i did a search but could come up with anything.

i do remember someone had a little magick trick to silence a squieky top.
i wrapped the little nipple with shrink-tubing, but most of the noise comes from the big rubber spacer that rubs against the backpart of the lock.

HELP!

it's driving me nuts ...
Andy

take the roof off

or a good coating of armor all on the seal

Could the tightening of the latches be a cure ?

I think someone used felt?

Dr 914 has a section of Tech Tips 700 dedicated to the Roof and some possible solutions to squeaking.

Andy, just turn the radio up, up , up.....

QUOTE (jimtab @ May 18 2005, 08:31 PM)

Andy, just turn the radio up, up , up.....

radio? what radio? can't hear you, the engine is too loud ...

i sprayed on some "dry lube". i sure hope this works, because otherwise, you can all come and visit me at the nut-house ...

Andy

I think the cure is a new seal on the underside of the roof in the rear...

The one that I have seen is either here or PP tech articles.
It was some normal garage weatherstripping (I honestly cannot remember)

But,it creates a bigger profile, lasts for another 20 years and was pretty easy to do...

Take a look at PP , I think its there.

Then just re-adjust the latches after..it should stop the roof from rubbing on the targa bar..

rich

a good cheap test would be to get a few wood shim shingles...drive them in by hand from inside the cockpit and see if raising the roof a little bit solve the squeak.

If not..look at the doors or windshield...but mine was right behind my head...

Rich

QUOTE (r_towle @ May 18 2005, 09:00 PM)

Then just re-adjust the latches after..it should stop the roof from rubbing on the targa bar..

nope, it's not the roof rubbing, it's the rubber spacers that sit in the recess on the lock.
they need to sit in there, if you move the top higher (by adding more seal), the top will be able to slide backwards, which is not good, espacially on the freeway at higher speeds.

the rubber stops need to slide into the recess, unfortunately, the rubber on the metal "squeaks" like mad ...

i have adjusted the lock as far down as it goes, i got it to clamp down pretty tight, but it's still making lots-o-noise ...

i'll know later on my way home if the dry lube worked ...
Andy

Take the "shine" off the rubber with some sandpaper. That'd be my first attempt. Stick-On felt?

Andy,
I'm a little bummed to hear about your roof-squeak trouble. I always thought that once I cage my car it would not squeak any more. Dang it.

-Ben M.

The top should be tightened as much as possible, but that alone may not help. Try adding some felt on contact areas on the rear (the original rubber has a strip of felt on it, and might be missing or worn) Add some felt near the rear latch where it touches the top. An alternative, is some silicone grease, but that is a bit messy.

These squeaks can be very very disturbing.

The main thing is to prevent the rubber parts from rubbing on the metal/plastic parts.

30 year old rubber is hard as rock....it's gonna squeak. While your driving, instead of choking your chicken, use your free hand to push up on the top.

Someone once told me to put a bit of baby powder on them to make them stop squeeking.

Andy-

I remember "Aquarium" Rubber tubing being used on the post, that the
latch grabs-on-to ! This helps tighten/eliminate squeak. Mine only squeaks during certain types of weather...
so I can live with that... but being snug is key.



- M

"dry lube" worked!

now i have to apply that to the glove-box door hinges!
Andy

Lube the little plastic blocks and the notch they sit in on the latch. The squeek is not from the seal.
I once drove 2400 miles home with a car I bought in Chicago. The squeaky top damn near drove me bonkers. Got home, talked to PO and he said "oh yeah, I usually put a piece of paper, even a dollar bill, under the plastic block and it goes away".

New Seal baby...........new expensive seal.

When I had a top that would come off....mine is bolted down...

I used the dry lube AND added felt under the roof where it contacted the targa bar. Tightened it, got rid of wind noise and squeeks. The seals were new but the latches seemed to have stretched.

QUOTE (SirAndy @ May 18 2005, 11:02 PM)

i wrapped the little nipple with shrink-tubing, but most of the noise comes from the big rubber

Was gonna say powdered graphite (dry lube), but it looks like you got it figured out, so I will just add a quote. A little out of context but it made me laugh.

