Crazy day for the convertible yesterday.

[HemiEd]

Just had to share this one.

I am an avid golfer, and have spent a lot of time and money on the game, similar to my Mopar hobby.

We play every Sunday morning at 7:15, and yesterday I drove the 68 to the course with the top down.

About three weeks ago, I had replaced the passenger side top cylinder, as it had been leaking. Ran it up and down a couple times, everything worked great. Top has been down, with the cover snapped in place since.

Well, we get to the 6th hole yesterday, and a ranger came out to tell me we were going to get a good rain in about an hour. Perfect, we will be making the turn by then, and I will put the top up.

Well it wouldn't move, just whined, and of course we couldn't put it up manually. We have a golf bet commitment going on, and I can not abandon the round.

I had a fairly large umbrella still in the trunk from a car show last year, and it didn't look like rain to me, so I put it up to cover the interior.

Well, the last two holes it started to drizzle, nothing serious. But driving home, with the top down in the drizzle, was a crazy experience. Running those little wiper blades, with the top down, was just wierd.

Lots of people gave me that, "why don't that idiot put the top up" look, and of course I got caught at most of the red lights.

Got it home, and took the back seat out to see what was going on. It had blown a seal on the pump, but fortunately, I had purchased a spare.

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

I bet you did get some funny looks.

Is there a place where more pictures of your convertible are posted? I have a 1968 Barracuda convertible also.

 

[HemiEd]

I bet you did get some funny looks.

Is there a place where more pictures of your convertible are posted? I have a 1968 Barracuda convertible also.

This was the first time around, when I got the car October of 2003.

http://public.fotki.com/HemiEd/68-barracuda/?cmd=fs_slideshow


I then did the car totally over again, the winter of 2008/2009.

I had a thread running at Moparts on it, the second time to fix the stuff it took some time to accumulate, but here goes.

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5081268&an=0&page=0#Post5081268

 

[OneOfMany]

Open doors to drain lol..

Grant

 

[6t6cuda]

You know you can manually put the top up... that is why the factory used pull pins on the cylinders, it is a bit of a pain but possible, pull the pin knock the pin out (separating it from the cyls, an pull it up, it will want to bind and not move real easy but it will go up...

In the manual top cars they put springs in the cyls to make it easier (like a hood).

Just an FYI...

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

You know you can manually put the top up... that is why the factory used pull pins on the cylinders, it is a bit of a pain but possible, pull the pin knock the pin out (separating it from the cyls, an pull it up, it will want to bind and not move real easy but it will go up...

In the manual top cars they put springs in the cyls to make it easier (like a hood).

Just an FYI...

Thank You..... I will remember this just in case.

 

[HemiEd]

You know you can manually put the top up... that is why the factory used pull pins on the cylinders, it is a bit of a pain but possible, pull the pin knock the pin out (separating it from the cyls, an pull it up, it will want to bind and not move real easy but it will go up...

In the manual top cars they put springs in the cyls to make it easier (like a hood).

Just an FYI...

To do that, you need to get access to them, and I don't see how that is possible with the interior in, (rear seats and side panels) and the top down. To change the cylinder, I removed the seats, side panels, and put the top half way up.
When the top is down, I don't see how to get to those pins, as the mechanism blocks the access.

 

[HemiEd]

Open doors to drain lol..

Grant

No kidding!

Thank You..... I will remember this just in case.

One thing I learned, do not overfill the pump!

After seeing the seal was out, I dug out my 68 Service manual and read everything about this system. You are supposed to fill it, while it is in place, or level. So that leaves quite a bit of room, for air and exspansion.

I am guessing that is why I blew the seal, due to overfilling it. It had worked flawlessly for 7 years, then I have a failure after replacing a part and adding fluid. Early on, I had broken a line (brittle 42 year old plastic)by jamming stuff in the trunk, but no other problems.