Author Topic: Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top  (Read 4015 times)

Stratis

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Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top
« on: April 29, 2013, 04:54:53 »
While putting my soft top down it got stuck. Anyone in the DC area familiar with unjamming the soft top - or who do I take the car to. 1971 SL

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Stratis

ja17

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Re: Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2013, 05:39:07 »
Hello Stratis,

Is it stuck down, up or half way?
Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio
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Peter van Es

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1970 280SL. System Admin of the site. Please do not mail or PM me questions on Pagoda's... I'm not likely to know the answer.  Please post on the forum instead!

Stratis

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Re: Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2013, 13:10:47 »
It is stuck on the way down, but the roof is up. The lower bar of the roof dropped below the black box housing the back hook. I am not mechanically inclined and am looking for someone in the DC area that can work on these tops

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71Beige280SL

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Re: Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2013, 13:23:11 »
I am not sure I have the visual correct but, have you tried standing on the parcel shelf, reaching down for the center of the back bar and pulling straight up. This ensures that the top pulls up evenly and balanced.
- 1971 280SL Beige/Cognac Leather
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zoegrlh

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Re: Anyone in DC area familiar with unjamming soft-top
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2013, 12:47:02 »
As I read it, the top is in the boot, but can not be lifted because the bottom frame/bow of the top is hitting the housing for the top locking latch (hook).  Am I correct?  And if so, you will need to get your hand down under the top's bottom frame to pull up the frame as the rest of the top comes out of the boot.  So first make sure the entire top is down in the boot compartment.  Then put your hand on bottom frame on either side, left or right, where the frame makes the curve, you should hear a "click" when pulling up on the bottom frame.  This click is the locking of the bottom frame with the top bows.  If when you put the top down into the boot, do you pull the back of the top to the bow above the window, if you do, you should hear this click noting that the botom frame is locked to the top bows.  If you don't hear this click, it is not locked as it goes down into the boot and when you pull up the top from the boot, the bottom frame will expand towards the back of boot and will not clear the housing for locking latch.  BTW, you will need little hands for this.
Bob
Robert Hyatt
Williamsburg, VA.

W113, 1970 280SL, Red leather 242 on Silver Gray Met. 180, 4-speed stick, Euro spec, restored
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