Hard top help please- disassembling

[Merc_Girl]

Hello honey able folk

So it’s been a while since I posted a problem, so thought this would be a good time to get back into the swing of things again

So, thought I would disassemble the hardtop as chrome is really tatty. My infernal optimism was that this could be stripped of chrome in 1/2 a day!! How wrong I was.

Would anyone happen to know if MB ‘glued’ the chrome work as well as screwing. I am trying to remove trim on, what in a standard ca, the B pillar. As unscrewed but seems to have, what I could only describe as old window putty underneath the trim. I thought I that if I could remove the side window I could get better access. Despite having removed all the window rubber but even the glass doesn’t want to come out! Seems to have some yellow/brown ‘muck’ on the glass which has gone hard!

Anyway, anyone got any idea how the B pillar chrome work may be removed without turning the trim into scrap? Could I perhaps gently heat the fitting with the expanding metal ‘breaking the seal’?

If anyone has suggestions, I’m all ears 🥰

[mdsalemi]

Katie—do you have the lengthy article written years ago by Gernold Nisius (SL Tech in Maine, USA 🇺🇸) about restoring the Pagoda hard top?

[Merc_Girl]

I’ve seen this one in tech manual
Restoring the Pagoda Hardtop

Would you be able to send a link to the other article by any chance. ☺️

[mdsalemi]

I’ve seen this one in tech manual
Restoring the Pagoda Hardtop

Would you be able to send a link to the other article by any chance. ☺️

That's the one...https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Tops/HardTop

[Pawel66]

Katie, this hard top is quite demanding to put it mildly to disassemble and to assemble... I had to ask my mechanic for help. He cut out the glass with a knife... And yes, the chrome strips, shims and ornaments are sealed with some sealant that makes it difficult to disassemble. You will need to seal it too on assembly...

For what it is worth, I am attaching a couple of pages from the BBB.

[dirkbalter]

Katie, as Pawel already said, disassembling or restoring the hard top is more involved then it appears.... The side windows are a pain in particular.  I took quiet a few pictures during disassembly, which I can share, as soon as I understand what part of the chrome you are trying to remove. Also, make sure you clean the little phillips screw heads well (pointy screw driver or needle type tool) to be able to apply max torque. Once these heads are messed up, they are really hard to get out.

[Merc_Girl]

Thanks yes, read it

Doesn’t give hints on how to remove the putty/caulk which is certainly holding the chrome work very firmly in place with no intention of letting go!!

[mdsalemi]

Katie, as Pawel already said, disassembling or restoring the hard top is more involved then it appears...

For a professional it's more than 100 labor hours on a typical hard top restoration...which is precisely why I didn't do mine during the initial restoration but waited 19 years.

[Merc_Girl]

That’s made me feel so much better ! 🤣

My cunning plan is just to do the stripping part, as my time is ‘relatively’ free, albeit my sanity may be lost 🤪

I’m determined not to be beaten by a bit of old caulk 😂

[dirkbalter]

You can get them separated by tapping a thin blade, like a putting knife in-between to cut the sealant. One area at a time and it will eventually come off without damaging the part.

[Cees Klumper]

You can also try applying heat with a heat gun, the type used to remove paint. Old caulk may get soft allowing easier removal/separation.

[Merc_Girl]

Thank you
Will try that 😁