Do you have to remove the top shelf behind tbe seats to remove the front engine cover
 

I have my top down, and want to remove the panel behind the seats. Do I need to.put the top in service position and remove the shelf so I can get at the fasteners at the top of the front engine cover carpet. Or is there a shorter way to remove the shelf without going into service position?. The 101 Projects guidance does not say anything about removing the top cover first (Ok I just checked the Bentley and it does say... I should have checked there first dang it...) it is too cold in my garage to let the top back up and I can't run the engine to warm.up the back window because the coolant is all drained. I guess I can aim a space heater at the clamshell to try and get some heat onto the plastic window. Shoot.

Just did it, yes. The shelf has to be removed as there are four fasteners on the top under the shelf that have to be removed.

If you are trying to remove the engine Access panel behind the seat then Yes, you have to remove shelf and undo some plastic fasteners that hold the Carpet down in order to remove it so you can access the panel. What are you looking to do in there?

Update: In less time than it took me to type my whiny post I put the top partially up after warming up the garage a little and got it off. This was my 3rd or 4th time getting the top cover off and it is faster everytime.

I am in there to finish my water pump change and install an underdrive pulley. Man it looks tight back there ;)

Take your 20 or 22mm socket, whichever fits on the belt tensioner bolt, and grind off about 1/4 to 3/8" from the open end on the side of a grinding wheel. Then use a breaker bar to get in there. Makes for very easy access to the tensioner bolt. Same may be needed for UD pulley bolt.

Do you have the step by step for the UD pulley? You need to use the boss in there, then cut it down. You will also need a shorter belt. Took me several trips to get the right belt.

I've got the cut down 22mm (or 24 or whichever it is, it is the right one) socket from somebody on the forum here (it has been very useful, a lot of stuff seems to be 22mm like the transmission drain and fill plugs in my son's Miata) and I've got the RSS pulley that came with the (hopefully correct) shorter belt. I also picked up a new crank bolt and washer from ECS Tuning. I haven't yet figured how I will cut the boss, I have a recriprocal saw with metal blades but I don't know if it will fit. I may be able to rig up something hand held with a blade, or buy a small hand saw as described in one of the other threads. And I have this guide here which is looking to be very helpful:

http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/23057-underdrive-pulley-install-guide.html

If I need to rotate the engine using the crank pulley for any reason, clockwise is the way to go right?

Steve