Clamshell Stuck Closed
 

Ok, passenger side Clamshell is stuck closed and the top is up and won't open. What is the best way to get the clamshell to open manually?

1. Pop off the ball end of the black steel pushrod? I already tried this and it wouldn't budge.
2. Pop off the little clips at the rear of the pushrods?
3. Unscrew the 19mm bolt right in the middle of V lever?

Thanks for the help.

pop off the clips. they're hard to slide off from the cabin area, but they cost nine cents.....rip them off.

if your convertible top transmission is dead, PM me. i have extras.

Thanks, I appreciate that.

May not need to pop off the clips.
 

Remove each cable from the motor and use a drill to slowly rotate the cable and see if each transmission will turn. If the transmissions will not turn, you may have to pop off the clips.

What year is your car?

1999. I can't get to the motor can I, the clamshell won't open? Do I have to remove
both clips that are visible on that side?

What is pressurized in there that keeps blasting me? I'm trying to grab the clip to pull it off and my hand/arm gets a blast (or mini explosion) of air/dust (I guess). This is really strange.

nothing pressurized, but there are water drains & rubberized covers. it's possible you're pressing on the rubberized cover & some air is being forced out from around the water drains.

You mentioned the 19mm bolt at the center of the boomerang - can you get at it?

If so, you should be able to pop off the clamshell links. The links that drive the top are bolted to the boomerang-shaped lever, but the ones on that back that drive the clamshell are ball sockets. If you can pop those off, you can open the clamshell.

I can see it, don't know if I can get any kind of leverage to open it. It looks like it has locktite on too. Thanks.

Removed the clip, got it open. The passenger side transmission doesnt turn, when the top is operated. Does that mean the cable on that side is broken? How does the plastic cover on the motor for the top come off? Thanks.

You don't have to remove the cover on the motor.

You will see a silver clip where the cable enters the motor - pull up on it and it will come out in your hand. This clip retains the cable sheath for the drive cable. The drive cable is nothing more than a speedometer cable really - a square wire in the sheath. You can now pull out the drive cable.

Odds are, the one on passenger side will just a be a twisted mass of strands - that's what mine was.

If that is the case, you can either replace the cable or cut the sheath back an inch or so. The metal end is held in place by piercings through it - I just drilled them out with a small drill. Use a prick punch upon reassembly to hold the metal on on the sheathing.

Yep, twisted mass of strands. I will try the cable fix first. thanks! Looks like the cable is fried at least two inches down from the end, so I'll be ordering a replacement.

Once you get the new cable you are going to be faced with the real problem - timing the left and right sides so that the top moves evenly. I read a lot of DIYs on it which involved measuring the linkage positions in various ways until I discovered something in the Porsche Service Manual that I wish I had done at the outset: there are timing marks on the power top transmissions.

First, remove both boomerangs from the transmissions by taking out the 19mm bolt. Once they are off, you will be able to remove the plastic disc-shaped covers. Next, reassemble the boomerangs minus the covers. On the aluminum casting of each transmission are a series of 4 lines - these denote the outline of the boomerangs. Using either a cordless drill and chucking the cable (the easiest) or a friend operating the power top button in the car, move each lever individually until it is aligned with the timing marks on the transmission. The drill is easier because it moves much more slowly than the power top motor so you can be more precise in positioning.

Once each side is lined up, attach the the cables back to the motor, and remove the boomerangs and reinstall the plastic covers.

Good luck.

ps. BTW, this doesn't mean your transmission is okay - it could be bound up and the consequence was it destroyed the drive cable but let's keep our fingers crossed, okay?

Ok, thanks for the tip. The top operated slowly the last couple of times it worked before it stopped. I guess we will see if the transmission is fried too. Thanks.

Did you have to replace the transmission or just the cable?

Stll waiting on the parts, ill let you know.

So I recieved the cable today. I removed the transmission, i have the updated version, and tested it with the new cable. The cable seems to spin correctly in the transmission but the center wheel (where the large 19mm bolt goes) of the transmission never turns. Is that what happens when the transmission breaks? I would think the transmission would have jammed thus breaking the cable and then wouldn't turn at all.

Update:
Ok, i took the transmission apart, and it seems o be working apparently it moves so slow you can barley see it move.

