Any Secret to getting the Convertible Top Weather Striping started?

DashingDaryl

Member
Arizona, USA
I just changed my hydraulic hinges. It was pretty straightforward. I was able to press in the weather striping around the trunk and sides, but am having a hard time getting it to go in right near the doors.

Is there a secret, or does anyone have any suggestions?
 
Do you mean that multilayered lump? It has to go over some bits and under others.
Easier on a warmer day. Be careful you don't pull the white plastic clip out of the rubber.
It really is just perseverance and wiggling it into place.
 
When I am reseating the weather stripping, should the screws in the trunk be connected or unconnected? Or does it matter?
 
DashingDaryl said:
I just changed my hydraulic hinges.

I'm about to do the same. I took the roof off the car today and confirmed that the hinges are leaking. Left side only but I'm intending to do both sides anyway. Motor and pump are ok. Did you refurbish your hinges or buy new ones? Any tips regarding the whole process would be welcome.
 
perttu said:
DashingDaryl said:
I just changed my hydraulic hinges.

I'm about to do the same. I took the roof off the car today and confirmed that the hinges are leaking. Left side only but I'm intending to do both sides anyway. Motor and pump are ok. Did you refurbish your hinges or buy new ones? Any tips regarding the whole process would be welcome.

I watched a bunch of videos on youtube before I did it. It sounds so complicated, but in reality it is just a collection of easy steps.

I would recommend repairing both of your hydraulic cylinders. I tried to only repair one cylinder in my sl500, but as soon as the repaired cylinder could handle higher pressure, my other cylinders started leaking also.

I sent both my Z4 and sl500 cylinders to Top Hydraulics. They do good work. The SL was SEVERAL years ago but the turn around was very quick. This time around, Top Hydraulics took over a month to repair my cylinders. It would be very annoying if you had to wait a month to have a cylinder repaired and then have to wait an additional month to have the second cylinder repaired. They do good work though, so it is probably worth the wait. I did find a Z4 in a "junk yard" it still had it's top, but it was ripped. I was tempted to take the cylinders off of it, but they are just as old as mine and I did not want to do the job twice.

The interesting thing about youtube is there are LOTS of videos on how to take the top off, but NONE about how to put the top on.
 
DashingDaryl said:
I watched a bunch of videos on youtube before I did it. It sounds so complicated, but in reality it is just a collection of easy steps.

Great, thanks. Your observations are pretty much in line with my own research on the matter. I also intend to send the hinges to Top Hydraulics. Did the delivery contain new hydraulic lines, too? I read somewhere that you can have longer lines included in the delivery by request, especially if you're moving the roof motor to the trunk when the top is off anyway.

DashingDaryl said:
The interesting thing about youtube is there are LOTS of videos on how to take the top off, but NONE about how to put the top on.

True :). I guess they have the implicit assumption that putting it together is the reverse of disassembly, which USUALLY is true. In addition to weather seal issues you mentioned earlier in this thread, did you encounter difficulties putting everything back together? Any recommendations about order of things, for example?
 
You can get longer hydraulic lines from top hydraulics. I believe there is a fee for them. Since I live in a very dry climate, I do not have to worry about water accumulation near the motor, so I skipped the longer lines.

they actually have their own write up on how to do it:
https://www.tophydraulics.com/content/63-bmw-z4-info
 
DashingDaryl said:
You can get longer hydraulic lines from top hydraulics. I believe there is a fee for them

I contacted them and got quoted 200$ for the new hoses. Sounds a bit salty to me. Since mine at least look to be fine, maybe I'll skip replacing the lines after all.
 
So I figured out what my problem with the weather stripping. Inside the moulding there are little metal teeth. if your moulding is good, you won't ever see them. On the corner part of the trunk moulding the teeth started showing through. Two of them were bent down, keeping me from being able to push the moulding back into the groove. Once I adjusted those two, the moulding in went in easy.
 
Thanks for saying that. I always try to post the solution. There are SOOOOO many times on the internet when you find someone with your same problem but no solution. :cry:
 
DashingDaryl said:
So I figured out what my problem with the weather stripping. Inside the moulding there are little metal teeth. if your moulding is good, you won't ever see them. On the corner part of the trunk moulding the teeth started showing through. Two of them were bent down, keeping me from being able to push the moulding back into the groove. Once I adjusted those two, the moulding in went in easy.
Ah that part, not the corner piece. Yes I have hit that problem before. Apologies for misunderstanding your initial question or I could have helped you sooner.
 
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