Spider roof emergency manual closure

Im currently in the process of fixing my malfunctioning Spyder convertible top that has run out of hydraulic fluid during storage. More on that and its fix in a later post..

However before I get into that I want to make a post about the whole ''manual roof close' proceedure as I feel the Owners manual is a bit confusing ,and even after multiple searches I could not for the life of me find a clear description or photo online anywhere..

I was effectively stuck looking for the the "right hole" for my "big bolt"

So the retraction mechanism is located just rear of the RHS seat ( RHD meaning whilst sitting in the vehicle).
ie Passenger side on RHD cars, and Drivers side for LHD cars.

You first thread the bolt in, and start to screw it in with the ratchet. At first it goes in witout resistance for quite some time before it bottoms out.

Then it starts to bind and push the mechanism..

Now if you do this for the first time its a bit scary.. and you need to keep an eye on the locating fork on the LHS of the spider mechanism.. You have to ratchet it in all the way such that the fork on the LHS engages and seats properly in the locating pin..

If the fork doesnt locate in the pin completely then when you pull the caopy forward to lock it into place on the windscreen you will find that it gets stuck about 10cm from the roofline, and cant engage into the windscreen locks.. It effectively becomes stuck at this point.

Its a bit counter intuitive because as you raise the roof, the fork actually comes down and locates onto the pin- something you don't necessarily expect.

Once it locates, you pull the caopy by hand towards the windscreen and the roof will close and lock in place easily..Once this happens the tension on the bolt is instantly released and you can remove it by hand..


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M12 x 1.75 x 170mm (thread length) 17mm Hex head bolt.

One thing i forgot to mention is to remember to release the residual pressure in the system by turning the bleed screw in the pump body anticlockwise x2 turns.
When you do this you will audibly feel the pressure releasing.. This will make manual retraction much easier and avoid damaging the frame. My lines were empty already so had stuff all pressure in them, and my reservior was empty so it didn't make a difference.. But if you are partially full you need to release the pressure first as per the Owners Manual..

 

So following on from this ,I discovered my Spyder roof hydraulic system had been leaking for some time.. and had soaked the trim and carpet and the underlying foam had sort of "disintegrated"

So I pulled it all out and sent it to Klaus at Top Hydraulics.. and I will be doing a write up on this DIY soon

Looking at the rear parcel shelf trim I found it to be "warped"..?

This doesn't look factory to me as its slightly off-centre..Dis the hydraulic fluid swell it up like this?

Is anyone able confirm that the rear parcel shelf trim on their F355, (preferably a spyder) should indeed be straight..?


Thanks in advance..

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This is the part, number 10 that I am refering too. Anyone able to run their fingers accross the top of their rear parcel shelf to confirm...?
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