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Top Removal


Guest jmiller

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Guest jmiller

A while back I posted about this, however health problems are just allowing me to now address the problem again. 91 TC, can't unlatch hard top to remove. The electric switch is not working, and the manual trunk release has apparently broke as I can't get it to do anything. Seems like the only solution is going to be cutting thru the trunk somewhere to release top so I can get it off and make repairs needed. Does anyone have any other ideas, or know just where to go thru the trunk producing the smallest hole possible to trigger a release.

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A while back I posted about this, however health problems are just allowing me to now address the problem again. 91 TC, can't unlatch hard top to remove. The electric switch is not working, and the manual trunk release has apparently broke as I can't get it to do anything. Seems like the only solution is going to be cutting thru the trunk somewhere to release top so I can get it off and make repairs needed. Does anyone have any other ideas, or know just where to go thru the trunk producing the smallest hole possible to trigger a release.

Best suggestion is to treat the top like you would an engine hood that doesn't want to unlatch and open hand slap down hard and often while another set of hands pulls the manual release. There are two latch points and depending on arm length this could be a three man job.

If this doesn't work you gotta do what you gotta do.

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If all else fails, maybe cut the two pins that bolt onto the hardtop in the rear? If you mess up the hardtop just get one of the many that are floating around out there and eventually sell for 50.00 or 100.00 because hardly anyone needs a 2nd one.

If you mess up the other way just replace the tonneau, not a hot seller either since most don't get messed up.

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I have attached a picture of a pull down mechanism that has already been removed from the soft top well. It is normally connected by 2 bolts on each end of the bar. You said that you tried the manual trunk release and that is apparently broken somewhere. I would try is to put a pair of needle nose pliers on the hole in the trunk and turn them counter clockwise to get the bars to move such that they release the catches on the hard top. Good Luck.

post-89473-143142697605_thumb.jpg

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Not trying to one-up G and G but I put up a post with 16 photos of my top pulldown for reference. Just took it off the shelf and started taking pics so they would be available. I didn't want to put the mechanism in the 'pulled down' position for photos of that because I don't know if that would damage it.

Note that the 'nut' that you turn for the manual release is only spot welded on to the mechanism in 2 places, these welds probably broke on your car.

http://forums.aaca.org/showthread.php?t=378504&p=1335572#post1335572

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Guest jmiller
I have attached a picture of a pull down mechanism that has already been removed from the soft top well. It is normally connected by 2 bolts on each end of the bar. You said that you tried the manual trunk release and that is apparently broken somewhere. I would try is to put a pair of needle nose pliers on the hole in the trunk and turn them counter clockwise to get the bars to move such that they release the catches on the hard top. Good Luck.

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many thanks, the needle nose pliers worked. It wasn't the big nut it was the small round cam that moves the mech. Put a sawed off bolt in place of it with 2 nuts. Seems to be working now
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