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Tips
Tips

New Top Installation

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Bruce74B

Jedi Knight
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Hi Gang,

I finally bought a new top for Clementine. It came with a one page installation sheet with very little detail. I remember in my searching and surfing an article on installing a replacement top...but have no idea where it was now that I need it. Any help would be appreciated.

Also any tips on materials for the header glue and seals would be appreciated if we ever get caught in the rain. Of course, fitting and trimming the header is most of the work, I know. I am also wondering if the loops at the front sides (above the doors) should be looped over the folding frame???

Thanks for you help, anyone?

Bruce
 
Bruce- here's my big tips for putting on a soft top.
Tools: Pop rivet gun, pop rivets (smallish, forget what size I used), sharp Stanley knife with extra blades, snap kit (for attaching all of those snaps-they come with a bunch of extra buttons, so it's dead useful for just that, but it's the best way to attach snaps, period). Keep other general purpose tools like screwdrivers and whatnot handy.
1.) wait for a really hot, blazing sunny day, set the top out in the driveway for a bit, then start.
This makes the material (vinyl, right? I don't know about cloth tops) nice and pliable and the right size.
2.) If I'm not mistaken, the B top does not have any permanent attachments at the back of the car. This makes life a bit easier, I imagine. The Midget I did was screwed into the tonneau panel behind the seats, making one more place to screw up left-right alignment. After you've removed the old vinyl (carefully! Don't just slash it off, drill out the pop rivets!) set it aside for reference.
put the new one over the frame, when it's up and attached. Make sure you slip the metal rod that's sewn into the top into the brackets on the tonneau panel. Carefully measure where the front corners of the vinyl are supposed to be in relation to the header rail. This should help line up the front edge of the vinyl (remember it has to go UNDER the alloy piece that holds the rubber header seal). Take the whole thing back off the car.
3.) Look at your old top, measure where all the interior snaps go (the ones on the flaps that attach to the winscreen rail, the little loops that attach to the frame). Measure them as exactly as you can, then attach them. You won't be able to once the top is on the car.
4.) Put the new top back on the car, attach at the back, with the frame NOT latched to the windshield frame. You may need someone to hold the top frame halfway up. Line up the markings for the front corners, at the header rail (by header rail I mean the bit that stretches across the car, with the latches on it). This should give you the flap of vinyl that wraps around the header rail and will get pop rivetted to it. I dunno how many rivets there are on an MGB top-there were like ten or twelve on the Midget. If you've measured carefully, you can probably raise the top frame back up to meet the windscreen top, and it'll meet it without being too tight. Put in two or three rivets, and try putting the top up. It should go. If it does, and it lines up correctly along the side windows (roll 'em up and close the doors to check), then you are good to go and just need to put in the rest of the rivets and the rubber seal (put the alloy seal holder thingie back on when you test, and just press the seal in for the moment).
5.) Glue in the seal using the waterproof epoxy of your choice. I forget what I used. The Midget top was glued to the header rail as well. I didn't glue thereplacement one down, and I do not think the B's is glued down either. Your choice.
6.) now you've got the top up, measure where the Tenax fasteners are on the old one. this should give you a good idea as to where they go on the new one. Mark the new top, then pull and grunt until you get the mark to match up to the stud on your car. If it takes a while, you've measured too high, and need to install it to where you can actually reach. Do one Tenax each side, switching sides, that way you don't get too much vinyl on one side and not enough on the other. I used Stanley knives to punch the holes, but I'm sure a leather punching tool would work.
7.) Remember the Norm Abram's mantra: Measure Twice, Cut Once.
-William (I think I covered it all!)
BTW-Did the top turn out all right, Rick?
 
Comments - unless I read it wrong William, the aluminum/alloy strip that holds the header-rail weather seal is pop-riveted in on mine and the seal itself slides or presses into the alum. strip (easiest way to put it in is to angle one side in, then press the other side down and it all pops into place).

You can read my previous post on weatherproofing the header-rail, but since you're putting the top on "new" I would be tempted to lay a bead of heavy silicon (not the flowable type) along the back of that aluminum strip before permanently attaching it. It will be a little more protection against heavy rain weeping around the seal and into the car along the top of the windscreen.

Let the silicon press out along the edges then wipe up the rest with a rag dampened with isopropol alcohol - this will ensure no water gets under the seal or into the header-rail if the rivets loosen up. Try to get silicon that sets up slowly though, I imagine it'll be a slow process.

Alternatively you can use the method I described earlier and use flowable silicon along the front edge of the aluminum strip AFTER you've finished the installation.

I'm not sure how the factory did it, but after I replaced my header-rail seal I left several inches hanging on each side of the car, then trimmed it so each side just protrudes beyond the windshield-pillar seals by about 1/8", slanting the cut to meet up with the edge of the top. It seems to help the water naturally flow away from the side windows and door-seals that way.
 
she turned out just beautiful William.i still haven't put the header seal on yet,between the grass and the rest of honey do list and still lack of a 80 degree day i haven't got around to it as of yet. mine slides into a rail,had it in once but had to take it out,i had the top to short in the middle so i had to pull some rivets out like 8 of them from the middle of the rail then snap the top down.i let it sit for a hour or so and came back unsnapped it. the haeder left a grease where she suppose to go and i reriveted there.so maybe you wouldn't want to anchor the middle of top on your header until you fasten it down once!
thirsty.gif
 
OK....thanks, everyone!
cheers.gif


I don't have a sunny 80 degree day, but I do have a 3000 watt heater in the garage. The top has a marking on it for the edge of the header, and I think I can get the side to side even on the workbench before I install it...but not sure if the loops above the doors will go over that frame after that...but I have all day to do it as it is raining here now.

And I want to have a top to go to Hellertown BC gathering tomorrow...100 mile drive early tomorrow morning ;-))

Bruce
 
The last time I installed the seal in the header rail we were having a heck of a time getting it fully inserted. I then put some liquid diswashing soap on it and it slid right in without any problem. I now always keep some liquid diswashing soap in the garage, I've found many uses for it.
 
Well, Clementine has a new top installed...thanks for the tips...just one to add myself for future readers: GET SOME HELP WITH THIS JOB! LOL

I just need to install the header seal yet...came in to eat dinner and find some dishwasher soap. I'm going to try it out tomorrow morning when I go to Hellertown gathering...I'll find out how it is at 70 or 75 MPH for an hour.

Thanks again for the tips...especially your detailed response William ;-)

Bruce
 
You're welcome!
-Wm.
PS-You are right, aerog, the ally thingie that holds the rubber seal in is pop rivetted in. I only just caught the omission myself. And, I said to drill out the pop rivets, but did not have "power drill and assorted size bits" in the tools list. Drill 'em out with what, exactly? The Stanley knife?
 
I had a local club member put on my top. One thing that was done was that he drilled out the rivet on the bracket that bolts to the header rail. This was replaced with a bolt and wingnut on each side. Now in the summer I remove the header from the frame by taking off the two bolts and remove the top. This leaves the frame only. I leave the top at home in the good weather, that way the top lasts longer. It only takes about five minutes longer to install the top in the fall as it would if it was only folded down.
 
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