Opening Top with Broken parts

[RandallNeighbour]

A friend of mine has a boxster as well. She got a new convertible top put on it and the installer didn't do something right and she thinks the small ball joint arm with the white nylon head on it broke on one or both sides.

I told her it's a fairly easy repair but I need to validate that's the problem with the top.

Can anyone guide me on how to open the top safely to the service position to check this out without messing up the clamshell or binding up the top frame?

Thanks

[78F350]

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/66189-convertible-top-not-going-down-need-help-please.html

[bwdz]

If she has the owner's manual it also has the instructions in there along with the tool in the factory tool kit to pop the linkages, guess Porsche anticipated people keeping them a long time and eventually having an issue.

[itsnotanova]

There's a small gap right at the point of the clamshell where you can look down and see the ball joint. If you can see that it's off or broken, I'd go ahead and have someone hit the button to open the top while you help the clam/top open up. Just take it slow and in small steps until you can get it where you need it. If it is the top control arms that's the problem, then the clam should open with no problem. The top will be the one not moving (if both arms are off) or only lifting from one side because one arm is doing all the work.

[itsnotanova]

Be cautious about stabbing the foam with a broken arm. You shouldn't have a problem when you're going in the up position as the arms would be getting dragged across it. If you start going in the down position with a loose arm. That's when it will stab into the foam.

[Evanrodey]

Alright, so my top is suck closed. The light is on all the time and the windows will go down when the latch is pulled and e brake is engaged but when you hit the button all your is a click behind you. Any suggestions on what is keeping the top from going back?

[Evanrodey]

Alright, so my top is suck closed. The light is on all the time and the windows will go down when the latch is pulled and e brake is engaged but when you hit the button all your is a click behind you. Any suggestions on what is keeping the top from going back?

[RandallNeighbour]

Update:

The friend came over with her boxster and both of top control arms are broken. She will order those and I'll replace them for her. I told her to get the rubber grommets as well because they fall apart after a number of years.

Now she also has another problem: The passenger side of the clamshell touches the base one full inch before the driver's side goes down. That needs adjustment and I'm not sure how to do that. Advice is appreciated!

The other problem she is having now is that the top button is working backwards. I did not think any of the plugs could be put in backwards, which would explain this. Woody, can you plug in the top mechanism at the top side of the wiring backwards?

Thanks for all your help folks, and especially you, Woody! That phone call gave me a lot of confidence to help out my friend.

[bwdz]

Sounds like the place that replaced the top had no idea what they were doing. If you have the Bentley manual the adjustment procedure and how to take the measurement on each side is in there. If you don't, I'll read through it and see if I can guide you.

[Gelbster]

I recently had mine all apart. Pelican have a useful how to on the issue. Be aware it is tedious, very time consuming and easy to screw up if you are not cautious. Look on Youtube and Renntech also.
I ended up dismantling the entire contraption, lubed it(the gearboxes), adjusted, tweaked and twiddled.Now it works great but I dread having to do it again, The Miata PRHT system is similar but waaay easier.
Photograph the relationship between all the parts at different critical stages before you remove anything.
Someone should do a 3 hour video of how to rebuild the system from A to Z.