Convertible top motors, How to fix. with pictures! Options

[MaskedMan]

Ok so i've been meaning to post this for awhile now, but haven't had the chance till now. Well i've heard a lot of people having problems with thier convertible top opening and closing. And usually the motor is still good, except there is a part inside that is broken. What happened with mine was that one of the sides stopped working and my convertible top needed assistance opening and closing. But the motor was still good, cause it still made noise when i pressed the button. The problem was a pin inside. So if you are having this problem, and your motor still sounds good, then try this, and it may solve your problem...

First you'll need to remove your convertible top motor from which ever side isn't working properly. So first remove the bottom part of the seats, they just pop right out, they are held in by two clips in the front. Then you will need to remove the rear plastic panel on the side your trying to get to. Don't worry bout the seat belts, you can leave those attached, cause you just need to get the panel out of the way. After those are out of your way, You should be able to see the convertible top motors. They are held in by 4 10mm bolts, but you will also need to remove the rear speakers and cut a zip tie before you can unplug the wiring clip and remove the motor. After you remove the motor, you will need to take off 4 hex bolts connecting the motor to a black box that has gears in it. After you take that apart, it should look like this...



Now we can take a look at the problem. There is supposed to be a pin that keeps the gear moving when the motor moves. When this pin breaks, the motor will just keep spinning, but it has nothing left to turn the gear. This pin seems to break off since it happened to both of my motors. Im guessing its like a fail safe device or something, if there's too much stress put on the motor is just breaks the pin, so you dont burn out the motor? Thats my guess. Or maybe the pins just suck. Well anyways, it needed to be replaced. Here's a picture of the Motor with the broken pin removed...



Here's a picture of what was left of the pin...



Here's where your gunna need to improvise cuase i couldn't find a part number for the pin. I ended up cutting drill bits in half and using the solid end as the pin, whatever get's it done right? haha Im guessing you could use any pin as long as it fits in the hole pretty snug. I hope this helps

This post has been edited by MaskedMan: Aug 4, 2006 - 11:56 PM

[CelicaBuddy]

ahhh awesome!

maybe i can find out whats makin my top act like crap! Thanks!

Oh and just in case if I did entirely kill the motors... how much are they? all I hear is is that theyre expensive.

This post has been edited by CelicaBuddy: Aug 6, 2006 - 3:12 PM

[jgreening]

Great post. What keeps the pin from falling out?

You could just get a 98 or 99 convertible because I understand that the motors are upgraded for those years and I have never read on anyone with those years having a problem.

[bobsurunk]

Masked Man...You ARE the man...By a weird coincidence I was working
on my daughter's 99 GT Convertible this weekend. Same problem, I
could hear the motors turning but no top movement. Took the motors out,
made sure they spun the gears, BUT I couldn't see the pins in the gear
for all the grease on them. Pretty much gave up and started pricing motors.
Started surfing the net and there was your post.
Took the motors out again and sure enough, both motors had sheared
pins! Found a allen key that fit pretty snug so I sawed it up and made
two new pins.
All is well and I saved about $250 per side in new motors.
Thanks Dude!!!

[XS4lv1Truch0x]

can you get a better picture of the pin??? its not that good.

[psilly]

can you get a better picture of the pin??? its not that good.

Looks like a roll pin from the pic.

I think my 97 has the same prob. First the left went and yesterday the right. Damn happy to find this post!

Now if I could only find a replacement hold down latch for less than $200

This post has been edited by psilly: Aug 21, 2006 - 8:57 AM

[madmods]

please sticky this!

[MaskedMan]

i cant get anymore pictures as of right now, cuase i am back in LA where my 6GC isnt . But im glad i was able to everyone out

[psilly]

ok, they're not roll pins, they just look that way in the pic. It's a solid pin that's been scored along its length to make it stay in the hole.

I pushed mine out and replaced with 3/32" rolled pins (Home Depot). They press in nice with a bench vice. Bad news is, one broke the second day. Replaced that in 40 minutes -- will see how it does.

Some tips:

• I removed the metal spacer thing (3 X 10mm bolts) above the speakers to access the motors & left the speakers in.
• Don't try to drill out the pin left in the shaft -- it's hardened steel. Put the shaft in a vice and press or tap it out. I would put the shaft in the vice, not the housing, to avoid bending anything.
• You can press te new pin in with the gear off, then slide the gear and springwasher back on after.
• Seal the motor body to the gear housing with some silicone to keep the grease from oozing out over time.
• Using an L-shaped allen wrench for the 4 hex screws on the motor takes forever.
• When replacing the panel, get it into place, align/insert the end of the inside quarter window weather strip with the rubber attached to the door, then put in the plastic keepers along the seatback edge (if you want to), then move on to the screws.

This post has been edited by psilly: Aug 21, 2006 - 8:57 AM

[MaskedMan]

those were some nice tips psilly.

yeah the pins have to be pretty strong to move the convertible top. maybe it would also put less strain on the pins and motor if you oiled whereever the convertible top bends to make it easier for it to open and close. just a thought.

Sorry bout the bad pic of the pin, it was REALLY small, so it was hard to get a good picture of. It just looks bigger in the pictures cuase it's blown up like a bagillion times. But anyways, goodluck with your top

[JonMarkos]

can you get a better picture of the pin??? its not that good.

Looks like a rolled pin from the pic.

I think my 97 has the same prob. First the left went and yesterday the right. Damn happy to find this post!

Now if I could only find a replacement hold down latch for less than $200

You can get a replacement hold down latch from Champion Toyota world for $126, Latch thingy

[psilly]

can you get a better picture of the pin??? its not that good.

Looks like a roll pin from the pic.

I think my 97 has the same prob. First the left went and yesterday the right. Damn happy to find this post!

Now if I could only find a replacement hold down latch for less than $200

You can get a replacement hold down latch from Champion Toyota world for $126, Latch thingy

Cool! Right now the part that broke (aluminum pivot arm that the J hook screws into) is at my neighbor's machine shop. He thinks he can mill a new one. If that doesn't work out, I'll buy one from that site.

This post has been edited by psilly: Aug 21, 2006 - 8:58 AM

[nightryder]

awesome, f'ing awesome! Just pulled both motors apart and rigged them up and for the first time in months i have a working soft top! just in time for the end of summer! lol. You the man!

ps. the "J" hook for the latch if very easy to machine out, I made one in my basement with a 3 inch bolt, a blow torch, a vice, a grinder and a hammer, very very easy. pm me if you want more info

[njccmd2002]

awesome topic ever, used drill bits made of titanium. This is the post that made me join the group.

[MaskedMan]

awesome topic ever, used drill bits made of titanium. This is the post that made me join the group.

Welcome to the group . Nice to hear my topic is still helping people out

[aslearvert]

please sticky this!

x2

[ecaddiction]

I cannot get the pin out for the life of me. I tried taping it out, but with no success. Did anybody else have this problem?

[JonMarkos]

At first I did, but then I bought an actual tap and didn't have any problems...before then I was trying to use nails to tap it out,

[maxpower_hd]

I took a small punch and ground down the end so it would fit in the hole. Then I was able to tap it right out. I also used the drill bits. I searched and searched at the local hardware store and could not find an actual pin that was the right size.

I only had to fix one side for the time being.

Nice Tech Tip.

[toyo6gc]

after reading this i think im goin to go pull my car apart 2morrow and see if thats my problem also, sounds like it could be.