I installed my hardtop today, followed instructions, but I have heard a couple of pops or squeeks. I am going to loosen all the screws and then retighten, is this normal untill it settles. Is there something I have missed, torqing screw? I was dying to see my vette with the hardtop on before I put it away for the winter.

 

Once the top is installed, the car should become very tight with no squeak or any sort of rattle. I tighten mine down in this sequence:
1. Slide the brackets up in the holes on the hardtop and snug up the two bolts on the hardtop side, The curved portion on the bracket should be just below the bottom of the hardtop slot.
2. Start the bolts in the bottom half making sure the bolts on the tab go into holes. Leave them loose at this point.
2. Start the bolts in the windshield header and the ones in the rear decklid pins. Tighten the windshield bolts to the torque spec. Tighten the rear bolts until the weatherstripping just begins to bulge out to the outside edge of the top.
3. Tighten the vertical facing bolt so that the weatherstrip at the front bottom edge bulges out just like the rear. Do not get the hardtop so tight that the top rests on the decklid!!
4. Tighten the rest of the bracket bolts to the torque spec.
5. Check the windshield bolts and the rear pin bolts to make sure they didn't loosen up from tightening the bracket bolts.
6. DO NOT hit the decklid release button!! This can cause the decklid to move around slightly and cause squeaks. The only way to relatch the decklid is to remove the hardtop and close the decklid and reattach the top

 

Thanks c4cruiser, I will adjust it your way, my only question you mentioned torque screw to what ft. pound?

 

Front holdown screws in windshield pillar: 13 ft-lb
Rear Pin mounting bolts: 11-ft-lbs
Pillar Bracket bolts: 20 ft-lbs

As you can see, there's not a lot of torque on any of the bolts. I use a ratcheting 5/16" box-end wrench I found at Sears for the rear pin bolts and because it's a really tight fit back there, once I feel the bolt getting snug, I usually stop and check the bulge in the weatherstripping. When the rubber pushes out to the edge of the hardtop, that's enough.

The bolts for the bracket are easy to tighten down if you use the little ratchet that would normally come with a coupe or if you happen to have gotten one with the hardtop. Thye don't cost a lot to buy in the Vette accessory catalogs and they come with the necessary Torx T-40 bit.

 

Thanks, I adjusted and then went on a test ride, with main test having to back it up into the side driveway. goes up and has slight angle worked fine no noise. Again thanks for the help, everytime I read the questions that people ask and the fast respone it amazes me.