I upload photos. Now if only I could patent my method... I'd be rich!

 

[kul]

Hi Targaguy

How can I see those photos of your method to access/clean the cable?? 

That would be very very helpful indeed!

 

Thanks

[Alexander Cook]

Likewise if someone could shed some light on how is best to access and clean the cables as I believe mine on one side has been catching on the rear curtain and is now snagged up, as the curtain does not slide easily as the other one does, and the roof has become very reluctant to open or close unaided. Had been working 100% before the winter and being stored in garage. Thanks