stlbluesbrother

1970 Cutlass. This behavior has been going on since I bought the car and it's time to correct:

• "UP" on the switch lowers the top to an open position
• "DN" on the switch raises the top from open to closed position

My other convertible from the same year works properly so I compared the wiring connections from dash switch to the pump. They appear to be the same (ganted, I didn't pull the carpet to see if someone spliced the wiring and reconnected incorrectly).

1. Puple-Orange-Gray wire colors in vertical order on backside of switch (see pic1).
2. Puple wire to purple wire at harness connection under dash. Same for gray to gray.
3. Puple wire to green wire at pump connection. Gray to Red wire connection also at pump.

Any ideas as to the cause?

gold - pic1.jpg gold - pic2 puple and gray wire conector.jpg gold - pic3.jpg

69442C

It's possible the switch was assembled incorrectly. I don't recall if the switch can be removed from the bezel but if it can, turn it 180 degrees. Try using a test light on the wires to see if the correct wires are hot for up VS down. If the wires are being powered correctly, then the issue is not the wires or the pump and it's back to the switch being assembled incorrectly.

Brian

Octania

As for the cause, ah who cares?

for the CURE, it couldn't get easier
Separate the connector near the pump.
Remove the terminals from one of the plastic housings
re-form their retention tangs
put them back into the housing in the swapped positions
reconnect the connector

all easy to reach.

Basically, applying 12V to one wire spins the pump one way; 12V to the other wire runs it the other way. Swap the wires anywhere and you have cured it. The rear seat area connector is easy.

texxas

On my 67 a PO had replaced the top motor and installed it reversed from the original top motor position. The side that should have been facing the front of the car was facing the rear. This made "UP" down and "DOWN" up.I turned it around and swapped the lines on each side of the pump. Took about 2 minutes and solved the problem. This may be your cause.

MDchanic

Yeah. This is pretty much a non-problem. Just reverse the wires.

- Eric

oldcutlass

Is the switch installed upside down?

brown7373

Or the hydraulic lines are reversed.

hookem horns

It's a special order southern hemisphere car.
X3 on swapping the wires at the pump, bet it was replaced at some point.

stlbluesbrother

Good call. Upon further inspection and testing, the switch (which I disassembled and cleaned) and wiring were eliminated from suspicion leaving the pump and hydraulic lines.

I broke out the Fisher Body manual and found an informative section on the Hydro-Lectric System (pg 13-25). As it turns out:

• hydraulic hoses at the bottom of the pump should lead to the top of each lift cylinder (to lower the top).
• hydraulic hoses at the top of the pump should lead to the bottom of each lift cylinder (to raise the top).

On my gold car the hoses were attached to the wrong end of each lift cylinder.

With the onset of winter I probably won't be lower the top for a while, so this will be a good project to take on over the next few months. I'll also be checking the pump pressure - 340 to 380 psi.

Octania

So, your choices are to reverse the wires, or the hydraulic tubes...

and you are considering breaking into the hydraulic system?

Ok....

Pacecar

Had the same situation with my car. I would advise against swapping the hoses. If the pump is not leaking now, swapping the hoses risks creating a leak situation. And you are going to lose fluid from the bottom when you switch. That can be quite the mess. It is easier to switch the wires at the connection. Radioshack might carry the special tool to remove the terminals and wire from the connector. I had made such a tool from a small flat screwdriver by sharpening the tip and grinding the width down to the size of the terminal. The terminals will pop out. As mentioned previously just check the tangs that hold the terminal in place.

stlbluesbrother

[QUOTE=Octania;479040]So, your choices are to reverse the wires, or the hydraulic tubes...
QUOTE]

That's right. And I (or someone I have in mind) will do a damn good job..

Any further commentary can be directed as a PM to me.