Sunroof Reinstall Question

[Superman]

I put a new headliner in my '78 and have struggled with the sunroof ever since (subject to available time, which is nearly nil). I probably hold the record for sunroof R&R attempts without success. I can see now that adjusting the sunroof (front and rear) can be done without removing the panel, etc. Here is my question:

Must the outer edges of the ceiling panel, which unsnaps and slides back into the roof, be located inside the channels of the aluminum guide rails? I suspect this is the case. Dang. Now I have to remove everything. Again. Here is my final question: Is there any chance I can get the ceiling panel into those channels (after removing the sunroof "roof" panel) without removing the long aluminum rails and the cables (and the transmission and/or motor)?

[30westrob]

The sunroof headliner frame slides in the AL guide rails. You should be able to install the frame by moving only one of the guide rails toward the outside. Remove the screws for the front corner and the guide rail. Then slightly lift the rail and move toward the outside. That will give enough room fo get the frame inside.

Rob

[carreradpt]

Sup, I think your answer might be found in here. https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/376404-sunroof-cable-repair-new-seals-87-911-a.html

[cmcfaul]

When I did mine, I replaced the cables and had to remove the felt on them.

Chris

[Superman]

Thanks, everybody. I am having a little trouble getting this sunroof put back together correctly. The interior trim panel is in place now and I talked with Herr Walker. He said it is fairly critical that the cables be pretty much perfectly identical in installed length. I will need to pull the transmission.....again.....because those two cables are off by one friggin' turn of the spiral 'teeth' on the cable. Okay, I can do that. He also confirmed that the rear sunroof panel can be adjusted without removing the sunroof panel and using trial-and-error. I tried this once and failed, but I used only hand pressure. He likes to use a long screwdriver for leverage in pushing the panel upward to get the right fit. So....I will make sure I loosen the screw plenty, carefully use the screwdriver pry method and then perhaps I will be successful. My goal is to get this entire car working. Every adjustment, every light bulb, etc. One thing I have learned about German cars is that they do need to be lubed and adjusted properly......every forty years or so ....and that if this is done, they are as reliable as a hammer. Or nearly so.

[Superman]

Success! The sunroof is complete and working. Perhaps a small adjustment will be a good idea but I'm tired right now. My advice to people installing headliners is to avoid 'gathering' of headliner material, in the corners of the sunroof ceiling panel, where that panel needs to squeeze into the aluminum channels at the edges, near the tops of the doors. My advice to people swapping cables is to adjust the cables so that they are exactly the same length (by pulling the transmission once or twice if necessary), and then to adjust the ends of those cables so that the rear of the sunroof panel sits low. Bring the rears up using a long screwdriver to gently pry, then adjust the fronts. A little back-and-forth may be necessary. Part of my frustration was that the driver's side adjustment at the cable end, to set the rear sunroof height, was substantially too high, causing the other adjustments to not work. Just install new cables with them adjusted LOW, first. I am using original factory cables, but they came from another car.