What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Removing a the top of a '90 1500 Jimmy

S

scpaul

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 2, 2016
Posts
278
Reaction score
30
Location
central area of S.C.
The top on this Jimmy has never been removed since it was new in 1990 and I'm expecting some complications. I'm expecting to have to replace all of the rubber gaskets, but since I've never done it before I'm wondering if there's anything else that I should know. It has the electric rear window and it hasn't been moved in 8 or so years and I guess that I'm going to have to get it down before I mess with the top.

If someone that has had the same situation could tell me about it, how hard to break the seal, how heavy is the top, does it try to spread at the rear so that I need to brace it, and since the rear window hasn't been opened in so long, can I get into the tailgate from the inside so that I can let it down manually? Is there anything else that I might need to know that would help or keep me from screwing something up?

For those that are familiar with my prior escapades with the top; I haven't gotten any further with the sealing and sanding of the top due to the weather changing every other day.

Thanks, Paul
 
scpaul said:
The top on this Jimmy has never been removed since it was new in 1990 and I'm expecting some complications. I'm expecting to have to replace all of the rubber gaskets, but since I've never done it before I'm wondering if there's anything else that I should know. It has the electric rear window and it hasn't been moved in 8 or so years and I guess that I'm going to have to get it down before I mess with the top. Yes, you would need to have the window down to remove the top or lift the top high enough to clear the rear window (I don't recommend doing it that way)

If someone that has had the same situation could tell me about it, how hard to break the seal Easy, how heavy is the top I would guestimate 150ish pounds?, just removed one off of a 76 a couple weeks ago with just 2 people , does it try to spread at the rear so that I need to brace it Nope, and since the rear window hasn't been opened in so long, can I get into the tailgate from the inside so that I can let it down manually? Not sure Is there anything else that I might need to know that would help or keep me from screwing something up? First you will need to remove the cover to access the connector for the courtesy lights on the fiberglass top, then unplug the connector (on the driver side towards the seat belt), remove all the bolts that hold the top on. On the backside of the top, push up on the inside of the window frame, this should brake the seal at the rear. Go inside towards the front of the top and use your back to push up on the top and it will brake the front seal or sit on the seat and push up on it. (What I did) Have someone lift up on the back to separate the top from the body and slide in a 2x4 so its sitting on top of the frame rails and do the same with the front. We then centered the 2x4s under the top and positioned them to where it was comfortable for us to lift the top and set it on the ground.

Hope this helps
For those that are familiar with my prior escapades with the top; I haven't gotten any further with the sealing and sanding of the top due to the weather changing every other day.

Thanks, Paul
Click to expand...
 
You can bypass the window motor. Remove the inspection panel from the tailgate, then locate the motor and cable for the glass. undo the cable from the motor. Grab a cordless drill and chuck it to the square cable. Using low speed on the drill you should be able to determine which direction on the drill will drive the glass down.

There is a lot of assumption that the seals will tear, or never seal right again. I've never had an issue with any of the K5's I've had...but I'm sure climate does play a role.

A topper with sliding side glass comes in at 188 lbs. They are a lot sturdier than you'd think.

The biggest issue you will have with a 1990 topper is the rear shoulder seat belt retractors. You'll need to carefully pry the covers off, then unbolt the retractors. It's a torx and I can't recall the size off hand. There are also two hidden topper bolts along the bedsides at the very rear. These two bastards thread in from the underside, in behind the side panels. GM really didn't want people taking their hardtops off in later years...
 
Thanks Red and tRusty,

Red, Thanks for the tip about the 2x4's. I'm thinking about a set-up where when I'm by myself that I could slip the 2x4's through and have them attached to a simple truss so that I can remove it by myself. It would also be a way to store it off of the ground as long as I tie it so that the wind can't swing it around and into the tree that it's hung in.

tRusty, I don't understand about the 2 bastards. Are you saying that I have to reach up inside the fender from the outside to the corner above the bumper? I hope that I'm not understanding you. I tried looking at an LMC catalog and can't find anything that helps me. If I am understanding you, is there a way that I could reverse the way that the bolts (bastards?) go into the topper.

