Chevy convertible top hydraulic's-question ?

DWncchs

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Aug 23, 2009
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Do you have to get every little bit of air out ? The top works beautifully except for 1 thing,the manual says to stop the top 15" from full down and pull the top material out from hinges before fully retracting,but the top wants to creep down while at 15". Do you guys think this creeping is a result of some air left in the cylinders or is it bleeding through the pump moving the fluid on the lower side of the cylinder piston to the top due to the weight of the top ?
I know I can just loosen the lines and bleed but it will be messy and I hate to do this if it won't help.
When I hooked these cylinders up I flipped flopped them to work air towards the pump reservoir before installing . The top cylinder line is where I see some air , I feel like air on that side won't effect the creeping in the 15" position. Thanks
 
On my '70 Lemans/GTO convertible, I had to replace the lines and top of course, and on top of the pump reservoir was a rubber fill plug, after cycling the mechanism several times I never had a issue for over 8 years....I don't recall ever stopping it and pulling any canvas either...plastic window, it was tires and worn when I sold the car in '98, but never actually torn or holes in it....

if you are talking of a early B body from the 60's, never had one of them in a rag top...wish I had my buddies '67 GP convertible, but the nitwit sold/traded it...super rare car these daze....

:goodnight::flash:
 
On my '70 Lemans/GTO convertible, I had to replace the lines and top of course, and on top of the pump reservoir was a rubber fill plug, after cycling the mechanism several times I never had a issue for over 8 years....I don't recall ever stopping it and pulling any canvas either...plastic window, it was tires and worn when I sold the car in '98, but never actually torn or holes in it....

if you are talking of a early B body from the 60's, never had one of them in a rag top...wish I had my buddies '67 GP convertible, but the nitwit sold/traded it...super rare car these daze....

:goodnight::flash:
This is a 67 Chevelle.
 
Check with YEAR ONE, they were GREAT back in the daze....

surely their phone bank has not lost all the smart guys...I would hope....
 
convertible top hydraulics

I realize this is an older post but I will answer.... No, you do not have to get all of the air bubbles out, the unit should work just fine. If it was brakes then that would be another thing.
 
I realize this is an older post but I will answer.... No, you do not have to get all of the air bubbles out, the unit should work just fine. If it was brakes then that would be another thing.

Thanks for the post but actually I found out you should get all the air out because there is not a circulation of fluid in the cylinders ,they wont self bleed. If there is air trapped ,when you stop the top to pull out the top material the top will creep downwards. Once I got all the air out by removing the cylinders and rotating them upside down the creeping stopped.
That car was very cool , I have to remove the heater box to reseal sometime in the future. Nice break from working on Corvettes. :bounce:
 
I guess that explains why my top creeps too...... 71 Skylark Convertible.
Probably, but I'm just learning as I go. I learned you dont have to open the fittings and bleed (messy),its easier to remove the cylinder with lines attached and turn upside down and run the pump. You can watch the air move and when it reaches the pump reservoir it stays there.
 
My '70 Lemans/GTO never had any reason to stop the top going up or down, it always had some bubbles in the lines, I just ignored them, always worked fine...

come think of it I have two OEM top latches I think fit '68-72 but unsure about previous years.....they are in great shape, not all broken up....for sale....
 
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