E30 Convertible Top Adjustment - Need help

[95BMWIC]

I am currently trying to fit and adjust my daughter's 91 325ic convertible top. I replaced the old top with holes in it, with one I purchased from a salvage yard.

The seals look to be in good shape - they are soft and pliable - However the front seal is not sealing out water - when I pour water over the top - it leaks right over and through the front top seal.

I'm a bit hesitant to order a new seal, because I don't see an obvious defect in the front seal - no holes, tears, it's not overtly flat...

So I was wondering if there is another adjustment I am missing?

I have watched the 3 BMW top videos on YouTube and read the Bentley manual on the soft top for the procedure of fitting the top - I measured the two bottom depths from the quarter panel and then placed shims to meet the required height- However the procedure is a bit ambiguous as it states to adjust left, right or forward - to add or subtract shims. So I’m not sure if the measurements were accurately valid..

The back of the top fits tight against the boot after removing one shim from the far back vertical frame bolt. The front install pins align and I believe it is forward enough (no shims on the horizontal frame bolts, either side). The top locks with little effort..

Does the front (towards the engine) vertical frame bolts have any effect on the downward pressure of the convertible top? Meaning if I were to remove a shim, will that affect the pressure on the front seal?

[Das Delfin]

^ I would imagine so, but they also affect pressure on the windows so there's a fine line between just enough pressure and too much. It's possible the seals have shrunk over time. Each metal shim is exactly 1mm in thickness so they should be accurate enough for a correct fitting, but again you're dealing with older seals which have worn and might not fit correctly. I took out all the shims in my horizontal adjusters while leaving the vertical adjusters alone and the top seems to fit fine. If you have extra space between the tops of the windows and the seals, I'd remove one shim from your forward vertical adjusters and see how everything fits.

[Semblance]

There is a hex adjusting screw on each side of the frame to push the front of the frame towards or away from the windscreen. You'll see it on one of the diagonals running down towards the rear seal.

[rcsoundn1]

WOW great to know, because mine needs minor adjustment.

[Semblance]

This is why we need a vert forum

[flyboyx]

There are also shims inside the boot well that will help with this adjustment.

[fuzzysux]

adjustment

hey guys, this is old, but i want to put the info here for others who might be searching.

the hex screws (under the plastic plug) on each side of the rear inside of the top are NOT for setting front/back distance. also, they are NOT for tightening an old top to make the rear seal hit the tonneau cover.

those are specifically for adjusting the "straightness" of the convertible top frame OVER the windows.

if you tighten or loosen those screws (and be VERY careful because they are steel bolts and threaded into aluminum, so they can strip and they are very likely tight because of corrosion of dissimilar metals touching) and watch the frame from the side, you can see it bend from the pivot point JUST over the back of the front windows.

properly adjusted, this should look dead strait across. like ---------

the front bow seal can be a few different issues:
1. original design is 3 pieces, with a seam at the corners. these always leak
1a. the new design is one piece. much better. and it has to be glued in- in the corners.. but its expensive and genuine only.
2. latch pins have a plastic cover to correctly center the pin to the receiving end on the car. these always break. replacement is part # 54311971255 genuine only. remove any pieces and push new ones on. takes a good tap with a smooth faced hammer. this is the easiest option. and it pulls the top forward, making the front bow seal do its job better.
3. top adjustment. there are shims in between the top and the body of the car. 3 sets. 2 sets facing fowards, one set facing down. loosen the bolts and remove/add shims until you get the fit as desired. additional shims are still available for cheap from bmw 54311932744

i hope this helps some fellow vert lovers!

[Mike36]

Hopefully someone can help out. I recently replaced my worn top with a better used one from the pick a parts. The removal and install was pretty straight forward, however, I noticed that when it's fully extended right before locking it into place, it's slightly shifted to the right. I can shift it to the left and lock it in place but I'd like to know how to better center the top.