[greg968CAB]

Ok so here is the good news. After sitting for over a year I utterly lucked into finding a guy who actually has the tools and knowledge to go ahead and rip the engine out and get it all working again.



Before I took it into the shop this summer, I inspected just how bad sitting had been while unused. Aside from some rodents chewing some god awful expensive ABS wires, the car had emerged largely unscathed.



I did check the cab top. It was already in manual mode. It went easily down and up. The latches were fully operable.



Obviously the car was on and off the lift repeatedly during the engine work.



The latches were locked with the top up during this time.



I've been really busy in real life. So the top in the up position has been a niggling detail. Alignment of top looks great. No rain leaks. No wind noise. The canvas appears even. I'm pretty sure no bows are broken. There is no rattling of top.



When I go to attempt to move the latches, even with all strength on both handles at the same time, neither will budge at all.



So any ideas ?

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[Bulti]

Did you check the fuse? Or maybe a bad relay?

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[flash]

the handles should rotate fairly easily. it is possible that the top was fitted too tight. try pulling down on the center hand hold while rotating the handle.

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[greg968CAB]

It has always felt right. Normal force compared to other Porsche and VW cabriolet latches. Even pulling down on center hand hold, with has close to full body weight on the handle- I can't get either side to budge.

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[Ryan]

Did you try a good spray of WD or PB blaster to see if you could lube it up? I can't remember if the trim is removable to expose the workings of the latch with the top up??

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[flash]

perhaps the handles are on backwards and you are rotating backwards?

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[greg968CAB]

Guys I'm senile but not that bad. Liberal lubrication applied. Handles both in. Big one on the left as seated in driver's seat. Small one on right as seated in passenger seat. Handles both level in zuf position. Trying to pull both down into auf position.



I've tried pulling down on center handle while trying to operate both handles at same time.



I'm literally at wits end here. Neither budges.



Assume I'm an idiot at this point.

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[greg968CAB]

Driver handle

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[94SilverCab]

OK, let's assume that you are not an idiot, but someone at your mechanics shop is...maybe they took the top down and didn't know how to put it back up and wedged it by maybe, turning the handles the wrong way 180 degrees until something broke...possible?



Just a thought,



Jay

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[Rap]

How do you know your not senile? I think I am sometimes but I'm not sure!

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[flash]

it doesn't look like the top is fitted correctly. you should be able to look up in that semi circle area and see the wheel that locks the top into place



   

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[greg968CAB]

Yep I can see it. It's just megga stuck

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[flash]

well, if you can see it, and it looks like in the pic above, then there should be nothing stopping it from rotating other than pressure. it sounds like the top itself is not fitted correctly, and it is putting too much pressure on the latch. it will probably release with a noticeable "pop" and then sit a couple of inches above the rail, causing you to really pull down on it to close it. it should only be 1" above the rail at rest.

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[Bulti]

"Handles both level in zuf position."



Just trying to help here, but don't you have to put the lever in the "auf" position to open the top?



I mean in German "zu" means "close"?

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[banditsc]

You sure have a lot of water intrusion, you can see all the rust on the handle and the rust dripping down on the plastic below the lock mechanism.

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[greg968CAB]

Their is a tiny ball bearing on each post. Both handles have round receivers to catch the ball bearings on the handle. Pressumably you could attach the handles in a different orientation with enough force, but I'm pretty sure the orientation which accepts the ball bearing is the correct orientation.



Before going to get engine rebuild, top worked, gap distance unlatched within spec and equidistant from front edge along windshield top.



After work- it's just stuck. Rust color appeared after lubricating followed by unexpected rouge thunder storm.



Shop that worked on it for drive train very knowledgeable. Owner even has 968, and works on another routinely for a non member. He has massive experience with cab tops on 944 and other Porsches. He's just never seen this happen before.



Brute force option is scaring us both.

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[flash]

it's a really simple assembly. it's basically just a little arm with a wheel on it. not much to jam up. i really think the top is wrong, and is creating too much load on the arm.



make sure that you hit the switch in the UP position, to make sure the top is fully forward. failing that, you can try putting the top in manual mode, which will release any load made by the motors.

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[Ryan]

Flash...that makes sense, but the top is already in Manual Mode he states.

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[flash]

hmmm - must have missed that.





you could try soaking the canvas to loosen it a bit.



just in case it was overlooked, be sure that the car is on level ground. any twisting or anything of the chassis could cause preload.



other than that, i am out of suggestions. the only remaining conclusion is that the top is not fitted properly, or has shrunk, which is now pulling on those latches and preventing rotation. without somehow relieving that load, i see no way to release it other than forcing it.

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[MCL968]

Soaking the top is a reasonable idea. I know mine is much harder to release after a wet-dry cycle. Perhaps soaking it down with room temp water would relax the canvas a bit. Worth a try?

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