75 LeSabre scissors top (no hydraulics.) I'm following the factory service manual instructions. The top has a "high shoulder condition", ostensibly caused by the side set screws too deep. But they're not even touching their stops anymore, so this seems unlikely. It requires serious manual wrestling to get the front locating pins just barely near the holes in the windshield header. Way more than 30 pounds. The top has to be dragged forward and down. And the top leaks big time at the front in rain. (I can easily slide a cereal box cardboard through from the outside on top of the windshield header with the top locked down. The foam rubber weatherstrip isn't even touching anything.) The adjusting nut in step 1 (stacked position tension adjustment) is all the way outward/front. There's not much, if any "bounce" to the folded top if I jostle it down on the passenger side. Haven't bothered to get a hold of a spring scale to next adjust the side rail tension because I'm stuck at this point. I'm wondering if something's bent. The previous owner replaced cables and bushings in an attempt to cure the raising difficulties with running out of steam getting the passenger side up past a couple of feet. I still get this about every few times raising the top. Haven't checked the voltage drop across the relay (or even the switch) yet. There should be next to none I presume. Great fun for my 15 year old daughter and me as we pulled over at a sudden downpour, her getting out to help the top up, and us both getting partly drenched through the open windows as we sat in our seats pulling forward and down for several minutes on the top till we got the pins close enough to latch. Then sheets of water pouring in on our laps as we drove. Woo-wee!
Year and model of car? Any pictures? I just had a new top installed on my 71 Skylark. I also must assist and pull down on the top frame in order to get the hooks engaged in the windshield header. My top also comes up (raises) skewed, the passenger side lags behind the drivers side. My hydraulics are full of air - this may have something to do with the top skewing when I raise it. As far as having to pull down on the frame to close it, I agree it is not exactly easy but it is doable. As far as the windshield and frame not meeting - it sounds like it is time for a new weatherstrip, I just replaced all of my weatherstripping with new Metro brand weatherstripping, it's really nice stuff. It sounds like maybe your top has shrunk a little and requires stretching. There are also spring loaded cables on each side of the top, you may be fighting against those as well. I am interested to know what you discover and what you do to correct it. Please post your findings when you can. Lee
Fisher Body Service Manual should have a chapter on adjustments available. These are available many places as reproductions. Well worth the $$. Try Year-One after checking the vendor section here. 24 pages in my '71 edition on folding tops, of which the last 4 are "adjustments".
wouldnt the high shoulder be from the top (actually the rear frame mounts) being too close to the windshield since the screws aint touchin?
that top motor is gonna hate you if you run it without the engine running. it really needs the extra voltage. sometimes after all those years there might not be much top bounce.
I have not yet messed with the fore-aft setting of the rear control link mounting plate, as that's the next adjustment after the set screws, and uses a spring scale and measurements of diagonals. So maybe you've hit on it here; I will mess with these and see what happens. Thanks. P.S. Is there a story behind "roadmistress"?
not yet .... you got a sister?:eek2: you may have to tweak the fore/aft and then go back a step and try again. the diagonal scale can really make you pull your hair out. .. i finally just got close and said good enough, life's too short. do you have a glass or plastic window?
Thank you, yuk. The fore/aft adjustment, as you suggested ("you may have to tweak the fore/aft and then go back a step and try again") definitely made a difference. It's not so horribly hard to pull down and latch now. And yes, the top motor works way better if the engine is running, even better by gunning the engine a little bit to get the voltage up. I'll get back to this in the winter. You guys are great.
