1994 Mustang Repairs

[Miss Dallas]

My name is Dallas. I’m a 44 year old woman and a “Shade Tree” mechanic. I want to tell y’all a bit about myself before I start my thread about my new Pony project, so you will understand where I am coming from and why my thread wont be as Professional as many of the others on here .

I have no Professional Mechanic skills nor training. My skills come from being told (when I was 12) that women can’t work on cars and that I needed to get my butt in the kitchen and make sure that supper was on the table by 6pm. This made me mad. Over the years I have busted my butt to learn Everything I can about tools, auto mechanical work and many other things.

Now - My tool box is taller than I am and every drawer is full of tools that I am experienced in using. My tool cabinet is chalk-full of power tools, the ones that will fit in it anyway.

Okay then, now that you have met me – the 1st project that I will be stumbling thru, is replacing my Ponys’ old convertible top. I received the replacement top today (Mon) and will start removing the old top tomorrow Tue (which is now today cause it’s 12:20am now).

I hope that by taking on this project, that maybe I can inspire others who don’t have a clue about what they’re doing, but are Driven to Get-Er-Done anyway, to take a leap and step into new territory. Every Chance They Get.

 

[Bullitt347]

Wow! I have been working professionally on cars for almost 30 years and I would not attempt a convertible top replacement, it is not in my "comfort" zone. I tend to leave interior (upholstery) work and body/fender/paint work to those who specialize in that type of work. Anything else mechanical or electrical I will tackle, but not a top replacement. Kudos to you for tackling a job such as this.

 

[Miss Dallas]

Thank you Mr. 347 for reading my thread and posting to it. I would prefer to not do this task as I know it is way beyond My Comfort Zone (I am mechanical and electrical like you). But I am not employed at the moment and funds are tight. If I want the job done, I have to Pony up and get after it, comfortable or not. I haven’t begun this project yet because I am waiting on the side tensioning cables (I found mine to be rusted).

I also found today, that one of my hydraulic pistons (for the top) has broke free from the mounting mechanism (the piece that broke can not be replaced). I would like to come up with a bracket assembly to hold the piston in it’s proper place (piston torque being an issue) without it tearing up the inside fender-well in the process.

You may be more excited when I get to Cherry-Picking my motor and dropping my tranny to replace the front and rear main seals that are leaking – Yet another task I have never done before, but I will Get-Er-Done (I hope).

Thanks for your input, it’s nice to know that someone is watching my thread.

Dallas

 

[Bullitt347]

Do you have any welding skills and/or access to a welder? If so, once the surrounding area is cleaned up, the original piece can be welded back in place and if necessary, reinforced so the problem does not happen again. And while you are at it, take a look at the other side to see if it is about to come apart and repair it before it gets worse.

 

[Miss Dallas]

Do you have any welding skills and/or access to a welder? If so, once the surrounding area is cleaned up, the original piece can be welded back in place and if necessary, reinforced so the problem does not happen again. And while you are at it, take a look at the other side to see if it is about to come apart and repair it before it gets worse.

If the original metal bracket was broken I would have no trouble welding it myself (I have welding experience), but that’s not the case. (I’ll try to include a photo). What broke is a plastic retaining ring affixed to the top of the cylinder which the pull/push rod runs through. Attached to the backside of the retainer is the upper hydraulic fluid hose connection. The metal bracket has 2 nubs which fit into either side of the retaining ring and secure the cylinder in place. There are no other brackets holding the cylinder.

I just took another look at the original bracket assembly and noted that it is very rigid, very thick steel mounted to a reinforced steel plate, to protect against the torque created by the cylinder I suspect. For this reason I am going to just replace the entire cylinder (both of them as a preventative measure) rather than risk damaging the Pony with a new redneck bracket that could tear her up.

Time to start shopping, most women shop for shoes, Not Me . . LOL!!! Thanks, Your input is very much appreciated!!!

 

[Bullitt347]

I see. Well good luck with the repair, and let us know how hard the repair/replacement process actually is.

 

[Miss Dallas]

I see. Well good luck with the repair, and let us know how hard the repair/replacement process actually is.

Mr. 347, I received my new hydraulic rams for my top today (Mon). I will begin repairs tomorrow. I am new at writing threads (this is my first one) and I would like to ask your opinion. I have many repairs to talk about, should I discuss them all on “this” thread, or should I create different threads for each repair I undertake (i.e. – Hydraulic Ram Replacement, Convertible Top Replacement, Main Seals Replacement, Airbag Replacements, etc . . )

I want others with the same issues, same questions, same details to be able to locate my repair experiences for “Each of the Repairs”, but I don’t know how that works.

Thanks again for your input, Miss Dallas.

 

[Bullitt347]

It is kind of up to you. If it were me, I would leave this thread to repairs concerning the convertible top as that is how it started. Then when you go to a completely different part of the car, start a new thread. This way you do not have to search through the tread that starts out being about a convertible top repair/replacement to find the parts about doing the rear main seal.

 

[38stang]

I installed a new top on my wifes 02 GT. If you have never done it before or do not have proper instruction DO NOT DO IT. If you want to do it any way go to latemodelrestoration and order the installation CD. It will save your ass. I picked it up and watched it 4 times before doing the install. I got it done in a day and a half, and it looks professinal. Get the CD or pay some one to do it. Going in to it blindly will only end up with you buying a new top again.

 

[Miss Dallas]

Thanks for the advise Mr. 38stang. I did order a DVD from AOK Sales and it shows video of an installer removing and replacing a top on an actual ’94 Mustang. It includes voice and text instructions throughout the process, it seems very in-depth. I also printed (and bound in book form) the instructions I received from autotops.com where I ordered my new top from.

I ordered my new hydraulic cylinders and side tensioning cables from Latemodelrestoration and received them yesterday. Tonight I will start a New Thread about the cylinder replacement (1994 Mustang Hydraulic Cylinders (Rams) Replacement), getting them out was a booger, but I got it done today.

Once I install the new Rams, I will get busy with the New Top. I hope you will stop back by and offer any opinions or advise you may have while I undertake this project. It seems that everything I am repairing on the Pony, is work I have never done before (except changing the spark plugs . . LOL) so I am open to any guidance I can get. Thanks!!! Miss Dallas

 

[38stang]

Follow the instructions to a T and you should be ok. I'll help in any way I can.
On a nother note. I'll be installing a new hydraulic cylinder on the drivers side of my wifes car in a week or so I just orderd it to day, it died right after the top install 6 months ago.

 

[Miss Dallas]

Follow the instructions to a T and you should be ok. I'll help in any way I can.
On a nother note. I'll be installing a new hydraulic cylinder on the drivers side of my wifes car in a week or so I just orderd it to day, it died right after the top install 6 months ago.

Last night I started a new Thread – “1994 Mustang Hydraulic Cylinders (Rams) Replacement”. It is very detailed, along with pictures, of how I removed my rams, you may want to take a look at it since I’ve already done the work. I am replacing both of mine (though only one was broken) as a preventative measure. Please go to that Thread, I left you more information there tonight.

 

[Miss Dallas]

I see. Well good luck with the repair, and let us know how hard the repair/replacement process actually is.

Hey Mr. 347, I started a new Thread - 1994 Mustang Hydraulic Cylinders (Rams) Replacement. Thanks for your advice!!!