Converting top to full manual operation?
 

I just finished watching (and hearing) Jagosaurus's posting of his wife having a 'green shower'.

Realize I don't want to mess with the hydralics of this top and have that happen. Has anyone ever done a complete manual only system on an XK8? Is the top so heavy it can't be brought up and down manually? If someone's done such, what are the consequences? My old Brit sports cars didn't have all this luxury of a power top and it worked fine, but then the tops were pretty simple affairs.

Living in Sun Diego, I don't expect to be using my top a lot, especially if we figure out this full cockpit tonneau cover idea.

Have you read Dennis's thread https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...eration-89085/
It is the latch hoses that give way and produce the green shower, you can eliminate them if you wish using the info in that thread.

I think I'll do that but also wondering if it's possible to do a complete manual setup?

I believe it would be a bit unwieldy compared with the older British sports cars, primarily due to the fact that the heavier components of the frame and lifting hardware and the rams. However, I would be surprised if it could not be done by disconnecting the lift cylinders but putting the top up and down would probably be a 2 person operation.

Doug

It is a one-man operation but part of the roof operation is dependent on the roof rams extending and retracting to the full extent. The reason is twofold one the locking and unlocking of the roof linkage and the other is the micro switches in the ram finalize one operation to move on to the other and you rear window operation is one of them.

The problem is that the top mechanism goes over-centre like the catch on an old-fashioned pram hood.
This locks the top in the closed position and it is a devil of a job to unlock manually.
The lift rams pull on the linkage at just the right place to unlock it so IMHO it's best to continue using them and disable the latch as per Dennis's method.

Interesting question, Padrino. My take on this would be "only as a last resort, and then you wouldn't like it." But say your car has depreciated to a very low number and your hydraulic pump fails and you decide it's manual top or nothing. Then you might consider it.

Much of this has been mentioned ...

Raising the top would not be fun, It's heavy and too far from the driver's seat to reach back and do it. You would need to get out of the car, or keep a Hobbit in the back seat for this duty.

Lowering the top would be worse. You've heard about how the frame was designed to be pulled rather than pushed down. Out of the car again, probably back and forth left to right a few times to pull down on frame members to get it started.

We know how to work the latch manually. The windows would have to be wired to be controlled directly by a switch (this hack has been done successfully).

Nothing insurmountable, but ugly, don't you think?

Sounds like I had another 'dumb' idea. I think I'll just go replace all the lines with stainless braided and be done with it!

I don't think it's a dumb idea. You can install a pressure release valve which will limit the load on the pump + ram hoses and disconnect the latch hoses, use the key to latch and unlatch as per Dennis's posts. That way everything will last forever and you can reconnect the latch hoses if you want to sell.

Prior to Dennis getting the hydraulic line plugs to me, allowing me to raise my top with the push button. I manually raised and lowered my top at least 20 times over two years with no problems. Just be sure to open the pressure valve on the hydraulic pump. Also use care and move the top evenly up and down.

Regards,

Don

Don,

So here we are bad-mouthing manual top and you've been using it for two years. Questions:

- How did you operate the rear windows?

- Any tricks learned for lower the top (many people have trouble)?

I'd imagine the rear windows will work off the top switch if the pump power supply is disconnected but tricks for getting the top to unlock manually without the use of explosives would be most welcome.

Rear window raising and lowering manually
 

I raised and lowered the windows by pulling the relays and jumping the proper pins with 12 volts from the battery. I admit that's a lot of trouble.

Then I did the Rev's modification with the manual switch for the quarter windows. That was great. Now with the latch out of the picture with the plugged lines I'm in hog heaven!

Don

Just do not raise the top with the rear windows up...that will prematurely wear and possibly rip the top seals and also may stress the rear window regulator mechanism.

Don, if I understand correctly how you are set up now, you could revert the rear windows to being controlled by the roof switch on the console. This would eliminate any possibility of the pitfall WhiteXKR mentioned. (Or maybe you already did that ... )

Another thing to consider, if the top is manually closed the roof linkage is not locked in until you force it from the ram locations. With the roof not locked into place simple road vibration will be transferred to the windows. This could cause motor/linkage problems with the roof bouncing.

Rear window raising and lowering manually
 

Yes, I could, but I'm leaving the manual control on the quarter windows. I will be careful about keeping them down when the top is in motion.

Don