Auto Free Top - one side not lowering/damaged

[Steve_B]

Hello!

New here - so first of all hello! Been reading this forum for a year and the info on it is priceless so thanks!

Got a slight problem with the AFT... as you can see from the photos the threaded worm gear came away on the drivers side as I was lowering the roof. This resulted in the roof lowering skewed to one side and the inevitable CRACK! of the roof! (uploaded some pics here... tried to link directly to the images but it gave me a "unknown size of images" error?)

http://3dvisualsdotnet.wordpress.com/20 ... ongo-roof/

Any advice before I start with a screwdriver would be appreciated....
I'm based in Altrincham just south of Manchester - usually use Wheelquick in Wigan but I need to get the roof down first before heading up the M6!!

Many thanks!

Steve

[mister munkey]

Give Adrian at Japan Direct in Bury a call

http://www.carslocally.co.uk/england/la ... irect.html

He knows his way around the mysteries of the AFT & may well talk you through what needs to be done.

[mikeonb4c]

Give Adrian at Japan Direct in Bury a call

http://www.carslocally.co.uk/england/la ... irect.html

He knows his way around the mysteries of the AFT & may well talk you through what needs to be done.

Spot on MM

I'm in Altrincham too and he fixed my AFT too earlier this year. I was up there yesterday getting my MOT + check done with him and he said he'd done a couple of others since I was last there. He'll know what to do.

I had to leave mine with him for the roof repair even though he'd mended it in a day, becuase he wanted the repair glue to have a couple of days to harden before being put under load. But since the wonderful and world famous Bury Market is there to pass the time in, and the tram goes from Bury to Altrincham, it all worked out great, and his prices are good too, and he's a great guy (the best) to deal with.

Mike

P.S. Adrian mentioned that one owner had driven the Bongo to him with the roof stuck up

P.P.S. - I suspect he'll have steady trade from ageing AFTs going AWOL and needing fixing.

[BongoMTBer]

Mine failed a couple of years back. The hard points that the motor mounting bolts go into, de-bonded and the motor dropped. Luckily, it was a hot day and although only one side started to drop, the fact that the roof was hot, allowed the roof to flex without any damage. I manage to untangle the cable and raise the roof with some careful use of a hammer and an assistant pressing the raise button IIR... I then used Areldite to re-fix the hard points.

Good luck!

[Steve_B]

Thanks all for the help! Will have a look at the motor mounts see whats going on. Cold day to be up a ladder though!

Cheers,

Steve

[Steve_B]

Just been out to have a look at it - Looks like I have the same problem as you had BongoMTBer!

Will put some pics up in a bit. It looks like the motor has come away from all its roof mounts. Also the long wire has come away from the channel.....

edit - pics

[BongoMTBer]

Thats the one. If you want to give me a bell, I'll pm my number to you I will talk you through what I did.

Sam.

[mikeonb4c]

My motor had come away from its mounts too, though it was not clear whether a motor failure had caused it or it had caused a motor failure (if you get me). But whatever happened, happenened when mine was down. I suspect I caused it by raising the roof with the weight of a caravanstore attached to one side, causing an asymmetric load.

One important thing. Don't try and araldite in this cold weather as the temp is probably too low for the epoxy reaction to take place to set the adhesive.

[g8dhe]

The fixings for the motors appear to be identical for the fitting of the tent frame in the top,
now given that they are quite often reported here as failing,
maybe it would be a good idea to check the motors ones as well if the tent fixings have previously gone ...
I know I'll be out checking mine as soon as the van gets back from its current travels

[BongoMTBer]

I did all of mine after the event. I was able to lever the motor out on the other side with ver little effort. It was then just a case of holding the mounts in a pair of pump pliers whilst whizzing the screws out. A few secinds with the wire wheel to clean the old glue from the knirling and a bit of gentle reeming of the holes in the AFT, and glue the mounts back in. Left overnight for Areldite to harden and then screws back in.

As you say Mike, with a two week cold snap it may be some time until it can be fixed. Could be worth doing a test mix and leaving it out over night and seeing if it hardens though.

[mister munkey]

As you say Mike, with a two week cold snap it may be some time until it can be fixed. Could be worth doing a test mix and leaving it out over night and seeing if it hardens though.

If you have the facilities to get an extension lead to it & a fan heater running for a couple of hours, it may well work.

[mikeonb4c]

As you say Mike, with a two week cold snap it may be some time until it can be fixed. Could be worth doing a test mix and leaving it out over night and seeing if it hardens though.

If you have the facilities to get an extension lead to it & a fan heater running for a couple of hours, it may well work.

That would do it - only thing then is if it gets hot, araldite can catch you out by going off too quickly

Make sure you don't overheat the plastic etc. and cause it to distort etc.

[meek.tv]

I think mine has just done this, cracked and folded the AFT
bugger :'(