I blew a hydraulic tube on the convertible top and have just replaced it with new parts. Now I need to bleed the lines, can anyone direct me
to a link which shows how to bleed the lines?
I believe I have an idea on how to do this but want to make sure.

Thanks in advance....

http://www.1stgencamaro.net/convertibletopbleed.html

A search of this forum will turn up a lot more but here's how to fill your hyd power top system (cut from something I posted in another thread).

Doing the following, the system will purge itself of air and the fluid will not over fill the pump. It can be done with almost zero mess too.

To bleed and top-off the system I found a section of plastic tubing that fit in the pumps fill hole and wrapped one end with elect tape until it was the size of the stopper. Stuck one end in a qt of atf (brake fluid would work too) and the taped up end in the fill hole and seated it snugly. Run the top up and down several times and finally top down and replaced the plug.

As the link geneo provides suggests there has to be some fluid in the pump motor to start.

Very good thread Mike..
Geneo & DjD - Thank you for the link and additional info..
Apoloizes for the highjack, but I have similar install questions.

I bought a new pump-motor, tubing and 2 hydraulic cylnders from www.ConvertibleParts.com .

The instructions said to "be very careful not to over tighten the line fittings".
"Finger tighten and then additional 1/4 turn, (only)."
Now I'm a little paranoid.

1) Has anyone here, ever "over-tightened" these? ..ro broken these fittings?

2) Do these 6 brass line fittings need teflon tape? (plumbers tape)?

3) 1 hydraulic line is a few inches longer than the other. Does the longer line plug into the top hole on pump, or bottom hole?

4) The cylinders have 1 fitting on the top and 1 on the bottom. The pump motor has 1 fiting on top and 1 on the bottom.
I need someone to confirm that the lines connect to:
the top of pump to bottom of cylinders, and
the bottom of pump to top of cylinders ??

I had to replace the pump and my passenger side bottom line. Just tighten as recommended. You don't need to crank them down, just tighten them where you feel comfortable. You shouldn't have to use any teflon tape on the fittings, unless you have a leak you can't stop. The longer tube is the bottom if I remember correctly. Make sure the bottom line has plently of room to move and flex when the cylinders go up and down. I kinked my original and it split about an inch from the fitting, could not find a way to fix it. Once it is back together test it, test it and test it again, look for any binding of the lines.

Thank you for the feedback.
This hydraulic assembly has been out of my car for almost 4 years.
I appreciate hearing from someone who has done it before.

I just had to replace my pump motor and lines. Thanks for having this information, it makes it so much easier. :thumbsup:

Very good thread Mike..
Geneo & DjD - Thank you for the link and additional info..
Apoloizes for the highjack, but I have similar install questions.

I bought a new pump-motor, tubing and 2 hydraulic cylnders from www.ConvertibleParts.com .

The instructions said to "be very careful not to over tighten the line fittings".
"Finger tighten and then additional 1/4 turn, (only)."
Now I'm a little paranoid.

1) Has anyone here, ever "over-tightened" these? ..ro broken these fittings?

2) Do these 6 brass line fittings need teflon tape? (plumbers tape)?

3) 1 hydraulic line is a few inches longer than the other. Does the longer line plug into the top hole on pump, or bottom hole?

4) The cylinders have 1 fitting on the top and 1 on the bottom. The pump motor has 1 fiting on top and 1 on the bottom.
I need someone to confirm that the lines connect to:
the top of pump to bottom of cylinders, and
the bottom of pump to top of cylinders ??
Better safe than sorry, eh Tony? I had a friend tighten one side, and I did the other. I warned him about not too tight...but his and mine idea of tight were different. His produced a geyser. So, be careful on the 1/4 turn!

capt

Better safe than sorry, eh Tony?
capt

Exactly!
nice and eeeeeeassssy.
I kept thinking, "nylon threads"..... if you strip them, you're screwed..
I was so scared during bleeding, thinking that I'd end up with red ATF stripes on my new white interior. :eek:

Everything turned out great for me..
no leaks and no breaks..
..whew!!