hardtop removal - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 06-07-2004, 06:57 PM

1985 380 SL-center pin at back won't release! Will cam up about an inch, but no more. any tips on how to release? Thanks,
Don

cbdo · #2 06-07-2004, 09:32 PM

Possibly the single most common problem for 107 owners to encounter. Do a site search and you'll come up with more than you ever wanted to know.

abe g · #3 06-09-2004, 02:25 PM

With help have someone lift top after releasing all locks, use small screwdriver to push bolt to left, this should release the lock. Hope this helps, works for me. Abe G

ljmauricio · #4 06-10-2004, 09:38 AM

The main release handle moves the latch pin up and down, The smaller lever under it pulls the pin to the side to release the top. My lever had a slack cable. I corrected that with a split shot weight from my tackle box. If you get the small lever to work properly, you will never have a prolem with your rear locking pin releasing.

Steve Gutman · #5 06-11-2004, 12:25 PM

I wound up spinning the top to disengage the ratchets on the pin.

The cable is adjustable and mine was too loose to disingage the pin. After you get it off adjust the cable by spinning the fitting on the pin lock end.

luvmy84300sd · #6 06-15-2004, 09:24 AM

I have read the many threads on this problem and even bought the kotter/radiator tool (the bent screwdriver) as suggested and cannot get this to work. Are you supposed to push the pin towards the passenger side or is there a hook or something down inside the car that I'm feeling for and then pushing that to the passenger side? I've rotated my top to the point it scratched the hinged cover and I'm pissed.

Can someone help clarify, especially if you have been successfull in this endeavor...I want my top off!!!! If you want, I'll give my phone number and let you call collect if you know how to help.

Thanks!

Steve Gutman · #7 06-15-2004, 02:49 PM

I am sorry spinning the top didn't work for you and mostly sorry you scratched your cover (on my suggestion). It did work for me.

If I recall, there is so little room to slip anything down between the pin and the hole that you need something flat. Again, by memory, the teeth are on the driver side of the pin. While pushing down with a flat piece, move the top up and down. It should disengage from the teeth and come off. You may catch a few teeth and have to release a few times until it comes off. I know what a pain it can be. Good Luck!

BTW, I have had trouble with the pin lining up so I bent it (back?) with a piece of pipe.

luvmy84300sd · #8 06-15-2004, 03:00 PM

Thanks for the reply Steve. I want to confirm....the pin in the rear of the car that attaches to both hard & soft tops to pull them to the car, should release from the hard top and then extract down back into the car, right? The teeth you mention...are they down inside the car or are the teeth what the pin catches on up in the hard top?

This is so complicated to understand.....I'll be glad when it comes off so I can see what's going on!

Steve Gutman · #9 06-15-2004, 03:49 PM

The pin is attached to the hard top and goes into the hole. THe pin is cut out, like teeth on a ratchet. The lever that engages them is on a pivot and rotating the short, chrome lever in the "back seat" area pulls a cable that rotates the lever out of the way. When the hard top comes off the pin comes out with it and the lever rotates back (it's spring loaded) and stays put. You are rotating the chrome lever (in the "back seat" area) that is supposed to release the pin, aren't you?

luvmy84300sd · #10 06-15-2004, 03:54 PM

That's my problem. The smaller chrome handle is not even engaged. I can move the larger "window" style crank handle fine but the small one spins almost all the way around (won't go all the way b/c of the design that catches on the larger crank). I have taken the large handle off and think I can see what has fallen off of the small chrome handle...but it's not working at all right now.

So the large pin in the rear stays with the top and I am inserting this radiator hose tool down into the well at the pin and trying to hook onto some teeth that ratchet? I can get the tool down in there but I'm on the passengar side of the pin and don't feel a thing.

Steve Gutman · #11 06-15-2004, 04:10 PM

Your cable is too loose.

I think the teeth are on the drivers side of the pin, but I could be wrong. What you are trying to do is push the lever and rotate it to disengage it from the teeth on the pin. There are 5 or 6 teeth on the pin. If you push the lever or push your tool between the lever and the teeth the top should be able to move upward. This all must be done at the sme time. Someone has to lift the top while you (simultaneously) push the lever out of the way. Sometimes you have to work the top up and down to take tension off the lever engaged into a tooth.

luvmy84300sd · #12 06-15-2004, 04:15 PM

Thanks for trying to help me Steve. I'm going to get some help from some friends this evening and see if while they are holding the top up in the air as far as it will go I can get in beside the pin and push it so that the link comes off the teeth. Do you have a picture of your hardtop when it's off the car that shows the pin sticking out? I am having a hard time visualizing what this thing looks like.

Steve Gutman · #13 06-15-2004, 05:24 PM

My hard top is on and it's up on jack stands and the a-arms ore off. It's in the wrong place to pull the top. It may be a couple weeks before I get it on the ground. I feel your pain. I can't even drive mine.

Ask Phil at Partsshop to send you a drawing

cbdo · #14 06-15-2004, 10:46 PM

There's a single cutout on the side of the pin toward the *passenger* side of the car (unless you've got RHD). The hook comes from the passenger side to engage it.

The bent-tool-to-move-the-hook method works by moving the hook toward the passenger side to release the pin from it. You need to have loosened the latch with the larger crank first, and possibly block the top up just a bit to gain extra clearance.
I've got a (manual) hoist for the top, and found that I could get it to release with very careful use of the large handle alone when I had the top lifted up not quite against the stop.. The point of maximum motion occurs with the handle at about 11 o'clock (viewed from inside the car, with normal riding position at about 2 o'clock), just *before* you hear the click of the mechanism snapping into open position.

Personallly, my best luck when it was sticking and nothing else worked was to use a narrow-nose visegrip to rotate the pin itself, unscrewing it a quarter turn from the top (back edge of pin moving toward driver's side of car). This leaves the hook nothing to grip.

I eventually noticed that the cable attached to the small handle had broken loose from its mounting, thus disabling the small handle. Getting it fixed now; I'll post pics of before and after, as I suspect this may be a common source of trouble with releasing the top. BTW, throughout all this, the soft top release is just fine.

luvmy84300sd · #15 06-16-2004, 09:14 AM

Craig, what is RHD?

So I'm not looking to actually move the big pin itself...I'm trying to manipulate the tool from behind the pin and move the tool to the passenger side so that the hook (which is attached to the small chrome lever) will let go of the big pin? Is that right?

I do use the larger handle to release the tension on the top so that I can pick it up and can even rotate it for almost 90 degrees...and it still won't let go. I didn't get a chance to play with it last night b/c we had some terrential downpours coupled with lightning & thunder...so I didn't feel comfortable asking people to come over and help...maybe it will be better tonight.

Just for clarification, I can get the top up enough to get the tool under the lip of the top and down into the recess where the pin goes....I'm just trying to figure out how to manipulate it to release the pin. Here goes another try.