Timing the transmissions.
 

I found a way to get the two sides lined up (timed) easily when I replaced a bad cable.

Before reconnecting the clamshell to the transmission, use a cordelss drill on each of the cables(while disconnected from the top motor) to move the side of the boomerang that connects to the clamshell to a vertical position. Check the arm for plumb using a torpedo level. Get each side level connect the clamshell and reconnect your cables to the motor.

Lower the clamshell until it is just about closed, just over the top of the trunk and verify that each side looks level. Remove a cable and use your drill if you need to adjust but I was able to align it in one shot using the level.

Thanks for the tip. I was thinking... one side hasn't been messed with at all, so I was just going to leave the one side with everything attached and try to line up the side with the new cable to the old one.

there are actually alignment marks on the transmissions

Yeah, the gear ratio in the transmission is astronomical. Running the cable with a cordless drill is sloooowwwww - makes you realize that the top motor is really whizzing right along. Save yourself a lot of hassle and just remove the boomerangs and covers on both sides, put the boomerangs back, and then line them up to the timing marks with the drill.

I have seen one mark on the transmission.

Mine had 4 hash marks on the aluminum case, corresponding to the outline of the boomerang.

Looks like i have one mark on the one i removed. I probably wont get to putting it back together until the weekend. Thanks a lot, i appreciate the help!

at least it will give you a reference. Having both levers in the same position is critical, not which position they happen to be. The links are long and even small misalignments make the top/cover come down crooked.

The level works. Don't make this difficult!
 

Honestly...use the level to get the two arms in the same position (or very close) and then connect the clamshell, lower the thing and check your alignment. You'll see once you start this that it is not magic. Just play with it a bit and you'll see.

I've done two boxsters this way and have not spent more than 15 minutes getting things lined up after starting with the level.

Well, i had it fixed. The top went up and down twice and seemed to close perfectly,
Then the otherside got stuck closed. I had to disconnect the other side to get the top
To close. I may have something else going on, i dont know. Next weekend Im going to take both sides apart and start over...

describe exactly how it happens when it gets stuck.

i had a similar issue to this. what would happen is this:

1) open the top (all is well)

2) try to close the top, but it would seem like the motor was trying to close it more instead of open it

3) stuck.

the culprit? there is a microswitch behind the driver's door that tells the convertible top motor to switch directions after the clamshell cycles. if it goes bad, the motor won't switch directions & the clamshell will get stuck.

Yeah, but he is saying it is one side stuck, not a failure to move at all.... Since it is a common motor driving the cables, it shouldn't be the microswitch.

I am wondering if the other side cable broke now because it had to work extra hard the last few times I tried to opened it when the passenger side cable was broken. I guess I'll buy another cable anyway and install a new one on that side too sync them up and try again. If that doesn't work, I'll look into everything else. Weird. Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Insite may have a point though - if the microswitch is failing then perhaps it tried to drive the top in the wrong direction and broke your cable...

Well the cable was broken on the otherside. And it turns out the original side i was having trouble with was off the track. I took both sides off, lined up the marks on the transmissions, installed the new cable, adjusted the microswitch so it matched the other side and now it works perfectly. Kind of an adventure, but Im glad it's working.

Thanks a lot! I couldn't have done it without help from you guys.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1467061492.jpg
Is this the clip you are talking about? I'm having the same problem just new to the Porsche world and not a gearhead

Yes,that would be the clip

Reconnecting Conv. Top Strut
 

I was able to disconnect the top strut to release the tension to get my top down finally. Can anyone tell me now how to reconnect it? It seems impossible to stretch out to reconnect. Thanks for your help.

It doesn't stretch out. The other parts move to line things up.

Thanks Bfeller,
Does that mean that I need to disconnect parts such as the boomerang, fit it to the strut and then find a way to then fit the boomerang? Is there some where I can find out diagram, or step by step process?
Thanks for your help

You should find the attached useful to set up the transmissions properly.

Porsche Boxster Convertible Top Repair - 986 / 987 (1997-08) - Pelican Parts Technical Article

And another set of pages with good instructions:

https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/thetop-itsmaintaince%26replacement

it has not been said here for a while - but the 101 projects for your Boxster Box is a great reference.

+1 on 101 Projects, saved me tons of time and $$$$.