QUOTE (Sammy @ May 19 2005, 08:33 AM)

(Jenn, they aren't expensive )

It wasn't I that said it was expensive. On the contrary, I got a great deal from you I believe the Toasty One cried expensive.

Andy, if the dry lube stuff works, save some for me. Or point me in the right direction. My top squeaks like crazy! mostly I hear it from the rear passenger targa area.

Before anyone blames 30 year old rubber, I have newer seals on my car (2-3 years old)

Jen

Once more, I don't think it is the seals. Sand/lube the small plastic blocks at the rear of the top. The top rides on those and that is where the squeak usually is.

When I went to the garage to take this pic I found that PO had put some tape on the bottom of the hard plastic. I took it off. When I put the top back on I bet it will squeak.

Thanks! Will try it as soon as I get my grubby little hands on the car.

Jen

a piece of adhesive backed felt placed in the recess in the targa bar works well. it will rub away eventually, just stick a new piece in when it does.

k

Ben,

We dont run front latches on the tops after the car is caged. (at least with Andy's cage design)

QUOTE

"dry lube" worked!

See... I was sitting within 4 feet of you and you asked the board before you asked me..LOL I'm not sure how long the dry lube will last, but at least it got you home. I wanted to tell you "Glycerin" but I couldnt recall it last night.


B

QUOTE (Jenny @ May 19 2005, 10:52 AM)

QUOTE (Sammy @ May 19 2005, 08:33 AM) (Jenn, they aren't expensive ) It wasn't I that said it was expensive. On the contrary, I got a great deal from you I believe the Toasty One cried expensive.

Sammy saw cleavage in an avatar an automatically associated it with Jen.

QUOTE

Sammy saw cleavage in an avatar an automatically associated it with Jen.

It happens to the best of us. I'm quite a bit darker than Toast, which is ironic, if you think about her user name. Toast is to porcelain doll as I am to hula doll.


Jen

Could someone post a picture of the squeaky part ? I'm not clear where the squeak is from---I have it too

QUOTE (jim_hoyland @ May 19 2005, 08:20 PM)

Could someone post a picture of the squeaky part ? I'm not clear where the squeak is from---I have it too

se rubber thing is rubbing against the recess area in the lock, causing the squeek ...

Andy

PS: "dry lube" on both parts and it's quiet now. which means now i can hear all the other little things making noise!

That worked !! Thanks

Now I can hear the sway ar bushing ? Should that bushing be lubed from the inside or can it be done from outside ? I only hear it during dry weather.

Anything special to know ? I installed the Wertmeister about a year ago.

What a pleasure to find this old thread when searching for squeaky tops. I didn't even know that piece was rubber, plus some PO had painted mine black in some ancient past which I suspect helped them get harder and dryer. My rear sway bar bushings used to squeak so bad I couldn't hear the top but new Elephant rubber fixed that. I hope that one of the suggestions in this thread fixes my top squeak.

This is the first 914 I've owned that the top does not squeak.

I wonder if putting a piece of waxed paper under the block would help?

Install one of those unspeakable Chalon kits, and live with the pain.

Yes, both of the main ideas in this thread work.

The big rubber block can be sanded and lubed and the small hinges can be wrapped with some rubber tubing.

I just did both on my car before leaving for the WCR in Tahoe and the whole weekend was free of top squeaking.

Felt pads worked great, no more squeak.

Replaced my rear targa seal that I got from my parts car and there you go no more squeaky sound.

I'm glad this thread popped up. I'm getting parts together to put my top back on my car and I had an assortment of rubber blocks from two different cars. The taller one fits inside the the latch assembly, while the shorter one will squish down between the shoulders in the latch assembly. Almost 4mm diff between them in height. I think the shorter ones came of my 75, but I'm not sure. Are there different blocks, or just mangled ones?

Early and late. Do a search here, Paul made a great thread outlining all the differences ...

I tried a search, but what do you call the dang things?

Targa Tops ...

here....targa tops

Silent-blocks