Failure of the convertible roof cylinders
Most of the time, the guide tapes fail due to the contamination of the system, which is not protected from environmental dust.
Dust usually does not damage the hardened chrome rod, but it does damage the teflon guide tape, the pressure rings, the piston seal, and the surface of the cylinder housing in all cases.
The end result, an oil leak from the cylinder, which is an unpleasant situation for a convertible car.
How do we repair cylinders?
The working cylinders are factory designed to be replaced by the operator in the event of failure. Therefore, these cylinders are made of non-dismantlable parts that are bolted down.
The hydraulic sealing kits inside the end caps can be removed by machining, parts are not available from automotive equipment dealerships.
The above mentioned parts are custom made during the repair.
The parts removed by machining are reattached by high-precision laser welding using a unique technology, in such a way that the next time a repair is required, it will cost a fraction of the repair.
The repair uses industrial seals and components and is pressure tested at a much higher pressure than the factory (~200 bar).