Soft top on 355 spider is stuck halfway down? | FerrariChat
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Soft top on 355 spider is stuck halfway down?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by JLP, Sep 8, 2006.

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  1. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #1 JLP, Sep 8, 2006
    Anyone know the manual procedure to raising the top? I can't drive the car anywhere like this.

    TIA
     
  2. ActionFigure

    ActionFigure Formula Junior

    Sep 2, 2005
    440
    Cary NC
    Full Name:
    Matt
    #2 ActionFigure, Sep 8, 2006
    Do you have the owners manual? They document the procedure to use the long threaded bolt and ratchet (located in a compartment on the floor to the left of the driver's seat and back a little bit and the door sill). Basically, you thread the bolt in and it will raise the top. But read the manual, not sure if you need to do anything else like release the pressure in the lines, etc.
     
  3. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #3 JLP, Sep 8, 2006
    Yes I have the manual but nowhere in it does it describe this procedure, I will poke around the back of the drivers seat. Is the ratchet in the tool kit?

    TIA
     
  4. RonnieF430Spider

    RonnieF430Spider Formula Junior

    Jan 25, 2006
    995
    Westlake Village, CA
    Full Name:
    Ronnie C
    #4 RonnieF430Spider, Sep 8, 2006
    Look at the bright side...at least it's half way up!
     
  5. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    79,555
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    #5 anunakki, Sep 8, 2006
    its in the manual on page H55 ive had to do it myself in the past
     
  6. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #6 JLP, Sep 8, 2006
    LOL.........no its stuck in an awful position. I wonder why my owners manual doesn't have the manual procedure. My saturday drive is not going to happen unless I get this sucker up!
    Anyone have the procedure?

    TIA
     
  7. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #7 JLP, Sep 8, 2006

    My car is a 95 and my owners manual stops at H49?? Do the 95's have a manual way to raise the top? Hey anunakki do you remember the procedure?

    TIA
     
  8. Tomf-1

    Tomf-1 F1 Rookie

    Jan 17, 2004
    4,528
    Leawood KS/ South FL
    Full Name:
    Thomas
    #8 Tomf-1, Sep 8, 2006
    i like your spirit and empathetic to your position as i, too find myself in these idiocyncratic predicaments many times, get really pissed off and often wonder why in the hell i'd ever want an exotic...but if it works perfectly, it wouldn't be italian now, would it? :)

    good luck to you
     
  9. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #9 JLP, Sep 8, 2006

    Thanks for the kind words, I'd be fine if it wasn't friday night but murphys law would have this happen at the worst possible time. If anyone has a 95 and has had this problem let me know and thanks to everyone who has responded thus far!
    I still love this car more than any other car I've ever owned!
     
  10. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    79,555
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    #10 anunakki, Sep 8, 2006
    Didnt realize the manuals changed so much between years.


    Theres a small cubby to the left of the drivers seat and within is a ratchet and a long threaded bolt. Heres where it gets tricky as I dont have a scanner at my house..

    You need to put the bolt through a channel on the drivers side section of the tops mechanism so the bolt pushes on a main structure. As you ratchet it , the bolt pushes against this 'arm' and the top will very slowly go up.

    I realize this isnt very helpful without pics... wish i could give you better assistance.
     
  11. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #11 JLP, Sep 8, 2006
    I found the procedure you speak of but I'm sensing it does not apply to the 95 as I have no ratchet and from viewing the pictures from the other thread it seems like the mechanism is a little different than mine.
    I have bleed the system and got the roof almost shut but it won't close by 2-3 inches as the roof isn't fully up!
    I'll keep trying though.

    Heres a link to the picture of what you are talking about, but alas I have no ratchet and a different mechanism?
    http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~richmet/docs/MUM_capH2_F355BerlinettaGtsSpider.pdf

    Thanks to all!
     
  12. davehelms

    davehelms F1 Rookie

    Jan 3, 2004
    4,629
    Full Name:
    Dave Helms
    #12 davehelms, Sep 9, 2006
    See if the second bow back is bound up and holding everything from moving

    Dave
     
  13. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #13 JLP, Sep 9, 2006
    I have bleed the system in order to try and close the top but I am still a few inches away. I can't seem to find a manual procedure to closing or opening the roof. Any diagram of the second bow back?

    TIA
     
  14. jm3

    jm3 F1 Rookie

    Oct 3, 2002
    4,364
    United States
    Full Name:
    JM3
    #14 jm3, Sep 9, 2006
    Definitely the problem over half of the time!

    JM
     
  15. JLP

    JLP Formula Junior

    Aug 18, 2006
    659
    Bay Area, Ca
    #15 JLP, Sep 9, 2006
    I finally got it down!!!!!!!!!! Now I need to get it in to fix it.

    Thanks to everyone
     

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