Ok guys....started to take the top off today. Started with the back glass. Pulled the outside weatherstrip off easily enough, but then...????? How in the world does the back glass come out? Is there a mastic that holds it in that has to be cut with one of those tools, or??

 

Careful there super charged. I saw on my 96, whwne the man was replacing my top that there nylon straps that actually support the window. Don't cut those.
Luck, RagJag

 

Thanks. I think I have it figured out. It about has to be the same tool that cuts the mastic between the glass and the window frame, just like the front windshield comes out.

 

I got it disassembled today except for the back glass out of the frame. There is a lot to this, thats for sure.

 

This is a great thread, wish I had this when I did my top some years ago.


The seal presses in around the window. The window itself is held in with adhesive. Get a couple of suction cup handles from harbor freight to do the window install, and get another person to help.


Make sure you clean all of the old adhesive off the frame and the window, and have primed the mating surfaces before applying the adhesive.


One thing in this thread that bears some emphasis from my point of view: buy a new rear hold down cable. The old one is likely to break when you begin installing the new top, and are tightening it down. Corrosion and age. Also, the two cables (one on either side) along the top side edges that are used to pull the top along can also need replacing, as they can break, too, due to age and corrosion.


This is not a bad job, really, all things considered. The tip on stretching the headliner from the center rib is very important to note, and then, just know that this top will be very tight, and you may not be able to close it up before cutting the window hole. I put mine up as far as it would go, in the hot sun. Then, I began carefully slicing the fabric where the rear window was to go (the frame will bump up against the fabric, so you will know where to cut). Refer to the OEM manuals on just how to cut the fabric here- that's quite important. But the act of cutting the fabric relieves the stress on the overall top, allowing you to close up the top while you finish the rear window installation.


Had I to do this job again, I would pay closer attention to the headliner installation part where the stretching must be done from the center rib, and I would not glue the front of the top to the front of the frame at the point marked on the fabric from the supplier. I would have given maybe 0.5" on this, so that the top wasn't quite so tight. As it stands, over 3 years, this thing is snare drum tight, and looks just like the original.


Like everything on this car, it takes patience and persistance.

 

I have bought all new cables, and am having a shop resew my top pad. I now need to know what to do about the rear(pads?) that connect the frame to the body. I am sure there was some sort of material around them, as I pulled tons of staples from material stapled to the rear bow, but the material itself is gone everywhere else. It appears beige, although my headliner is gray. Also, there is a piece of material that wasn't attached to anything that perfectly matches my headliner. It clearly is shaped in such a way that it is supposed to go around the back glass, but it must have been glued to something? And the tabs that connect my front cable in the pad? Gone. Gotta do something about that. Anyway, could anybody out there post pics of what the inside should look like with the top up, around the back glass? Thanks!!

 

Disaster.....Well, got everything looking great. Headliner, pad, restored my frame where the tabs at front were rusted way. I mean really ready to finish this up. I put the cable ends in the holes where they go, then managed to get the rear cable over the lip, all the while holding it all in place. What a job! Then started tightening the cable. It really was looking great. Until the cable snapped. The new cable snapped right at the end. I was trying to tighten it enough the hide the cable completely.
My question is, is there a lubricant that I could spray under the c-channel of the body, maybe even on the top itself, that would make everything go under it better? I bought the best top I could find, but where the material is sewn near the back (corners?) plus the thickness of the little loops seems to be just too much material to go under the channel. Or is it possible I just got a bad cable? I didn't let it turn, used a little stubby short wrench, didn't feel like I was overtightening it. And advice appreciated.

 

New cable came in yesterday. Put it on (again). Learned something new, but didn't take pics. The original top seems was installed incorrectly. After taking it back apart, I realized that the channel that the cable, top, goes in, apparently wasn't installed right to begin with, and the cable actually came over the channel, near where it attaches to the body, and when the top was tightened, it must have cinched the channel down, where the cable COULDN'T go in, especially not along with the fabric of the top. I straightened the channels out, and the cable appears very correct. I have the side cable on, and the top up, but am concerned. I need advice from someone whos done this. There are some flaps of material, that glue around to the inside, very near the front of the top. It appears that they should go all the way to the front edge of the header. I'm concerned that if I glue this top where it appears it should be glued, there is no way it will ever stretch enough to get it fully closed. Advice appreciated!!

 

Another FYI. If anybody else is attempting this..DON"T tighten the cable all the way the first day/night. Just tighten it until it feels you have plenty of tension, but can still see most of the cable, but the places where the loops go, have started in. Let the material "crush" overnight, then tighten it some more. Thats where I am. Maybe tomorrow finish tightening. Can only see the cable in a couple of places now.

 

Use a putty knife and gently push the material in behind the cable as you tighten it a little at a time all along where it's supposed to "devour the cable". It seems the material needs a little help being folded in. To rely only on the cable to do this will leave some of the cable visible and needing to tighten it more than necessary. Bud

 

The putty knife makes perfect sense. But the material being at least 2 to 2 1/2" from where it appears it should glue to the frame concerns me. Especially one I put the metal strip on that holds the top and the headliner to the front. Once I put screws through the top, well, my top is screwed. No pun intended.

