REMOVING AND INSTALLING SUN ROOF LID

Post in this forum for topics relating to the interior.

Moderators: GRNSHRK, ron, bfons

Post Reply
Utern
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Kelowna BC Canada

REMOVING AND INSTALLING SUN ROOF LID

Post by Utern »

Saw this how-to on FB and I thought it was a great DIY, I am copying it here, thanks to Joe Giroux (I hope your on Bigcoupe) for the detailed breakdown

REMOVING AND INSTALLING SUNROOF LID

Open sunroof fully. Remove left and right upper guide rails. Installation: Lubricate guide rails with vaseline. Close sunroof leaving an opening of about 5 cm. Press off roof liner frame at front and push back slightly. Close sunroof and push back roof liner frame completely. Installation: Close sunroof. Pull roof liner frame forward uniformly. Open sun roof slightly, holding roof liner frame tight by hand. Press in clips for front roof liner frame. Unscrew left and right nuts (1 ... 3). Remove sunroof lid. Installation: Attach rear end of sunroof lid on holder, pulling in holder slightly at same time. Push back gate holder by hand and with help of gearbox. - 1 -
Check left and right guides, replacing if necessary. Vehicles after change point in 1982

REMOVING AND INSTALLING SUNROOF LID
Open sunroof completely. Unscrew bolts. Remove left and right guide rails. Installation: Lubricate guide rails with vaseline. Use Terostat sealing cord at front corners. Close sunroof lid about to about 5 cm (2"). Press off front roff liner frame. Close sunroof and push back roof liner frame completely. Installation: Close sunroof. Pull roof liner frame forward uniformly. Open sunroof lid slightly, holding roof liner frame by hand. Press in holding clamps for front roof liner frame. - 2 -
Unscrew left and right nuts (1 ... 3). Remove sunroof lid. Installation: Mount rear of sunroof lid on holder, pulling in holder slightly for this purpose. Open sunroof lid by hand and with help of gearbox. Important! Don't clamp roof liner frame! Installation: Check left and right sides, replacing if necessary. Adjust sunroof 54 12 004. -> 54 12 004 - 3 -
Leave your ignition off and use the manual Sunroof operation procedures (This will lessen the chance of significant damage to your drives worms): use the sparkplug wrench to loosen the large nut on the motor. Then use the allen wrench tool to open and close the Sunroof by turning the fitting within the large nut. Wedge the allen wrench in with some paper wadding or such to keep it from falling down every 15 seconds (drove me NUTS for a while).
Open the Sunroof. From outside the car, unscrew three screws from each side's guide rails and two screws from a bracket just behind them on each side as well. Make note of (mark) the position of the raised little ramp on each bracket. They are separate pieces and will come free once you remove the brackets.
Carefully crank the Sunroof forward until it's just a couple of inches open and release the Headliner from it by pulling down on the front edge to release about six door panel type plugs/clips. Use of a strong, smooth, curved device to pry the clips away will prevent possible damage. Or just go to your parts store and buy a "Door Panel Tool" (Approx. $8.00). Slide the Headliner all the way back.
Slowly closed the Sunroof. Remove three small nuts and washers from under each side of the Sunroof. They are arranged in a triangular pattern on triangular brackets. Release the brackets from the studs which are attached to the Sunroof. You may now remove the Sunroof by simply raising it from the inside and lifting it off from the outside. A second person used here or some nice shop blankets will ensure no uninvited "engraving" on your roof.
Pull the Headliner all the way forward. it will be attached to a transverse rail by a rod on each side. The rods can not be disconnected from the Headliner, but they can be disconnected from the rail by gently prying them down. A little clip and rod just disengage. You can now remove the Headliner.
To install: place the Headliner on its slides and snap the rod ends into the clips on the tranverse rail. (By the way, if you should have decided to remove the rail, remember to have the pointy ends facing forward when you re-install it.) Slide the Headliner all the way back.
Place the Sunroof back on the car. Before doing this, take the time to lube your rear seals, as this will be the last time you'll see them for a while (hopefull!) The end of the roof with "the little skis" on each side is the front. If you've moved the mounts just reposition them with the allen wrench crank. install the three mounting nuts and washers on each side.
This is a good time to adjust the Sunroof height if desired. The two screws that are attached to the sides of the triangular mounting plates are used to adjust the height of the rear of the Sunroof, which should be 1mm ABOVE the height of the roof behind it. The three screws across each front corner are used to control the front height, which should be 1mm BELOW the height of the roof infront of it. Loosen both sets of inner screws then turn each outer screw to adjust the height while pressing down on the Sunroof. Re-tighten the two inner screws on each side to lock the setting in. You won't believe the difference in Wind Noise a properly adjusted Sunroof can make.
Here's where my procedures differ from the book's a little, but trust me THIS will save you mucho frustration. This extra procedure is to re-engage the Headliner's followers with the rails on the sunroof itself, so that the Headliner follows the Sunroof when it's placed into the "Raised" position. Slowly, while pushing back on the roof to keep tension on the drive cables, crank the roof back far enough to re-install the guide rails and their three screws. Don't worry about the brackets yet. Now crank the roof about three fourths of the way forward.
GO WASH YOUR HANDS. Slide the headliner forward until the clips line up with their holes. A good pull on the front edge while gently pushing from inside will make this a bit easier. Snap all the clips home. Return the Sunroof to the full aft position.
Being as you're in this "Mode", now would be a good time to remove the guide rails again and lube the rails and drive cables. My book recommends vasoline for the rails and light grease for the cables. Do this AFTER you're finished handling the headliner. This avoids the need for "Post Procedure Upholstery Cleaner" to remove all your greasy finger marks. Replace the guide rails and brackets, AND their little ramps, returning the ramps to their original position.
Carefully crank the sunroof a little past full forward to make sure the headliner raises along with the sunroof. If it does, you're just about finished! Congrats. If it doesn't, return the sunroof to a "Closed" position, GO WASH YOUR HANDS, then disengage the headliner from the sunroof (Step Three above), slide it back, and pull it forward again while gently pressing upward on the rear of the headliner as it comes forward. Test the "Raised" position again. Done. (I Hope!)
Now re-tighten the large nut by the drive motor with your sparkplug wrench. It doesn't matter where in the cycle the Sunroof is, as it is the position of the drive cables that controls motor function. Turn on your ignition and see if it works.
1982 633csi
Post Reply