RFMASSA

My 1997 993 retractable targa shade has a problem in that it will come off the two pins that hold it into the mechanism that pulls it closed.
The shade works fine both closing and opening, but under bumpy roads, it shakes loose and comes off these pins and retracts into the front window area where it is stored when open. It snaps back like a window shade. Is ther any replacement part that will hold the shade onto the pins? Or any other fix for this.

Thanks.

Ray

ltc

Have you tried here
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...ga-owners.html

Leander

To be on the safe side, never operate the shade while the car is moving, and never drive with it extended and the little wind deflector thing open.

Amfab

This is an odd one... Im trying to understand exactly...you are saying that when it is deployed the last (most rearward) aluminum cross piece that slides through the pocket in the end of the shade comes off the two oblong pieces that pull it back?

RFMASSA

Thank you! This looks like a wealth of info here. I will read through it all.
-Ray

RFMASSA

Are you saying that you are not supposed to drive with the shade extended? I don't drive with the wind deflector open while the shade is extended, but do occasionally like to drive with the glass roof 'covered'.
-Ray

RFMASSA

Yes. You understand correctly.
It typically comes off one side, then pure vibration, since there is nothing holding it in from sliding laterally a fraction of an inch, cause it to come off the other oblong piece with the hole in it, and it rolls back into the top windshield header where it normally is stored.
What is happening, is that as the shade moves farther toward its fully extended position, the tracks must get wider by just a bit, because that is the only place where it seems to be happen. It is somehwat secure up to about midway the gets worse as it travels back.
There is a lot of play toward the back, and that is where I typically can re-join the two ends.

-Ray

RFMASSA

After reviewing the comments here and reviewing the great article on the Targa top, I looked the the shade again and I guess I can understand why it come off. Near the rear when the shade is fully entended, the amount of flex in the track is substanstial since it is attached to the metal spring. Any lateral movment and one pin can slide out of the crossbow arm.

If the two pins that are inserted at each end of the leading edge of the shades aluminim bar, were under some later sprint outward force, that would tend to keep them inserted.

Frankly, I don't understand how this is not a common proble, as there does not appear to be anything wrong with my mechanism, unless the tracks are somehow just out of alignment at the back, due to the metal springs being bent or something, but they look fine. If you push on eithshade track near the back, there is a large amount of play that can take place, since they are somewhat floating on the springs as a rear attachment point.

-Ray

Amfab

The plastic Sun Blind Tracks clip onto the metal Glass Roof Tracks. Sometimes the clips come off and the Plastic Sun Blind tracks can move laterally a little more than they should

RFMASSA

Andrew,

If you mean the gate slide not being clipped to the guide rail along the roof rail, then maybe I do have an unclipped piece.

The driver side of that track can be flexed a lot more than the passenger side, and it appears it is indeed somehow clipped to the rail behind it, but I have no idea how or how to reclip it. Maybe it is not even possible with disassembly of the rails.

Just to be clear, I am talking about the plastic rail (gate slide) that has the spring attached to it at the very end with the opposite end of the spring attached to the track that the shade ride in. This gate slide can be pulled inward toward the cabin of the car, while the passenger side seems to be attached somehow from behind. Any idea as to how this is attached or can be re-clipped?
Your article on the targa top is fantastic, by the way.

-Ray

Amfab

Thank you

Ill go down in the morning and take a look it has been a while since I messed with the blind track.

RFMASSA

I appreciate your time and help. Thank you.

Amfab

I took a picture and colored it in to give you an idea of what everything is.

The Pull Bow track snaps to the main aluminum track that carries the cables and Glass Top.

The Sun Blind track is connected at the front via a plastic rivet (loosely, so the track can pivot up and down) and at the rear by a black metal "spring".

The Spring is a flat piece of steel about 5 inches long bent into a curve that pushes into the end of the Sun Blind track and then hooks onto the Pull Bow track which is how the rear of the Sun Blind track is retained.

I think you are saying the problem is the drivers side pull bow track moves laterally too much allowing the mount for the rear Sun Blind Cross Piece to fall out of the hole in the front of the pull bow. Is this correct?

Oop! I didn't label front in the picture, its >>>>>> that way>>>>

RFMASSA

Some additional info.
I noticed that the end pins on the shade have a lot of play in the channel where they slide into the shade. They can move freely on mine; not sure if they are supposed to.
But I took a small piece of plastic and fit it in the opening between the channel and the end of the pin to force it it toward the outside of the shade and so that it cannot retract in. This seems to have helped, in that I notice now the pin does not come out of the pullbow hole nearly as much. I'll see what happens.

Also, on the passenger side, the plastic rail you spoke about (gate slide), is clipped in place toward the back of the car. On the driver side, there is no clip or it has broken off, as it can flex inward easily. But I don't think that is the problem anyway. Flexing OUT is the problem.

It just seems odd, that the plastic channel attached to the spring just floats and as a result, has a lot of play. And the pullbow also has a lot of lateral play in that if you just push it slightly toward the outside of the car, it will disengage from the shade pin.

Sorry I got so lengthy here, but was trying to be as clear as possible. maybe it is resolved enough for now. Soemday, maybe I will run into another 993 targa to see clearly what another mechanism should look like and see the tolerances it has.

Thanks again.

Amfab

Is this throughout the travel of the top, I mean, is it tighter as it gets to the front, and looser toward the back (fullly deployed)? You mean the metal spring is not clipped? So one side is floating free? That is probably the main problem if the Blind comes off most often when fully deployed
Lengthy is the only way to discuss these things it seems. It is not a mechanism, it is a contraption. I have spent so much time trying to get mine to retract without snagging. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. The smallest little thing can cause it not to work properly.
Which leads me to...
one more question, when the Blind is fully deployed, is the tension on both sides of the blind even?