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Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:23 pm
by mickjagger
Is there an idiots guide anywhere describing how to lower the roof manually in the event of mechanical failure? Its something that bugs me everytime I go away. Its a bit like when I go up in a plane. I always wonder 'is this thing gonna come down safely'. The thought of being stuck on a site on a Sunday afternoon unable to lower the roof worries me. It must have happened to someone?
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:29 pm
by francophile1947
An angle grinder will work
I don't think there's a guide, but it's just a matter of removing the Allen screws, that hold the motors in place, and pulling the roof down - Mazda supply a length of rope in the original kit.
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 6:41 pm
by sparkymik
Its in the maual
Sparky
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:08 pm
by mister munkey
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 7:50 pm
by Bob
francophile1947 wrote:An angle grinder will work
I don't think there's a guide, but
it's just a matter of removing the Allen screws, that hold the motors in place, and pulling the roof down - Mazda supply a length of rope in the original kit.
This method will also work for an aircraft which refuses to come down.

Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 6:51 am
by sandstone
Are these the three screws that hold each drive motor plate in place? (See topic "squiffy roof" for photos).
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:30 am
by missfixit70
This thread -
http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=31734
Not the screws that hold the plate to the roof according to the, but the 3 allen screws that hold the motor to the plate, but I guess the end result is the same?
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:37 pm
by haydn callow
If your worried about flying.......before you go to the airport...googlr the make/model you will be flying in and work out where the "black box" is situated.....at the airport ask for the seat immediatly above this position.......you will then be o.k. whatever happens as they Always find the black box.
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 4:46 pm
by sandstone
Many thanks, that's clear now, its the three Allen screws around the worm gearbox. Obviously would have to be done for each motor. Once the worm gear is removed, the teleflex cables are free, and the sliding mechanisms can be pulled forward to lower the roof.
When I had my recent problem (in thread referred to) I was able to get the roof back down temporarily by pulling the stuck sliding mechanism forward and under the front locking bracket with string (on one side only the motor plate was loose so teleflex cable would not push the mechanism forwards). So if both sides could be pulled forward and locked in this way, possibly no need to have rope going through cab. Any thoughts? In my case I didn't need a tail to pull the mechanism back to re-open as the teleflex was then in tension mode for this action and the outer teleflex sheath pulled back into place against the aluminium slide.
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:39 pm
by bobngo
Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:55 pm
by Andyf
haydn callow wrote:If your worried about flying.......before you go to the airport...googlr the make/model you will be flying in and work out where the "black box" is situated.....at the airport ask for the seat immediatly above this position.......you will then be o.k. whatever happens as they Always find the black box.
What happens when it's buried under 10ft of earth though!

Re: Manually lowering the roof
Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:16 pm
by aitch