[Cloud9...68]

After spending probably eight solid hours troubleshooting my sunroof issues, I've discovered that both of my gears are stripped. One common cause of this is that the torque at which the slip clutch releases for some reason tends to increase over time, which puts extra strain on the fragile gears. Clark's garage has a description about how to adjust the torque at which the slip clutch releases, but I find it a little confusing, and was wondering if anybody has done this before, and if they could clarify a few things. Here's Clark's description:



Late Style Sunroof Slip Clutch Checking and Adjustment:





Open the sunroof about 1/2 open. This will prevent damaging the plastic gears during slip clutch testing.

Using a 21 mm socket and torque wrench, turn hexagonal nut A on the motor slip clutch (see picture below). The clutch should slip at 6 Nm (± 0.5 Nm). I normally like to see the torque at the low end of the spec or even slightly below (5 - 5.5 Nm) to ensure that the plastic gears don't get stripped again.

The breaking loose torque of the motor can vary at different gear positions. So, the torque should be checked six times at 60 degree angles of rotation on the hexagonal nut A (i.e. 360 degrees total or six times during one full rotation of the nut).



A - Checking Torque



B - Adjusting Torque



C - Lock Nut



If the slip clutch needs adjustment perform the following

Loosen lock nut C.

Adjust the motor torque by moving adjusting nut B. Loosening nut B will lower the torque. Tightening nut B will raise the torque.

When the torque is properly adjusted, apply a small amount of Loctite 270 to the adjusting screw threads and tighten lock nut C to a torque of 15 ± 2 Nm.



Here are my questions:



1. The instructions say to open the sunroof about 1/2 way open before starting the procedure. Does that mean we need to turn the torque wrench until the tabs on the lifting arms contact the roof? Or will the slip clutch start to slip prior to that? It takes a fair amount of turning of the 21 mm nut to get much movement out of the drive cable.

2. How much of the assembly needs to be in place to check the torque?

- Do the sunroof gears need to be in place?

- Do the lifting arms need to be in place?

- Does the sunroof need to be on, or can the torque be tested with the sunroof off?

3. I think this answers question 1), but it sounds like Clark is saying we should turn the torque wrench to see when the clutch slips, then turn the 21 mm nut 60 degrees with a regular socket wrench, check the torque again, and repeat the process until the torque has been checked at 60 degree intervals across one full rotation of the screw. Does this sound correct?



Thanks; I never aspired to turn into the resident sunroof expert, but it seems that I'm moving in that direction...

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Darryl]

When I replaced the broken gears in the Coupe, I had some issues with the torque adjustment upon reassembly. I was also confused by the Clark's Garage info but it becomes clear(er) once you learn how the sunroof operates.



The reason why you need the roof half open is for the simple fact that it will be moving during these adjustments and you don't want to be at one end or the other so as to strip your newly installed gears. You'll want the roof in, arms in, and everything back together operating normally. If you have it too loose, there will not be enough grip for the arms to push the roof open. If you have it too tight, when the roof closes, the clutch will not disengage and the gears may strip. So the proper adjustment is somewhere in between. Tight enough for the arms to be able to push but loose enough so when the roof closes and puts up resistance, the motor shuts off and leaves the arms partially in the roof guides.



After I installed a new outer seal, my roof was so tight that the adjusting nut slipped and now it doesn't disengage, so I visually watch the arms as the roof closes and when I see them at the bottom of travel, I let off the button. I'm not using the roof much now that the weather has changed, but an adjustment is in order. I figured this out because the roof was loose one day and I discovered that the arms had retracted into the body as if I wanted to remove the roof.



The adjustment is very slight and may take a few tries to figure out where it want to be set. I am far from the sunroof expert, but I hope that helps. I too have learned more than I ever wanted to know about these things!!



- Darryl

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Cloud9...68]

Darryl,



Thanks for the quick response, and the informative post. My new gears should arrive Monday, and I'll put it all back together then, and check the torque. If you can think of anything else that helped you with the job, please let me know. Thanks.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.