Convertible hydraulic repair
09-26-2017 | 11:13 PM
#2
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 284
Likes: 40
From: Woodbridge, Ont.
Actually just went through this only a couple weeks ago with my cab, just after I bought it! PPI never found any trouble ...
I did lots of research before venturing down this path, and there's really two main sites that do the rebuild. The two main shops do the rebuild in pairs - if your passenger side went, the other is probably soon to follow. The pair of rebuilt cylinders is less than buying one OE part from the dealer.
Top Hydraulics - Lots of people on here used them, but they're not doing the rebuild at this time. I contacted them, they just moved facilities and are too busy. They hope to be up and running by Nov ~ Dec timing.
Cabriolet Hydraulics - Also lots of recommendations, and who I went with. I had a great experience with them given the added complexity that I'm in Canada which made logistics more difficult. I removed my cylinders and shipped them to their shop in Florida. Within three business days I had a tracking number and the rebuilt cylinders were already on their way back to me.
The removal & reinstallation was very straightforward. Cabriolet Hydraulics has a great step by step, and I also got the Porsche service directions. I decided to remove the rear inner panels to gain access to the hydraulic rods. It's not necessary but it makes the job a lot easier and is what Porsche recommends. Actually that was the most difficult part of the whole job! Once you've got the rear open, the cylinders are fully accessible.
One tip, the cylinder on the drivers side has a potentiometer so the computer knows where the top is in its path of travel. I used painters tape to hold this in place so it didn't move, and I could put the cylinder back in exactly the same spot. If this gets moved, the top needs to be recalibrated ... something I didn't want to have to do.
The fluid in my pump reservoir was practically black with seal debris. So I took the opportunity to remove it and flush it multiple times so that it was completely clean. Used Q-tips and lots of paper towel to scrub the inside of all debris before filling it back up and reinstalling it with the rebuilt cylinders.
Since then the top has worked flawlessly, smooth, quiet and exactly how it should. Would not hesitate to recommend Cabriolet Hydraulics.
I did lots of research before venturing down this path, and there's really two main sites that do the rebuild. The two main shops do the rebuild in pairs - if your passenger side went, the other is probably soon to follow. The pair of rebuilt cylinders is less than buying one OE part from the dealer.
Top Hydraulics - Lots of people on here used them, but they're not doing the rebuild at this time. I contacted them, they just moved facilities and are too busy. They hope to be up and running by Nov ~ Dec timing.
Cabriolet Hydraulics - Also lots of recommendations, and who I went with. I had a great experience with them given the added complexity that I'm in Canada which made logistics more difficult. I removed my cylinders and shipped them to their shop in Florida. Within three business days I had a tracking number and the rebuilt cylinders were already on their way back to me.
The removal & reinstallation was very straightforward. Cabriolet Hydraulics has a great step by step, and I also got the Porsche service directions. I decided to remove the rear inner panels to gain access to the hydraulic rods. It's not necessary but it makes the job a lot easier and is what Porsche recommends. Actually that was the most difficult part of the whole job! Once you've got the rear open, the cylinders are fully accessible.
One tip, the cylinder on the drivers side has a potentiometer so the computer knows where the top is in its path of travel. I used painters tape to hold this in place so it didn't move, and I could put the cylinder back in exactly the same spot. If this gets moved, the top needs to be recalibrated ... something I didn't want to have to do.
The fluid in my pump reservoir was practically black with seal debris. So I took the opportunity to remove it and flush it multiple times so that it was completely clean. Used Q-tips and lots of paper towel to scrub the inside of all debris before filling it back up and reinstalling it with the rebuilt cylinders.
Since then the top has worked flawlessly, smooth, quiet and exactly how it should. Would not hesitate to recommend Cabriolet Hydraulics.