Stuck Soft Top!! Need Help Understanding the Tech Manual Write-Up

[JPMOSE]

The tech manual reads as follows:

"The upside down L-shaped brackets on the outermost part of the hinge are spring-loaded. Use a sturdy flat-head screwdriver to lever the short part of the L upwards. The brackets on each side of the car need to be pulled back at the same time (hence the need for two people). I have found that slipping a 1/2" deep well socket over the L-shaped lever, with a 6" extension attached, makes levering the bracket fairly easy.
   
As you lever them upwards, push hard on each side of the frame up-right (at 2 in the picture) forcing the soft top past the spring loaded catch. You probably find you need to push much harder than you think. When the frame clicks past the bracket catch, you can drop the rest of the top down into its compartment.

Now reach under the cloth in the compartment, making sure that you lift the entire roof out by the rear bow. Now you can set-up your top properly again."


The above makes sense, but to be sure....I want to interpret correctly the bold/underlined sentence above!!!   There is the that surrounds the window and one inside of it...which one do I push?  Also, when stating "up-right", are pushing towards open into the top compartment or towards closed..as if one was raising the top closed?

I don't mean to sound so dumb!! lol  I just hate to use "force" in the wrong direction.   Thanks for your help!!

[66andBlue]

J.P.
it may be easier if you follow the instruction written in the green field with the light bulb.
That is, remove the tension by pushing the middle part of the frame slightly upward (1-2") while two people push the two brackets outward, then lower the middle bar downward and lock it together with the rear bow, and then lift both of the out.

Next time you lower the folding top make sure that the middle bar and the rear bow are really locked together before storing it in the well. If the locking mechanism is weak then you may have to do some adjustments.

[JPMOSE]

Thanks Alfred....I was in the middle of listening to someone and didn't think before I acted!!   I'm so used to my 560SL, that I sometimes forget!! 

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

It happens to me in Williamsburg, Verginia in September 2013, I lowered my top then someone talked to me and I got my soft top stuck half way. Joe Alexander came to the rescue along with his dad and they did excactly what Alfred described and got my soft top unstuck. It was great to have Joe and Dan (Benz Dr.) at the car show both were very busy helping other members with there minor problems during our two day event. Great to have those kind of knowlageble people part of our Pagoda SL Group.

There are quite a few more in our forum and this is what makes our forum so super, Joe and Dan just came to mind

[Coochas]

Interestingly after reading this thread I had my brand new soft top (pics to come) get stuck.  I went to the guy who installed my top (Belmont Seat in MA, excellent) who was also familiar with the online description of how to fix the problem.  He was as confused as I was trying to solve the issue.

We finally realized that the spring in question is deeper in the mechanism and very easy to push on.  The picture in the tech manual looks like it's the big L-bracket but I would not describe it this way.  If anyone else is stuck, reach your hand down into the mechanism area and out toward the fender.  There is a bracket which easily moves back n forth.    I will try to shoot a video this weekend with my boroscope.

[Garry]

As a Full Member, you are free to amend the Tech Manual as you see fit if you want to add photos or further explainations please feel free to do so. We are dependant on the members adding to the font of knowledge.

[JPMOSE]

Yep...would love to see that video!!  The YouTube era has made many procedures soooo much easier with live visuals!!