m455sx

i recently got a 70 442 vert. I have put down the top several times. This past friday i seen a little trans fluid on my garage floor??? Is there a way to check the fluid??? I do understand that it might be a seal failure, if so is the cylinders easy to fix or rebuild?? Or was the cylinders under to much pressure from holding button too long? 2nd question is what is the best way to clean the fabric on the outside>

71 Cutlass

Pull out the lower back seat...takes literally 2 seconds. Check the floor pan for tranny fluid and see if a cylinder is leaking. If so, they are not that expensive to buy and very easy to install. Of course, check the motor at the back inside of the trunk as well.

m455sx

Can anybody tell me how to properly clean the top??

stevengerard

water with dawn dish washing soap. Though my old top was a pure white so for tough stains I would use Wesley's bleachout on it. Not sure if that would be recommended but it worked, maybe someone else would chime in, I also use it to clean my pearl parade boot as that gets filthy.

71 Cutlass

White tops are HARD to keep looking white. The strongest cleaning product for convertibles I came across said, "Do not get on painted surfaces." I thought, how ridiculous, how am I supposed to rinse it off? I'm not strong enough to pick my car up with my bare hands, turn it upside down and shake the cleaner off. Sooooo...I got a black top. It has been on my everyday driver for the past 10 years and I PROMISE, still looks brand new. So for me black tops are the answer.
For the time being, a good strong soap product and a nylon bristle brush are your only option. I did the white top thing for five years, and finally tired of it. Of course I drive it everyday so it was constantly exposed to dirt, etc.

Lady72nRob71

Welcome to the topless world!

Where is the tranny fluid dripping from? (Assuming not from the tranny...)
It the top system is leaking that much, then there is a BIG problem and it will be evident after getting the back seat and quarter trim out.

I have not seen reseal kits for the pump or cylinders - they will need replacing. Hydro-Electric makes good replcement parts at a good price.

If you must replace big parts, go ahead and change the fluid lines if they look old.
There is a fil plug on the pump behind the back seat and level should be about 1/4" below the plug. Use std Dextron tranny fluid to top off.

409 cleaner and a soft car wash brush can help on the top.
Avoid bleach. It will whiten it but deteriorate it fast.

m455sx

The fluid was just inside of driver rear tire. I haven't crawl under the car yet. I will pull the back seat and check under to make sure there isn't a puddle under the seat. The pump,cylinders and line were replaced in 93 and the car has been in a temperature control garage since. Would it be best the go ahead and replace everything again to make sure there are not anymore problems. How often should i put the top down to keep seals lubricated?

Lady72nRob71

Sounds like a cylinder. If so, there may be a hole in your floor, too! Pop out the ashtray on the quarter armrest and look in with a flashlight.
If you do not see anything, pull the seat and quarter trim out carefully and let us know what you find and we will go from there.

Even though those parts were replaced already, the quality may be unknown and they could fail again. Misrouted hoses could have been kinked or damaged.

Here is what is behing the upholstery:


Running the top every couple months at longest should be fine. Store the car with top up and latched.

On my car, the convertible top is nothing more than a retractable dust cover and emergency rain shield!

m455sx

I will try to tackle the leak this afternoon, but i think this maybe a winter project because i like to cruise on week ends with the top down. I alway store with the top up due to the wrinkles that shown up when the top in down. (drives me crazy)

Lady72nRob71

Maybe take a quick look up inder there and see if the tranny is leaking from its seals, running down the crossmember, to the frame rails, and down to the rear of the frame rails. Its a long shot but possible, depending on where the leak is and the incline that the car is parked at.
It would beat pulling the interior out for nothing...

Oh - the owners manual says when lowering the top, stop when it is about 2' from down, get out and gently pull the top fabric and pads away from the rails so that they will not get pinched. Then lower it the rest of the way.

I had my 'vert' for 3 years and FINALLY learned that from reading the f'in manual! I will try that next time...

m455sx

I have checked and it isn't the trans, and the trans fluid is a little dirty. The fluild that leaked out looked brand new like it came out the bottle. Thanks for the tip about the manual!!

bil

My 65 has a small sheet metal dam under the cylinder,and any leakage would be there,and drain out in front of the wheel.Built in Fremont,i know they did things different there sometimes! 16 years and never driven mine with the top up. A convertible is a state of mind! ---bil

Lady72nRob71

For the 70's models, leakage from around the inside of the rear wheels would point to a leaky pump or hose, and it is running towards the left and exiting thru a body seam.

bil

This is what the area looks like in the 65.Any leaks are contained and run out the hole,instead of all over under the seat.Wonder when they changed? ---bil

71 Cutlass

My car, like Rob's is from the 70's but when I had a cracked line and a bad cylinder, A LOT of the tranny fluid still remained under my seat as well. A lot depends on where the leak is, how much old trash/junk is under the seat from 40 + years of driving, and the stance of the car. This is all contributes to whether or not the fluid has a chance to leak out.

Col Wickham

Interesting thread guys.
Rob: I have seen reseal kits for pumps but not cylinders and thanks for the underseat pics. I have not been there with my car but I'm going to check it out.
My top doesn't come up evenly, ie the passenger side starts first then the drivers side decides to join in. Goes down evenly. Does that matter?

71 Cutlass

Usually when one side needs to "catch up" with the other, the cable is broken on that side...it runs along the top side edge of the convertible top.

Col Wickham

Thanks. Something else to check out. Just had a look in the Service Manual and there's not much there about cables, but it mentions the problem could also be caused by a rail hinge on the slow side being too tight / binding up.