%$*@# Sunroof Motor Slip Clutch Adjustment (Photo) - HELP!!!

[Dan in Pasadena]

First here is the sonova*****.

I MUST get the sunroof working as I am delivering the car to my sister-in-law Saturday morning. We agreed I would fix the sunroof as part of the deal - right now the gears are stripped, the arms retracted, it lifts at speed - the 944 usual!

I am following Clark's Garage instructions to the letter. All was well until I tried to check the slip clutch torque. I had to go buy a torgue wrench that reads down to 5 Nm. Okay, did that.

I CAN'T, CAN'T, CAN'T loosen the mofo lock nut. Making it worse, the nuts are so damned thin that you can't put two ordinary wrenches on there or they cover both nuts. I have tried using needle nose pliers, side cutters and even tried jamming a screw driver against the large 21mm nut - that little locknut mutha won't budge. Tried WD-40 (don't have any PB) won't budge. Ideas??? Making it worse, it tests out at about 9Nm, CLark recommends going lighter than specified, about 5Nm.


You can see I've gouged the black plastic motor housing using it to wedge the screwdriver against. That is just primitive and I HATE doing mechanics like that. Come on, you guys are smart. What to do???

[AFJuvat]

Use a thin wrench and a 21mm box end wrench

Or a 21mm box end wrench, and a socket on the outer nut.

Think outside the box (or clutch)



AFJuvat

[pokey]

Grind a wrench to the thickness you need.

[Dan in Pasadena]

AFJuvat, You can't physically put a wrench on that 21mm nut - no room.

I think Pokey gets the prize on this one. I shoulda thought of it. Should have gone down to Harbor Freight and bought a couple cheap ass 13mm wrtenches and groun one down to the thickness of the old, old style "tappet" wrenches for old American cars.

I ended up putting it together as is. Re-indexing the lifting arms corrected the problem, but the torque is still too high. I will just tell the new owner not to open/close the sunroof more than necessary and to do it while looking at it, not with the radio blaring and the cellphone at her ear (yeah, right!). Oh well, it works and it wil be her problem after Saturday.

[pokey]

I love Harbor Freight.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Gotta love Harbor Frieght for cetain things.
I'd never get under a car sitting on their jackstands, but for certain stuff, they're great.

Bought polishing wheels and a bunch of compounds from them - cheap and worked great.