Hoping that the few people with a steel sunroof can assist me. I’ve fitted new cables from custom and commercial, I also bought a new gear mechanism at the same time. The gear mechanism turned at out to be useless, it only opened the roof a third and after a couple of opening and closing the teeth were stripped from the cog. This has since been refunded. I then went back to the original gear and purchased a German quality cog from VW Heritage. After half a dozen openings the teeth on the cog have worn to the extent that they don’t grip the cable properly and the handle clicks and the roof stops moving. Can anyone help ?
Sounds like you’ve not wound the handle all the way forwards before fitting the cables, it’s on a sort of screw arrangement and will stop after so many turns even with no cables , then set the cables in the right position. Also have you still got the tiny stainless steel plate in between the cog and the plastic moulded cover on top ? Without this the cables will lift !
The bottom gear is the original, it has a longer movement than the new one , the cog is after two openings. The plate is in place holding the cables down
Have you completely stripped the roof panel and tracks out. Mine had the tracks incorrectly fitted so the panel didn’t slide easily. They notch in at the back of the roof in the concealed part. I completely cleaned and polished the tracks and cable guides. I then lubricated with silicone spray not grease or oil as it eventually turns gummy and drags.
To avoid stressing the cables and gear I also assist the panel by pushing or pulling gently in the direction of travel apart from the last or first inch or so.
I also made a steel plate to go over the top of the plastic cover because it just wasn’t strong enough after 40 years to hold the cables properly down ! Congi’s Landmark has got one of these too.
I scanned this from one of my collection of 1970s VW service manuals. https://www.hamble.online/vwtech/t2slidingRoof.pdf
