converting soft top to manual

[Bluesbrother]

Has anyone ever converted their automatic soft top to manual? And if so how?
Thanks..

[Muzz258]

What car do you have?

The reason why I ask, is that you have posted in the Z4 forum, but have a 97 Z3 in your car information.

[Bluesbrother]

What car do you have?

The reason why I ask, is that you have posted in the Z4 forum, but have a 97 Z3 in your car information.

Well you are correct sir, I do have a 97 Z3 2.8 which has a manual top which I love. But since last week it got a younger brother, a 03 Z4 3.0, which has an automatic top that doesn't work. So I was wondering if I could convert it to manual so I don't have to bother fixing motors, hydraulics etc..

[JAS1169]

Hey

Here is a go-by on how to pull the motor using the thru the trunk method. https://zroadster.org/threads/z4-roo...to-boot.19256/ This is one of the better D/I/Y instructions on pulling the motor thru the trunk.

Once the motor is in the trunk, place the motor in a coffee can and loosen the bolts (don't take them off) which hold the hydo lines. Now push top down and after the top release from the windshield manually bring the top down. Now bring the top up/down manually a few times. By doing the aforementioned you've released the hydo pressure, as well as dropped some of the hydo fluid in the system. Clean up the hydo fluid in the coffee can, and wrap the dead motor in a plastic bag and put it back into the coffee can. Your top is basically manual now. It will release from the windshield at the push of the down button....but then stop, you'll have to manually move it down. When you manually bring the top up near the windshield and then push the top up button it will close & lock up.

The nice thing is since the motor & lines are now in the trunk you can stay manual.....or at a later date get a new pump/motor or simply a new motor. The real trick is having the motor/lines in the trunk where they are reachable.

However, the simplest method of going manual is by cutting a hydo line and draining the hydo system. This also releases the hydo pressure and will allow the top to manually move freely.

[tombrhill]

I used this link. Used a crowbar to remove top of container and then pulled out motor. I unhooked lines in order to completely clean the motor. I believe my motor is dead, hardly had any fluid in it.

[tombrhill]

Up date. I took my motor completely out of the car and sprayed it down with WD40. I let it sit for a bit and hooked it up to 12 volts, I heard it him. I bumped it once and it came to life. I left to it with h a friend to see if he could remove some of the rust inside the motor. Hopefully, if cleaned up, barring no other issues I'll be able to put it back in the trunk and be good for a couple of years.