Hello everyone.

A hydraulic pump hose for powering my convertible top front latch burst. Looks like all the hoses need to be replaced --- dealer estimate is 10 hours labor plus cost of lines. From Top Hydraulics (the best source) materials are another $600, more or less. The car is only worth maybe $5000, so a $2000 repair is difficult to swallow.

I have another idea that I would like to run by all of you. I would like to cap off the hydraulic lines to/from the latch mechanism (operate latch manually by hex wrench), and leave the lines/pump active for raising/lowering the top.

Can anyone tell me if this is possible?

Very respectfully, Bob G.

 

Yes, it's been done. Do a search, there is s thread on this.

 

Member Dennis07 has provided instructions on how to accomplish exactly this mod: XK8 Convertible Top, Manual Latch Conversion

 

Anyone has extra hydraulic pump caps from a minimum purchase from Larry at Malone Specialty Inc. in Mentor, OH. These are the caps described by Denniso7 in post #98.

 

Hello Jaguar Convertible Lovers.

I read with great interest the 11 pages of Jaguar Forum exchanges related to the Green Shower and David's exhaustive research. Easy decision, and of cource I thanks David.

What a pleasant, wonderful person named LARRY at Malone Specialty Inc of Mentor, OH, telephone 440-255-4200.

To cap the latch hoses at the pump, I bought qty 2 1506L compression nuts, and qty 2 1306LSR blanking plugs with o-rings.

This solves my dilemma, and converts the convertible top to a manual latch system.

I also bought a couple of extra fittings that I would like to share with you.

I purchased two M12x1.5 thread female fittings, DIN 24 light swivel with o-ring, and two compression fittings. Dave did not carry the plastic line with roughly 3/16" OD and 1/8" ID.

I am going to put these into my junk drawer in the garage. Maybe someday, when I don't have anything better to do, I might try to attach a 12' extension to the existing line, and secure other end at the pump. Or maybe not.

Anyhow, my thanks to DSD, Gus, David and a host of other imcredible folks who did the research, tested the solution, and shared with all of us. You're the best!

Very respectfully, Bob G.

 

Ordered parts from Larry at Malone.Also ordered plugs for hose to prevent them from drying out. With minimum order charge less than $25 with shipping. Helpful, friendly, efficient.

 

You really should not cap the hoses. When the latch is operated manually, the system is trying to draw fluid into one hose and expel it from the other. Caps will create pressure in one hose and vacuum in the other, resisting the movement of the latch ... or worse.

For another reason, you don't want to connect the open ends of the hoses together.

There's a discussion in the "manual latch" link in my sig. line below.

 

Hello Dennis07 and all other extremely helpful Jaguar Forums members.

Received the hydraulic line caps for the latch connections at the pump this morning. Picture attached. Larry at Malone is the best. Removed the original latch hydraulic lines and inserted them into an open water bottle, neatly tucked in the cavity just ahead of the CD/Navigation rack. With a hex wrench to manually open/close the latch, everything works like a charm, and for $25, which is considerable less than $2000. Thanks again to everyone for the solution, direction to Larry, and the prior experience. Very respectfully, Bob G.

 

Oops. Here is the photo of the parts from Larry at Malone.