 

I recently replaced the roof on my XJ-S and found one with a plastic rear window already installed! Makes replacement much easier, looks great too! As long as you don't have a show car I'd recommend it! Came from 1a auto.com.

 

Adding to an old thread... with my comments and ideas, and also asking for help and input, about how to attach and tighten the rear hold-down cable.

I started down this road, and popped the old hold-down cable that I was trying to reuse. Luckily, I had already purchased a new cable, so I will get a second chance.

After reading this thread a few times, I will repeat (and consolidate) a few tips and/or suggestions from this thread plus add some new ones that I expect
will be helpful in connecting the rear hold down cable to the top and the car.

1) -- Check the channel that the cable goes into, and make sure that it isn't bent or closed.
I plan to take this a step further, and test-fit the new cable in the channel WITHOUT
the top in place, just to see how easily it goes in on its own, to check clearance, and
and to see if there are any trouble spots where I may need to adjust the channel that
the cable feeds into.

2) -- Use a putty knife or a 2" wide piece of wood to push the cable in as you slowly
tighten it. That's great advice. I was using a big screwdriver, but that was too
likely to cause damage to the cable or the top. I'll try a putty knife or wood.

3) -- Don't tighten the cable all at once. Make it "tight enough" and then give it 24 hours
to settle in before returning to tighten it some more. I like that suggestion. I'll also
use a piece of wood or a putty knife to press the cable in some more before I tighten
it again.

4) -- Use clamps to position the cable and the the top before tightening the cable. The clamps are intended to keep the cable from popping up out of the channel as you tighten it. I'll post photos. These tips came from a video from an professional installer.

5) -- Hold the end of the cable with a tool to keep the cable from twisting as you tighten the nuts on the end of the cable.

6) -- Don't use grip pliers to hold the end of the cable -- you may deform and damage it.

I watched a rather lengthy utube video where a professional installer used clamps to hold the cable and the bottom of the top in the correct position as he tightened the cable. He also suggested using small grip pliers to keep the cable from twisting. I agree that you need pliers to keep the cable from twisting as you tighten the nuts, but I think that grip pliers could do damage. In fact, the pro, indicated that his new cable pulled out from the connector at the end. I can't help but think that the grip pliers he used deformed where the cable was crimped on, causing his problem.


7) -- Someone asked about use of a lubricant. I think it will help... as long as us SPARINGLY use the RIGHT KIND.

I started to write up up all of the reasons why I was opposed to the idea, and then it hit me... The right kind of lubrication would probably help!

I wouldn't want a liquid (or at least anything too wet) because I don't want the fabric to swell.

I'm considering rubbing a bar of Ivory soap around the area, and using a q-tip to work some of it up into the channel.
Ivory soap is dry and would lubricate, ivory won't discolor anything, and when I'm finally finished, if any is visible, it will easily wash away
with water or with a damp rag.

I'm also considering sparingly using some graphite powder (the small tubes you use to lubricate lock cylinders), but that could discolor the top if I make a mess and get it all over the car and the top.

I may try using a *small* amount of a clear or light colored dish washing liquid. I'm thinking of placing some dawn on a q-tip and spreading a very small amount below and also inside the channel where the cable goes. I think this could help, as long as I don't use too much. I believe it would be more slippery than dry ivory, and as long as I don't use very much, I don't think that it would have enough moisture to be absorbed by by the material of the cloth causing it to swell and thereby making the task more difficult.

I wouldn't use anything colored, like green colored palmolive. I wouldn't add water, because I don't want the fabric to swell or expand, and I wouldn't use any type of grease or other similar lubricants, such as silicone spray, because I don't want to risk it spreading and bleeding into the material, causing visible wet spots on parts of the top and/or slight changes to the color. I also wouldn't want to risk the possibility of one of these lubricants chemically attacking the material and breaking it down. I wouldn't use wax, because wax can melt and may discolor.


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I'll post photos if my efforts work.

If they cause problems, then there's no need for pictures !!! (hehe!) -- but I will report back on failures (if I have any!), just to save others from repeating my mistakes.
(Like don't use a screwdriver to push the cable in... it damages the cable. It's too pointy. A putty knife, or a 2" wide piece of wood is more appropriate).

If anyone has any experience with any of these suggestions, or has an informed opinion, especially regarding lubrication, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

-phil

 

Harbor Freight makes a nice assortment of plastic molding tools that are safer than a putty knife or piece of wood. Not expensive and great to have.
If you can leave the car in the sun, it helps too!

 

I've made good progress, and taken many photos.

Right now, I'm unable to cut the material around the rear window in order to remove the glass. It's possible that I'm doing it wrong, but it's also possible that the last person who replaced my top used the wrong adhesive on the window glass.

Does anyone have advice on what tool to use to cut the glass free, or any tricks that help make the job go more smoothly?

Thanks!

-Philip

 

There is a tool purpose made for this job- a good autoparts or autopaint store will know what you need. The tool I had for this featured a cutter blade with a 90 degree bend in it- this allows the knife to get under the edge of the glass, and then you can pull the tool around the perimeter and free the glass.


Be sure to carefully clean off all of the original sealant, and then to use the special primer around the perimeter BEFORE you apply the sealant (also special stuff- again, see your auto paint guys for what to use). I used a couple of hand suction cups from HarborFreight to lift the window and seat it onto the frame.