About the seals, could I use something like a thin putty knife to slip between the seals and the metal/rear glass if they are stuck together? I probably should replace them anyway, they appear to be dry rotted and cracking. Do you think that some silicon spray might help it come apart in 1 piece? I just looked at the different rubber seals and they're real proud of them!

Thanks Y'all, Paull
 
You have to remove the side trim panels on the inside to get to the two rear most bolts. There is one on each side at the very rear of the top. The seat belts are a pain to deal with.
 
That's makes more sense, the inside. I don't know where my mind was, wait a minute.........yes I do !!! I'm not too concerned about the belts, I sit in the seat behind the wheel. A sharp pocket knife helps. All jokes aside, I have most of the stuff like the torx bits, etc. so I think that I'll be ok.

Thanks again, Paul
 
The seat belt bolts will most likely be T47 torx bit. If they aren't (which is the case on Suburbans I've pulled stuff out of) I think it's a 9/16? Can't remember off hand. In the Suburban I most recently pulled stuff out of all the bolts on the shoulder were normal bolts, but then the bolt at the retractor in the floor was a torx. Dunno why they mixed and matched:dunno:
 
Franklin, are you referring to the torx, top bolts that hold the top down, or all of them? Would I be able to use heat? I have a torch with propane and mapp gas and I have one of the OLD heavy soldering irons. I don't remember how many watts, but it's probably more than 100. I think that it was used for silver soldering at one time. Do you think it's the red or the blue locktite?

Thanks, Paul
 
Just the blue on belt bolts and the bolts on retracters bolted to roof
 
Now that I know the in's and out's of removing the top, I'm trying to decide if it would be better for me to do the job (more than just sanding,sealing and spraying) with the top still on the truck or remove it and have my truck sitting around without a top until I can get it done.

We have weather that changes from one extreme to the other, like a STRONG thunderstorm w/40 mph or more gusts of wind to a bright sunny windless day in a matter of a half hour. If I remove it, I have to deal with the truck possibly getting messed up by weather, Lock-Tited bolts, getting the electric rear window down manually, tearing up $140 + shipping and handling, worth of seals (LMC prices).

Are the seals put on with screws or are they taped/glued? If taped/glued, how bad is it to get the residue off, or is it necessary?

If I leave it on, I have to use a ladder of one type or another and damaging more paint, I'm a gigantic 5'6", and the top of the truck is over 6' high, getting on top and getting fiberglass in my legs and knees and butt (yes, I sat down) and taping most of the truck off again because a storm has torn most of it off. The top is made out of the strong/stiff fiberglass and I had one #e!! of a time getting it out of my knees especially and yes I do have a cheap set of knee protectors from a flooring job years ago. I didn't think about getting fiberglass in myself.

I'm thinking that my best bet would be either rent 1 section high of scaffolding or make some scaffolding myself. If I make it myself, at least I have the lumber left for misc. future projects. I just thought of a folded shipping blanket for the areas that I have to get on top.

I really do appreciate all of the info and tips on the removal of the top. If there's anything that I've forgotten or don't know, please tell me. Now, I've got some thinking to do and some calls for help to make if I decide to remove it.

THANKS to all of you! If not for Y'all, I'd probably really screwed up and done a bunch of expensive damage, Paul
 
I was helping a friend work on his truck with 40's on it and the first thing he did was pull the valve stems out of the front tires.
The front of the truck dropped about a foot. Since your tires are old just let all the air out of them. that will lower it a lot.
 
