Manually opening the top??

[ConTONental]

I have a 66 Convertible and the top is not operational. The electric motors do not work, neither do the hydraulics etc. The deck lid will screw closed, but that is all that will work at the moment. Is there any way to open the top manually?? I need the top down to do some of the interior work and I'm hoping that I do not need to completely disassemble the top but... Oh, and my shop manual is in the mail, hoping to get it in the next "10-14" days. Any advice would be appreciated!!

[RMAENV]

There are 2 relays behind the backrest of your back seat. One is deck unlock and the other is deck lid up. You have to jump the relays. If the deck unlocked then you just have to jump the deck lid up relay. They are attched to the body with 2 screws each. Remember to put them back as the body is the ground for the relays. Meaning... If you dont screw them back after you jump them you will go nuts trying to figure out why your top operates perfectly until it gets to the deck down part and nothing happens. Spent 4 hours with my top adjusting everything went to put the deck lid down and nothing happened. Spent another hour trying to figure it out until I noticed I never put the relay back. Screwed it in and deck lid went right down and locked.

With the back seat out and you facing the where the backrest was the Deck UP (or deck open if you prefer) relay is on your left (passenger side) and the Deck Unlock relay is on your right (Drivers side). Per the Shop manual get a short piece (6" or so) of 12 ga. wire (needs to take 50 amps so no smaller than 12 ga.) take the relay off car and remove electric plug put relay down you are jumping it through the wire harness.

On the deck unlock plug (this is first) One wire is red and blue (power from battery) one end of the jumper wire goes in that part of the relay plug. The other end of the jumper wire touch the red and yellow wire this is to the motor and the deck screws should unscrew as long as you hold the end on the red/yellow wire part of the plug. After you are sure it is fully unscrewed go to the decklid up relay...

Take your jumper wire and one end goes into the end of the plug where the blue wire is... this is your power from battery. Take the other end an touch plug where the red wire is. The red wire is to the deck lid motor. The deck lid will go up as long as you hold the other end of your jumper to the red terminal on the plug.

[ConTONental]

Thanks for the help!! Will this trick will take care of the whole process?? I can't even get the top to unlock from the windshield frame...so I assume I need to start there. After speaking to my mom (Dad is the original owner but he is passed on) she stated that she used to prime the hydraulic pump in order to get the deck lid up but everything else worked fine before it was parked in the barn...12 years ago.

[JimLinc62]

I can't even get the top to unlock from the windshield frame...so I assume I need to start there.

No Con, you can't start there. You have to start with the first of 4 sequences that have to happen successfully before the top will unlock. You said the deck lid screws down, so I assume it also unscrews/unlocks(?) - that's step one. Follow the really helpful steps RMAENV gave you to get the deck lid open- step two. The deck lid must be fully open for step three to happen. When deck lid is fully open that should trigger the relays to extend the Upper Back Panel. When the UBP (some call it the "flipper panel") is fully in place, then and only then, will the fourth step happen: top will/should unlock from the header. Once the deck lid is open, then go back to the top switch in the car and see if that will activate the UBP and continue the sequence. If not, then I'm sure one of the "technical" members will help you - I'm not good with the technical stuff. Money well spent would be a shop manual or for just the top, get a Convertible Top Repair & Adjustment Guide from John Cashman http://www.convertiblelincolns.com/ Good Luck!

[Dan Szwarc]

The sequence is:

Unlock deck
Open deck
Extend Upper back panel
Unlock top
Lower top
Close deck
Lock deck

Of course, you can stop anytime.

You have to jumper a separate relay for each of there functions. Only the first two are behind the back seat (unlock deck, open deck).
The rest are inside the trunk at the front just below the top pump. The shop manual identifies them.

[ConTONental]

Ok, so here is the whole story...when I got the car the deck lid and upper back panel were fully open and erect. I was able to close the UBP (using the key feature by the gas tank) but had to detach the hydraulic cylinders from the deck lid in order to close the deck. then i locked the deck lid using the key again. When I got it to my garage, the unlock feature worked, I manually raised the deck lid and attached the hydraulic cylinders, raised the UBP and thats where it stopped. I got my manual in the mail today, and surprisingly enough I found the convertible top manual in the barn where the car was stored for the last 12 years. As of now I'm trying to find out why the top will not unlock. It seems like it is the top unlock switch, however I cannot manually unscrew the top like the convertible manual says I should be able to do, so that makes me think that the motor coupling may be seized??? Also, if step 2 isnt completed, will that make other steps inoperable?? More to come. thank you for the help.

[LC67Vert]

If the top will not unlock, then the next step will not work (which would be to retract the top into the trunk) because when the top unlocks, the top unlock limit switch is activated and that allows the top retract to begin.

[ConTONental]

Ok, so i made the jumper wire as suggested and found that I need a new deck up switch and that the hydraulic pump for the deck is operational, thank you everyone!! I'm sure the manual will help me out, guess I have some studying to do.

[RMAENV]

Now that the deck lid is open. THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS TO CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL IN BOTH PUMPS.

One pump is on the deck in the trunk and you can easily see it. Get an old style squeeze ketchup bottle (probably at the dollar store) it is a PITA to fill. The screw plug is on the passenger side of the pump. Put something on the trunk deck to catch the fluid that will spill before you open it. Fill it till it starts to leak out then screw the plug in to close it.

The other pump is in the rear driver quater panel. Take out the plastic trunk liner inside the trunk along the rear quarter (about 10 phillips head screws). push the plastic forward or take it out and look down the pump is right there (about 18" from the rear bumper). This one fills from the top. I believe the manual says to fill it about 1/2 inch from the top. Check the 1/2" in the top manual you found. If it is not in there get back to me here and I will look in my shop manual.

USE TYPE A TRANSMISSION FLUID ONLY FOR BOTH PUMPS. Pep boys or Auto Zone carries it.

Before you go taking the header apart for the top unlock switches (the one on the passenger side sticks closed somtimes on my top) (Note to self.. I was suppose to work on this). Stay in the trunk for a bit. First; get yourself another person. Have one turn the key switch while the other GENTLY pushes the flipper panel up a bit more. If the top unlocks the either the deck up limit switch (bottom of lid on drivers side is out of adjustment or the gears in the housing that operate the flipper panel are worn and the panel flops a bit and not contacting the switch to tell the relay (in trunk) to unlock the top. Also check the core of the upper back panel limit switch. The core is plastic (from the factory) and the rod that operates it is steel. Over time the steel rod eggs out the plastic core. If this is sloppy the switch needs to be rebuilt. If it is sloppy call Certified Rebuilders in Freehold NJ (He has a website) He rebuilds them and puts in Stainless steel cores to replace the plastic one. If all is tight go to the next paragraph.

Go to the top manual and find the tests for the upper back panel limit switch. Get a test light or a volt meter and follow the test procedure for the plugs. You can make your life much easier by making a groud wire to reach a metal part on the trunk and another long wire from the red terminal on the battery. Separate the plug for the flipper motor (motor in center of trunk lid). The red is for the lead from the battery and the ground would go to one of the other poles. One pole is flipper up the other side is flipper down. That way you can do all the wire tests in the book without having to run back and forth. If something in the wire test does not match the book and the core and panel gears are not sloppy you have to adjust the upper back panel limit switch. The instructions are in the book you have. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE LOCKING SCREW ON THE UPPER BACK PANEL LIMIT SWITCH. You will break the plastic.

I am not convinced that your deck up relay is bad. I believe your problem is either something is worn as I described above or the upper back panel limit is out of adjustment.

Also, the reason your dash switch does not work is the neutral relay in the black box under the hood on the driver side fender is bad. There are none available that I know of so you are going to have to have it repaired or replace it with a new style bosch relay. So either you are going to have wire it or get someone that knows how to. The dash switch operates through this relay. The key switch by the gas tank is wired direct to the motors. That is why the key switch works and the dash switch doesn't.

ConTONental... care to tell us where you are from maybe someone here is close enough to give you a hand.

[LC67Vert]

Another way to fill the top pump with fluid is to use a turkey baster (but don't use the one from the kitchen or your wife will kill you!) and fill a little at a time.

[ConTONental]

Sincerely, I appreciate the help. I am in Bourbonnais, IL and will be giving the top another go this afternoon...will let you know how it goes!!

[ConTONental]

Ok, in order to give my head a break from the relays and switches...lets talk hydraulic pumps!! Stupid question of the day; where is the bleeder screw for the deck lid pump. I removed it from the car, cleaned it and put it back. It had silicone inside the reservoir (I'm assuming to give the seal some extra adhesion) and the reservoir was pretty much empty. there is obviously air in the lines so I need to bleed them. Once I fill the reservoir, what's next? The manual does not address this issue. I've read some things on the internet but it is mostly about bleeding brake lines, and I'm not sure where the bleeder screws are, or how to force the fluid into the lines (I was going to jump the deck open switch like I did last night because that did trigger the hydraulic pump to start but i didnt want to ruin anything). Thanks guys.

[RMAENV]

There is none. You can run it a time or 2 then crack a line if you want but usually not necessary unless it was VERY empty. BTW I sent you the UBP tests private. Said it was sent just want to make sure you got it.

Good Idea to walk away for a bit.

[ConTONental]

Ok, going to work on getting the deck lid to close tonight. In all the rush to get it opened, I never tried to see if it would close!! Miller lite and electricity HERE I COME!!!

[RMAENV]

Make sure you screwed the deck unlock and deck open relays back in and plugged them in because if you didn't it won't happen!