Okay, I went to look at things a little more carefully. I have (on '2705) the
soft top
with latches that are NOT cast (as I reported earlier) stamped steel, welded
around
the ends where it hooks onto the header catches, and chromed. These latches
incorporate
a palm-torture device that sticks out from the opposite end of the latch. I
presume these
are there to allow us to disengage the latches once they are on.
The other part (found on the hardtop) did not have the palm-torture extension,
and also
did not have the hook end welded around the end. So when I went to install the
hardtop,
he stamped-steel hook flexed out to the point where the hook pops off the catch.
I also
have another junk softtop header with two latches that are welded around the
end, etc.
so I will install these on the hardtop and try again.
I have been able (previously) to loosen and jiggle everything around on the
windshield
header and both tops to try and get the best adjustment for this stuff. The DPO
had
helpfully installed the right side windshield header catch with #10 sheetmetal
screws instead
of the 10-32's. I was able to run a tap through it to clean the threads. I don't
remember
right now what kind of screw (machine or sheetmetal) is holding in the soft top
side
of things but it's got a cheese type head with a slot in it.
Theo Smit
tsmit@novatel.ca
B382002705
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Barrett [SMTP:jamesbrt@mindspring.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 1998 7:24 PM
> To: Theo Smit
> Cc: tigers@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Hardtop latches
>
> At 12:03 PM 9/30/98 -0600, you wrote:
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I have a hardtop of questionable vintage and ancestry that I'd like to use
> with
> >my (mk1A) Tiger. The hardtop has stamped-steel over-center latches at the
> >windshield header. These things don't seem to fit correctly into the
> windshield
> >frame catches, and the over-center action (when I can get it to engage)
> pops the
> >catch back off again, while putting enough stress on the stamped-metal part
> to
> >bend the end of it.
> >
> >Was the stamped-metal latch standard equipment on hardtops? Is it possible to
> >refit the cast ones used on a soft top (I have two spares)?
> >
> >Thanks in advance,
> >
> >Theo Smit
> >tsmit@novatel.ca
> >B382002705
> >
> Theo,
> The latchs on my Tiger II and Alpine 5 are identical both for hardtops
> and rag tops. The trick is that the latch is held with a couple of 10-32
> screws in slots. I have to readjust the position of the latches every so
> often when I swap tops amound cars.
> Sounds like you simply need to adjust the latch position, as yours
> is too tight (too far away from the lip of the top).
> Get a screwdriver that FITS the screw slot or phillips hole.
> If these screws haven't been loosened in the last 25 years, you sure
> don't want to round out a slot with a poor tool. Use PB Blaster or
> equivilent to minimize twisting the screw in two.
>
> First try loosing the latch's screws a bit
> (so they can be moved a bit, but not sloppy loose) and then seeing if the
> latch
> will clamp and hold OK. Tighten the screws a bit and try again. If they
> still fit, then tighten well and you are done.
> James Barrett Tiger II 351C and others
>
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