POLL - Convertible Top Hydraulic Cylinder R&R

[lynns]

I have seen so much talk about Convertible Top Hydraulic Cylinder R&R that I would like to take a poll on the following.

1) Which Hydraulic Cylinders have you replaced? Front, Rear?
2) How was the service performed? DIY, INDY, or STEALER?
3) What year did you perform the repair?
4) What year and color is your R129?
5) What City and State do you reside. Just checking for Temperature reasons.
6) Do you have any additional information that you feel is important to the poll?

[snowbilt]

Front, DIY, 06, 98, http://www.mercedesshop.com/Wikka/R129TopRelease
If someone decides to tackle the rear please take tons of detailed pics and good description so we can post it as well.

[SunGuy61]

Originally Posted by lynns

I have seen so much talk about Convertible Top Hydraulic Cylinder R&R that I would like to take a poll on the following.

1) Which Hydraulic Cylinders have you replaced? Front, Center, Rear?
2) How was the service performed? DIY, INDY, or STEALER?
3) What year did you perform the repair?
4) What year is your R129?
5) Do you have any additional information that you feel is important to the poll?

1) Front Pair
2) DIY, thanks to Snowbilt's (Chris) incredibly simple instructions and photos
3) 2006
4) 1999
5) If you need to replace any of the cylinders, to get a great replacement at a fraction of the cost, have yours rebuilt by....

Mercedes Cylinder Rebuilder:

Dennis Ficken
16285 S. Chester
Olathe, Ks 66062
(913) 390-0506
mainshipmed@sbcglobal.net

or

mercedescylinders@sbcglobal.net

Dennis charges $30@ +10 to rebuild better than new. If you go this route, when you find one leaking cylinder, i.e. left front, even though the right one isn't leaking (yet) pull them both and have the pair rebuilt as it's only a matter of time. Same holds true for any of the cylinder 'pairs'.

Dennis did mine a couple months ago and they have operated flawlessly-

Bob

[MarkBJR]

1) Front Pair
2) DIY
3) September, 2006
4) 1999
5) Mercedes Cylinder Rebuilder:
Dennis Ficken
16285 S. Chester
Olathe, Ks 66062
(913) 390-0506
mainshipmed@sbcglobal.net

Mark

[gsm-decode]

Me 2 FRONT

Rgds

[lynns]

Thanks for the feedback and keeping this going.

[Daytonaman]

Replaced all 6 rear and bottom 2. 92 sl. Not to difficult if you know the access methods. Bought them from salvage yards. Be sure to put MB ($25.00/qt) only in the res. When your done you'll be an expert. The hard part is the frustration of having to do it in the first place. I had a Chevy with an automatic top and it worked flawlessly for years.

[JohnDB]

1) Front - Right side
2) DIY
3) Spring 2006
4) 1997 SL500
5) Threads in this forum made it as simple as... well you know!

[Bawbag]

Looks, like all the hydraulic cylinder failures are in the states ! !
Maybe your weather is good all the time so, the soft top is
going up and down day in and day out,,,,
In england i use the soft top from April to November but :-
from november to April i have to put the hard glass top on...weather is crap
cold-rain-no sunshine

So perhaps because of weather, the failures of the cylinders is less in europe
than the U.S ???

Anybody from UK had a problem with your top cylinders as lynns is asking ??

Rgds
Bawbag

[lynns]

I sent Dennis Ficken some questions about cylinder repair. Here is his feedback.

Believe it or not, there is 12 cylinders in the top system.

2 windshield latch
2 tonneau cover lift
2 tonneau cover latch
2 rear top latch
2 main lift
2 bow extension

All but the windshield latches can be found in the top storage well.

Lately it seems that all I've been working on is '98 and '99 windshield latches. I do have a couple of gentleman in Canada and Texas getting ready to send me all 12 cylinders off of their '94 and '91.