Stuck soft top help

[Coochas]

Hi All,
I made the mistake of putting the rear most part of the convertible top into the storage compartment and now it is stuck.  I have read the technical manual section on this problem:  http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Tops/SoftTop#StuckSofttop

I'm a bit confused as to how I can lever the part of the L bracket marked #1.  What can I lever it against?

In any event, it seems hopelessly stuck and whatever manipulation I try doesn't seem to budge it.

Any tricks?

[Garry]

What I did with my old car when the top got hopelessly stuck was to feed a strap (like a seat belt) down the middle rear between the soft top and the body then retrieve it from the front area of the top so you then have a strap around the whole top.  Then stand in the middle of the car and using the strap, lift the top complete up.  It will come up and also start to unfold at the same time so is a bit of  shuffle to get it up on your own.  You can then reset it.

Garry

[ja17]

Yes, the rear most bow, must be pulled up tight against the next bow. When it is pulled up tight against it, you then can pull the entire assembly up and out. Garry's strap idea works well.  I have two flat metal "J" straps I made for these emergencies. I use them at each corner to pull the bow up tight. Sometimes two people can reach in an pull up on the bow at each corner. It's a tight squeeze if you use hands. 

[Coochas]

Thanks guys.  Nope, still stuck!
I trimmed away most of the canvas and the plastic rear window mainly because they were mainly eaten by chipmunks.

I tried standing on the deck behind the seats and putting a strap over the center of the rear bow but I couldn't budge it.
I then tried a strap at one of the corners where the bow seems to hit the hinge for the compartment lid but couldn't free it.  I have NOT tried a two person approach.

I still can't figure out how to release the top as described in the tech manual.

Still stuck!

[Garry]

The idea of the original instructions in the Tech Manual is to force the forward part of the soft top frame back to re connect the latching device that kept it all together to be raised as a unit. You have to push the item No. 2 on the diagram, quite hard forcing it to over ride the locking mechanism thus allowing the lifting of the whole unit. It takes quite a push to over ride the locking mechanism. The whole lot must come out as one. If this does not work then you try the strap again or two people idea.

By putting the strap around the whole frameof the unit in the middle or as Joe suggeated getting two people, one on ether side and getting a hand under the rear frame, you are trying to lift the rear frame and the rest of the frame up as one even though it is not locked as a unit and as a result it will start to open up as it is lifted.

Good luck

[ja17]

Move the entire top frame downward  as far as possible without forcing it. Then try to lift the bottom bow and the entire top assembly upward by pulling up at each corner of the bottom bow.

[Brian Davidson]

It's not much help to Coochas but has anybody tried putting an inner tyre tube in the bottom of the soft top well with the valve protruding through the small hole into the boot(trunk). This is a prophylactic  measure not a curative one.

[ja17]

Wow,  now that is a really inventive approach, and I think it could work, as long as you have the inner tube in place first!

[Paul & Dolly]

Hi Coochas,

When mine got stuck a couple of years ago, I managed to get my hand under the bottom bow (from the foreword side)  and push it up from underneath, then when it met the middle bow, the whole roof came up as normal.
It helps if there are two of you, one each side, and to push gently.

I subsequently fitted two webbing straps to the bottom bow, so I can now pull it up to meet the middle one if it ever decides to be difficult again - thankfully it has since behaved itself.

Good luck

Paul

[Coochas]

I finally fixed it!
I tried everything. I used two straps but couldn't budge the top.  I loosened various parts without success.
I eventually raised it by lowering the storage compartment lid as much as possible while keeping my hand on the rear bow. I managed to free it up by lifting the rear bow while lifting open the compartment lid. Phew.

I celebrated by removing the seats and started installing pool noodles to fortify them as described on this site!  I also bought some beautiful refurbished seat belts which I'm going to install.

This has me thinking about a new carpet set. 


I need to remember that I have years to fix all this stuff!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU ALL for your help.

[Garry]

Glad to hear you had succedd  Just make sure you have the rear bow locked up in place be lowering it again.  It appears that the soft top lid was catching with it when it was not locked in.  I continued to have trouble with mint till I finally pulled it to bits and had the top properly adjusted.

PS, the restoration work never stops.

[Brenco]

Hi to all contributors
Firstly I find this forum extraordinarily useful for any issues I've had in my two year ownership of a pagoda. However this rear bow problem has got me stumped even with your descriptions and the tech section diagram I cannot move or budge those 'L' brackets. Is there a video of this procedure- I have tried youtube with no results. Thanks for your help in advance