Sunroof cable repair and new seals 87 911

[dshepp806]

yes,...very nicely done......thank you for your offering.

This group kicks butt, no?

Best,

[carreradpt]

Jerry, do you have any pics of the headliner clips and how they attach the headliner to the sunroof? And do you then reattach the headliner after the sunroof is closed? My headliner sags only on the sunroof. I want to remove it, tighten it up somehow and reinstall without taking the sunroof out of the car.

[salukijac]

If Jerry doesn't have any pics I can post some when I get home tonight as I just did the cable repair and haven't attached the sunroof headliner yet.

I still have to do the seals but I used the process outlined here and it was very helpful...my sunroof works again. The driver side cable too...is that a coincidence?

[nameisbauer]

Thanks!

[salukijac]

carreradpt,
I wasn't able to take pics tonight but to answer your question, I don't think you can take the sunroof headliner without taking the sunroof off. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

BTW, if you can't find a putty knife (that you can bend without breaking) I found a metal 12" ruler at Walmart (in the school supply section) that actually has a rubber strip on one side. The rubber strip can provide additional protection to the sunroof headliner as you pull it down.

[carreradpt]

Jorge, it looked as though Jerry was able to do it with the sunroof closed. Didn't say whether he could put it back on while closed. I'd love to see pics of the clips and how it is attached. Then i'll have to figure out the tightening up part. Thanks, i'll have to get that ruler too.

[jhubs]

If you look at photo #3 on the first page, just to the left of the #8mm socket you will see a rectangular hole in the metal of the sunroof. This is a clip hole. The clip that is on the panel fits in the hole. It is a folded metal clip with a bulge that compresses and expands in the hole when pulled out or pushed in.

Don't over think this and don't be timid. Put the thin putty knife in and if the knife hits something, that's a clip. Move the knife over until it does not hit a clip, but is right next to the clip, and pull down until the clip pops out of the hole. It takes a little pressure, but apply the pressure until the clip releases. Slide the putty knife over until it touches another clip and repeat the process.
At this point you will be able to pull the headliner panel down with either the putty knife or you hands.

Listen guys if I can do this, anyone can. On a scale of 10, it's only a 2.
Once you get the liner off the rest is easy.

[salukijac]

I'm sorry, I thought the question was whether you could remove the sunroof headliner from the car (not just separate it from the sunroof itself).

[Hayabusa]

Sweet looking Carrera, Tquaglino.

[jhubs]

Here is a photo that shows that the liner panel was slid back after it was unclipped in the front. You can the two clips on the front edge of the panel. I did not remove the headliner panel to remove and repair the sunroof.

[teamfee3]

Dumb question, is the only way to diagnose a dnf sunroof to take it apart. Mine closed and then I tried to open it and only one side went back a bit before it stopped all together. Sounds like one side cable not connected or broken. Mine is a daily driver and no garage so I need to do it in one day.

Great thread, Thanks!

[nameisbauer]

You can get it closed if you can get the headliner off. You can then gently force it closed while trying the button. You can also "pop it up" to seal it by hand until you have a chance to take it apart.

[jhubs]

You don't need a garage. Your problem was exactly like mine. One side cable has come loose. Took me about 3-4 hours and I work very slow on fast cars!

You can just fix the cable as I described above and not do the new seals. Easy! The time issue will be the JB Weld, but now you can buy the fast drying JB Weld
and be done in 1-2 hours.

Jerry

[teamfee3]

Just did it, very simple. A few things I ran into on my '86;

1. I didn't have 3 screws to remoce the track, I had 2 and a rivet which I simply drilled out and it likely will not be missed. When I took Screw #1 & #2 out of the retention plate the rivet was underneath.



2. Also be careful, the delicate plastic hinges for the wind deflector will break easily and I broke one. Make sure you take the two screws out that hold it and it's metal plate base first and just get it out of the way.

.

The sunroof headliner comes out easy with the bent putty knife, just be careful not to tear the headliner which can be old and dry around the edges, use some tape to protect it. The sunroof headliner goes in easiest with the sunroof partially open.

3. My cable did not pull all the way out, only partially. It's easy to spot because the outer spiral cable should meet the little pulley device that receives it. I had to pull it all the way out and it was a bit chewed up on the end so some nips and twisting cleaned it up enough to get it back in. I used a lot of degreaser and even a drill bit to clean out where the cable goes in so the JB Weld would work. Be careful crimpig it back in, it needs very little pressure or it will just come apart.

4. Because mine was partially out me screwing with the sunroof while it was failing mis-alligned the two cables and when I set the sunroof in to re-install it I couldn't, the 4 bolts didn't line up. I simply turned on the car and retracted the sunroof (mine was stuck closed) a tiny bit and they re-alligned

5. What the hell is this thing? It came out when I pulled the passenger side track from within the roof.



Other than to tools I had all I bought was some JB Weld, degreaser and some grease. I would say the whole thing took an hour or two but take more time and watch every detail, tape everything (I did not), it's an easy job.

[teamfee3]

Oh, and thanks a million jhubs whoever you are, this could not have been done without you!

[GermanLarrain]

Hi, I'm a newbie at this forum, first time posting. I live in Santiago, Chile. Sorry my english, it may sound and look horrible to you. Spanish it's my native language.

Anyway, it happen that I´m restoring a Carrera 911 coupe 1986, and started the process of replacing the roof seals. By the way the descrotion and detail provided in this topic here at the forum, it´s great.

When I took the roof apart, I noticed that the Flat Sunroof Seal goes from edge to edge, not shorter, as I see in the picture originally posted. The original flat seal (seems like it was the original, that cames with the car), is the same with as the panel, this is beginning to end of the roof panel sides. (see blue arrow picture). This make sense to me, considering the water drain canal is localed almost at the edge of the roof opening, therefore the water need to be stop almost at all the roof panel width. If the flat seal doesn't cover all the panel width, some water may get between the liner and the roof.

Also I noticed that this seal need to be placed a litle more close to the back, kind in the midle, that will match better.

Well that's it, I´ll really appreciate any comments on how the make it right.

German

[GermanLarrain]

By the way the new seal come shorter, but I believe is because it´s made of silicone rubber, that can be stretched, so it can go from one end to the other.

German

[jlkline]

I have a very annoying rattle in my 85 coupe sunroof after removing the headliner and re-gluing the vinyl back onto it. I noticed 2 small rectangular felt pads (20mm x 30mm?) that came off in the process and I think the rattle is due to them no longer being installed.

Can someone tell me to what they are attached and where so I can replace them and hopefully solve my problem??

thx in advance!

[john walker's workshop]

that white plastic pin aligns the rear if the side rail to the back of the sunroof pocket. you now have a water leak if you didn't put it back. use some caulking on it so it seals the hole.

[jlkline]

i never removed the sunroof. Only the 4 hex bolts at the front (2 of each side) so nothing was disturbed at the rear.

Still not sure where those felt pads came from and where / how to but them back.