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Top removal


Guest wheelsport

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Guest wheelsport

The left side top release doesn't release. The motor runs and releases the right side but not the left. There is no mechanical release cable in the trunk except for the gas release. The flap is there as well as a rubber body plug but no cable. There is a bolt attached to some linkage in the plugged hole that I think is mechanical release. I turned it and it released to fright side but not the left. Now What?

Edited by wheelsport (see edit history)
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The left side top release doesn't release. The motor runs and releases the right side but not the left. There is no mechanical release cable in the trunk except for the gas release. The flap is there as well as a rubber body plug but no cable. There is a bolt attached to some linkage in the plugged hole that I think is mechanical release. I turned it and it released to fright side but not the left. Now What?

Behind the seats in the spare tire storage area find two cables, one for each side latch.

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Guest BobFitz

Be careful not to get your fingers caught under the edge of the top..............ask me how I know....................

Bob

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Guest wheelsport

The top is on. What if two people lifting at the same time still doesn't release the left side? I made a lifting system so one person could take the top off. The lift is centered and should lift the top evenly if the release works properly.

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Somewhere on this forum (or yahoo groups forum) is a post detailing how someone found a way to insert a tool into the manual release hole in the trunk and released the mechanism when the turning the nut didn't work right. Try the search function, it may take awhile but should be within the last 2 years of posts. It has photos on that thread.

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The left side top release doesn't release. The motor runs and releases the right side but not the left. There is no mechanical release cable in the trunk except for the gas release. The flap is there as well as a rubber body plug but no cable. There is a bolt attached to some linkage in the plugged hole that I think is mechanical release. I turned it and it released to fright side but not the left. Now What?

Looks like you have tried all the right things. I have attached a picture of the pull down that has been removed from the vehicle but still sitting in the well for the soft top. I have circled in white the hole that goes into the trunk and the bolt that should have emergency access from the trunk to tighten or release the pull downs for the tops. There are 2 bars that go from the mechanism to where the pull downs are and I have put a red line parallel to them. I suggested to another thread user to try putting a pair of needle nose pliers in the hole from the trunk and twisting the pliers to see if that would release the pull down. The other person was successful with this approach.

post-89473-143142926914_thumb.jpg

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Found the post G&G and I referred to:

http://forums.aaca.org/f144/top-removal-378475.html

There were not any photos of actual tool doing the work or the 'cam' that needed to be moved.

My post with photos of release mechanism is:

http://forums.aaca.org/f144/top-pulldown-photos-off-car-released-378504.html

Maybe someone else can chime in with where the actual 'cam' is that was referred to. The large nut is what you see and turn from inside the trunk compartment and I am not sure how much room there is to get to any of the rest of the mechanism but someone did it so it has to be possible.

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Guest wheelsport

Thanks for all your advise. After many hours of poking around and attempting to get the motor driven latch to release, I found that it is working properly. I used a flexible inspection light and a small mirror to inspect all the mechanism and latches. I found that the mechanical latch by the left quarter window was the culprit. The roll pin on bottom of that latch pin was turned in a position abaft to the car and was catching on the slot in the body latch mount. I used a screwdriver to turn it so that it is parallel to the car and the top came right off. The previous owner bought the car from the original owner in '93 and told me that to her knowledge the top has never been off. Surprisingly the black top is like new and the boot area was reasonably clean. One of the arms that holds the soft top window in place had delaminated from the window frame. I epoxied it to the frame. Hopefully it will hold.

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