Trying to see if the top mechanism on my 63 falcon can be adjusted? The top on my Falcon doesn't come down equally on earch side of the windshield header. The photo shows what I mean. That is as far as the hydraulics will drive the top. After that it's grab the top header and muscle it into place, easy to do on the drivers side, harder on the passenger side. The gap on the drivers side is less than an inch. On the passenger side it's about 2 inches or a fraction more. The top header is also a bit off center when it's at this point. I need to pull it towards the driver side a bit, meaning maybe a 1/4 - 1/2 inch to get the latch to line up. The whole operation seems to be getting out of whack a bit. Today the top was kind of jerking, stop, start, stop, etc. as it went down, a little smoother going up, but slow either way.
I should mention that I have a shop amnual for the car, but it doesn't say anything about adjustments. It does say how to remove and replace the hydraulic cylinders.
You might check to see if there's a 'supplement' covering just the top. What the manufacturers would sometimes do is lump low-numbers options across their line into one that covered all the various models.
Seen one of these? http://www.topsdown.com/product.php?productid=1352 Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app Another that might help. http://www.fordsunlimited.com/fords_convertible.html
I'd start by working some lube into every pivot and elbow, etc. I like 90 wt gear oil. Take your time and have an oil rag handy to catch any drips. Maybe wrap each joint with a paper towel for a day or so. While you're doing the lube you'll have a good chance to get a close look at the entire system and spot possible places to make adjustments. Bring the top up partway and stop it at a few different positions to figure out where in the arch of travel does the passenger side start to lag behind. Measure and compare each side. If it's only the last couple of inches near the windshield, and if no one was looking, I might simply give it a twist and 'persuade' it parallel, the way Adam and Moses used to do it.
I’ve seen this when the upholstery section of Sears I worked installed a new top and it wasn’t stretched right on the head/windshield bar. The guy who was the best removed the bar and rest the vinyl in the wood or what ever was there and put the stainless band back on. When my a dad had his top replaced at Thurstons Top Shop in Inglewood on his 55 Ford. I was there when left off the car. He told them to make it tight and he wanted it so he had to pull down the last few inches. That top always looked great .
The reason it does that is because for over 50 years, people always latched the drivers side first. Thus the problem you have. So to fix the problem. take the hoses off the motor(pump). then wiggle the top(with it up a bit) side to side. What you are doing is regulating the fluid pressure so it is more even side to side, then hook it back up. Might have to add more fluid to the pump. If it works, then from now on latch the passengers side first.
Hmm ... another thing to look at. I'll need to look at that in the light oof day tomorrow. There are some stretch lines running diagonally from the passenger side rear to the drivers side front when the top is in the postion shown above. Maybe just a poorly installed top? At least it's kept us dry the few times we've been caught in thew rain in the 12 years we've owned the car. Just getting harder for my old bones to latch down.
I was wrong about my shop manual, it does have a section on adjusting the convertible top. Not sure I understand it all yet.
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