Rear Pin Fix (Part 2)

I had to split this up because the limit is five images per post! By the way, I was surprised how clean the soft top well was and does anybody know what the big white plastic disc below the rear pin lock is for?


I hope this will help somebody, it worked for me!

 

Thank you so much
I was able to open latch all the way to remove hard top
I appreciate your help

 

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For future reference, after the first five pics are attached, if you click on "Manage Attachments" again you can load five more.


Ten per post is the limit.

 

The 'white disc' is access to the fuel sending unit.





Fish

 

Fish,

That crossed my mind but I didn't want to verify it and break something in the process.


isthisdave,

Thanks for the tip!

 

If ones top is already stuck, what is the best practice to free it?

Carl

 

With the help of a friend we carefully "wiggled" the hardtop until it released (all cam locks loose). I also placed towels between the top and the body to prevent scratches. The key word is "careful", the soft top cover is very thin and you don't want to dent it.

There is a video on youTube of two guys taking one off by shaking the hell out of the top......that would be suited for a parts car in my view.

 

Excellent piece, bud. Thanks for taking the time to research, document, and share the functions those two cranks govern.

For me at least, a "how-to" is most effective if it's accompanied by "why." Your detailed examination and clear explanation of this complicated mechanism accomplishes that--in spades. Great job! :thumbsup:

Good road,

 

Added 02/11/2013

 

Great piece of information! Now I understand more about the large lever and the adjustments of the right side soft top boot as mine does not fully lock, the left one does but the right does not fully catch. I have rolled over RR tracks and have had it pop open! the trunk did that too going down a dirt road.

 

I assume you were not going to fast when this happened. I can just imagine the wind at higher speeds getting a hold of the soft top cover and ripping it clean off. That would be very expensive!

Anyway, easy fix to adjust the right lock.

 

Removing a stuck 107 SL hardtop

There is one and only one easy way to remove the hardtop with a stuck center rear pin without risking damage.....
Buy a pair of Irwin 9 inch needle nose vice grip pliers. Wrap the sides of the pliers in electrical tape to prevent scratches to the car's paintwork. Unfasten the windshield and side pillar retaining fasteners. Press down the small release lever. Lift the hardtop as far as you can at the rear and jam a couple of rags under it to keep it as high as possible. Now very firmly lock the vice grips on to the exposed center rear pin. On the 560SL you may need to remove the rear brake light for easier access. Turn the pin 90 degrees either left or right, I don't think it matters. The pin will then be released from the locking mechanism and pop up the hardtop which can then be lifted off. A 5 minute job at most.
And finally - do ignore the Mercedes workshop manual that instructs you to remove carpet from the rear cargo area wall and drill a 10mm hole thru which you can push an iron bar to put pressure on the lock mechanism. Ridiculous! Dumbkaufs!

 

I will look into this as I have had that problem for a long time. My solution for the next time was going to be, to not engage that rear pin with the lever.

 

... My solution for the next time was going to be, to not engage that rear pin with the lever.

My solution is to not put the Hard Top on

Carl

 

I went outside yesterday and looked closely at the release mechanism. I realized that if the small lever is not rotated ALL THE WAY down to where the wire sheath is snug against the stop, it will not release properly. Just a millimeter's gap will prevent it. So from now on I'll hold it down while I release to top with the large lever.

 

I had my hard top stick.

Pushed the release lever and the top can move up a couple inches.

Made a little tool out of a small screwdriver type poker.

Bent the end to a 90 degree angle about an inch or so up.
Put the tool on the right side of the pin as you are looking from the back of the car to the front.

Push the little lever to the right and lift the hard top up at the same time.

Have learned that the cable that releases the pin is broke.
Need to replace it but have already dinged the soft top cover with the pin from the hard top hitting it on a previous attempt.

 

Today I removed a hardtop that would not release the pin. As before on another car i do this
1. Unlatch all four latches. Release the rear pin handle
2. Lift top in front and off both sides
3 with a helper lift hard top rear and place a piece 0f wood 1 1/2 under
Rear hardop to the left of the pin. The piece of wood keeps the hartop
Raised enough to take a putty knife and slip it under the rog top cover
And seal. This lifts the metal cover up just a tad. Then i take a strait tip
Screwdriver and slip it in next to the putty knife and i put pressure on the screwdriver handle
To raise the metal cover just enough that i can take a second smaller tip screwdriver
And push the release hook to the right. All this effort took less than 10 minutes.

This is the 3rd time I have used this method and it has worked every time
With zero damage to the car or seal

 

I had this problem today - and I wanted to share my experience getting the pin to release. I had no luck getting anything in around the pin itself, but with some towels between the top and the rear deck to prevent damage, my helpers tilted the front of the top up about 20 degrees. Once they did that I could open the compartment for the soft top and see where the cable attached to the small handle. I reached down there with my instrument cluster removal tool and hooked that cable and gave it just a little bit more of a tug and it released straight away. I found it much easier to go after the cable at the handle end than mess around with the latch at the other end. Many thanks to all who posted pictures on this problem - they were invaluable!