It would probably lower it about 5 or 6 inchs, not enough, I'd thought about that. I'm a sports model; built low to the ground. I don't know how much difference it's going to make, but when it was parked with the new tires (1000 mi) I parked it so that the sun couldn't get to the tires very much. I know that it's probably going to change but, there's almost no dry rot on the tires at all. Now after I drive it and turn corners, that's going to change. How much, I don't know. They were/are rubbed down with pure silicon oil that's thicker than molasses that came from my old job. It's for conditioning different types of rubber to about 500* F. I'm really hoping that it helped. I really don't want to fold the tire's sidewall that sharply. The tires were $1000 then, I'd hate to guess what they cost now.

I've thought about taking the tires and wheels off but I don't want the dirt splashed up into all of the suspension. Concrete blocks would be almost the same as the tires. I've thought about it. That's why I asked, just incase someone had come up with something else that I didn't think about.

I do appreciate it though, Paul
 
I'm 'low slung' as well. Just used a step stool, found a 3 step gorilla model when I painted mine.
 
tRusty, are you sending flowers or making a donation to NRA?

Josh, "Low Slung", I haven't heard that one, I may use it. I have a 3' step ladder for light bulbs, etc. I've used it some and will probably use it some more. I'm not real comfortable and it's not as easy to work with 1 hand part of the time. I even put pipe insulation on the legs where they wouldn't scratch the metal on the side and would help stabilize it by touching it.

You did give me an idea for a simple, cheap scaffold. I've got some 2x 10" & 12"l lumber that I can suspend between 2 step ladders and I have a second one in my shop. If the lumber sags or moves too much, I can make a "T" shaped brace and attach it in the middle/bottom of the lumber to give it extra stability and less sag. Now it probably can hold 2 people.

I really do appreciate all of Y'all's help to make me think about a way to do it. The beauty of it is that I already have the stuff to assemble the scaffold. I also really do thank all of Y'all for all of the other things that I've gotten help with too.

My junk computer (used loosely) lost part of this entry, so just know how much I do thank all of Y'all, Paul
 
My K5 was going on 10 years old the first time I pulled the top off. Never had any issues with the seals leaking after taking it on and off many times and was never that easy on the seal (dragging the top around on the grass and stuff). If I remember correctly there is a large rubber gasket that is attached along the bottom of the topper itself that sits on the bed rails, and then the seal around the cab is attached to the sheetmetal (stays with the cab when removing the topper).

I would say 188 lbs. is probably about right for that generation of top. The overall size of it makes it extremely awkward to remove with one person without some type of assistance. I've taken my on and off with two people and it's not a super easy task....you can handle the weight but kind of hard to balance it.

Rear window definitely needs to be down. Don't remember having much issue with the upper seatbelt to roof bolts. The rear most bolts are threaded in from the bottom and require removing the inside trim at the rear to access. The original bolts holding the top down are tamper proof torx....you can find those bits pretty easily but most people don't have them in their toolbox. Don't remember having much trouble with any of those bolts either.
 
Thanks Blazer,

I wouldn't even consider removing the top without some help of some kind. I don't think that I could have lifted 188 lbs. 20 years ago. There was a suggestion that I slip a couple of 2x4's between the top and the body. I'd take a 2x8 or 10 and make a spreader type truss with ratchet strap type strapping where the 2x4's couldn't slide together under load and use a 1 ton block and tackle attached to a big tree limb to lift the top up off of the truck. Then I'd tie it so the wind couldn't get it swinging and beat it on the tree trunk. It's just a thought if I get where I'm taking it off from time to time.

I do have a set of the security type of torx bits. I don't know if that set goes that large (#47?), I'll have to look just in case I need it.

The part of the seal that stays on the bed rails must not be too delicate. I wonder how durable it is after 28 years? I just looked at the LMC catalog and don't see but one seal between the top and the bed rails. It shows 2 where the vertical part of the top meets the metal on the truck. Do you know of a seal that goes on the top and comes off with it?

Because of all of the little problems with removing the top, I think that I'm just going to repair/paint the top while it's on the truck. I've got to buff/polish part of the truck anyway due to me not noticing that when I was messing with the tape and paper that I pulled part of the paper and tape loose and got some over spray on the body.

Thanks again, Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom