StratfordShark

I'm disassembling sunroof to clean parts/cables up. It doesn't bind at all or run slowly, but I was hoping it would just work a little quieter with old hard grease cleaned off and fresh lubricant on cables. Also I suspect it's not been touched for 24 years!

I have searched various threads, but to remove the sunroof panel I followed procedure in WSM 60-1, where you remove it with the guides/shoes still attached, so it should be easier to align flush on reinstall (the WSM refers to "gates" which I think are same thing). In this procedure you remove the front 4 bolts connecting front slide bar to panel hinges, but you don't take off bolts at rear so the sunroof lifts off with the shoes bolted on. I did completely remove the 2 small machine screws - one each side - at very rear of sunroof which the WSM says should be loosened to remove sunroof (those screws look like the butt up against pin of the shuttles at end of cables, which locates in slot in guide/shoe. I accounted for 4 washers with those 4 front bolts.

Afterwards I just tried moving the front slide bar back and forth to see how easily it moved on track. When I moved it a washer fell off from each side onto the respective seat below. The washers are the same size as the ones bolting sunroof to shoes/guides.

I'm baffled where these washers came from, but would be good to know for reinstall. The WSM does state that in the case when the sunroof has been unbolted from the shoes:

"correct the distance between gates, if necessary between brackets and gates, with washers" and shows correct distance between the gates, but I still can't figure out where the washers would be attached if they were used at factory to get distance right! Please can anyone help me locate where the washers should go?

Thanks

I removed the

Hold On

They are used to shim the roof side to side to align in opening and balance side tension on the black sliders. They go between the black sliders and the attaching holes in the roof panel. Should be two on each side. They are a pain in the *** to hole in place and slide the 10mm attaching bolts thru. Not much finger room.

StratfordShark

Thanks but unless I'm missing something obvious, I don't understand how they would have dropped. The sliders are still bolted to the roof panel, as I removed panel by unbolting at front hinges, but just moving the slot in the slider off the pin of shuttle at cable ends. If there are washers between the sunroof tabs and the sliders then they should still be in there! I will take a look at the panel and see if they are. If so then I'm still puzzled where the washers came from.

Edit: maybe that washer sits between the small slot headed screws I removed and the sliders? I'll play around with screws tomorrow and check

ltoolio

Can you post a pic of them? I had the exact same thing happen to me yesterday, and if we are wondering if we are talking the same thing.

StratfordShark

These are the mystery washers, ID 5mm which suggests some relation to the M5 bolts used at front and rear of sunroof

supercedar

I thought these two washers were used as spacers so the bolts did not reach the roof panel and dent it on the front out side bolt of the 4 that go into front slider.

StratfordShark

I think you may have solved it!

Just looked at the hinges on the roof panel. The bolt near end of hinge is prevented from touching panel by flange on panel that holds hinge away a little. However the hole nearer front of panel allows bolt to touch, and there is a very small mark on the paint where it has just touched but not created dent. You can see where I've folded hinge out of view.

Since the bolts fell down when I moved slider, makes sense that the washers (one per side) space the front bolts a little further from the hinge. Would have to push up on sunroof when slipping washer over bolt as you push it through the slider upwards into hinge.

No mention of this on any of the sunroof write-ups I've seen, but that washer would always fall off unseen as you unbolted panel at front if it is from there.

It's also hard to identify as though PET has the "electrical sliding roof" drawing, it doesn't have a separate one showing either roof panel or the inner liner unless I've missed it. Maybe options were not included in PET?