[cgerchak]

I'm the proud owner of a 70 Cougar convertible (351C-2V) I bought Friday for $2500. My first... and oh, so cool. But now I have "stupid" questions...

I spent part of yesterday cleaning up my Cat and found the "Top" lever in the ashtray. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anywhere near the drivers seat or under the dash (lots of spaghetti wires) that looks like where it belonged.

Where should the Top lever be located?

I didn't manually pull down the top - as I noticed there were hydraulic lines and cylinder behind the rear seat; however, I would really like to find out how much work needs to be done to drop the top...

Also there was lots of air in the lines, so I'm assuming I need a 1-man bleed kit first. And where is the reservior located?

Many questions I know, but "thanks" for your responses...

 

[Paul G.]

Top Switch

The top switch mounts in the lower dash section above the radio. In order to install it you need to lift or remove the dash. The switch connects to a plug similar to those for the power windows or interior light switches on an XR7. You will have to remove the knob that says "Top" from the switch and slide the switch through the mounting hole. There are two holes drilled through the metal lower dash section above the radio. The left is for the top switch , the right is for the Cruise Control switch. Drop the threaded part of the switch through the left hole and then use a nut and washer to secure it to the metal dash section. Connect the plug, re-attach the knob and all should work. DO NOT TRY TO RAISE OR LOWER THE TOP MANUALLY WITH THE FLUID LINES CONNECTED. I did this once during a down pour and I snapped the lift arms. If for any reason you cannot get the power top to work and need to raise or lower the top, disconnect and drain the fluid lines and then you can easily move the top. If you connect the switch and the top still does not work , let me know and I'll give you some suggestions for trouble shooting. I have had my 69 convertible for over ten years, and I have replaced almost everything in the convertible top system at least once. The reservoir is located in the left half of the hydraulic top pump. The easiest way to bleed the pump is to place a small funnel in the fluid repacement hole and fill the reservoir. The fluid replacement hole is plugged with a rubber grommet that pops out easily. Raise and lower the the top repeatedly while adding fluid as the reservoir fills with air from the lines and gets low on fluid. This will eventually bleed the lines. There may be a better way then that, but that is how I have always done it.
Good Luck,
Paul G.
69 XR7 Convertible
http://home.sprynet.com/~pamar/cougar.html