Thread: Top repair
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Old 10-30-2011, 10:23 PM   #8
schoir
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Freeport, New York
Posts: 471
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChairmanRon View Post
I am having the EXACT same problem on the driver's side of my 03 986. I just had a new top put on and it started doing this.

Specific ideas for an 03?
Ron:

If your top started doing this immediately after, or a short while after, you had the new top put on, the first thing I would check is whether the cable itself (the one inside the black vinyl sheath) was either not attached or came loose shortly after the install.

The cable is attached at two points. One end is attached by means of a screw and serrated washer UNDER the base of the B-Pillar, where the screw first goes through a hole in the canvas and then screws into the metal part. If you lower the top about 75%, you will be able to see where the screw is supposed to go through the eyelet of the cable by looking at the underside of the B-Pillar, inboard and about 5 inches aft of where the rubber gasket on the quarter panel terminates. The other end (the forward end) is attached to an aluminum shoulder plate directly over the forward part of where the side window would be if it were rolled all the way up. It is attached there to a spring which is wrapped in heatshrink tubing.

Note that it is easy to strip the threads into which the T20 small torx screw is normally screwed in.

If the cable is not attached at either of those two points, you can get the "cable falling outside the guide channel" problem.

If your cable is firmly attached on both ends, take a look at the article to which Spinnaker linked for other possible causes and explanations.

As explained in that DIY, it is also easy to break a few of the small plastic parts that anchor the lower sides of the rear of the top. If those parts are not replaced, you can also get the problem that you are describing.

Regards, Maurice.
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