One of the common nuisances to C6 coupe owners is the creaking of the removable roof panel. If you own a C6 coupe you know we’re talking about. If not, just think of a never ending series of popping and/or creaking sounds coming from each of the attachment points on your targa top while you drive. The topic was discussed ad nauseum throughout C6 production and even spawned a GM Technical Service Bulletin to address the issue.Last month at the NCM Bash we caught up with the two best people to help resolve this issue.If you’ve attended the Bash, Corvettes at Carlisle, or Mid America Funfest in the last few years you’ve probably been to or at least heard of the seminars presented by The Corvette Mechanic’s Paul Koerner and Brittany George. During their talks they cover many of the more common issues seen on later model Corvettes and discuss how to fix or prevent them. In addition they often host diagnostic clinics where owners can drive their own cars up and get expert diagnosis and advice on the spot.Last month at the NCM Bash they held walk-up assistance sessions for most of the day, each of the three show days. Late in the day on Saturday, we were able to get them to show us the proper way to help stop and prevent that dreaded creaking or popping from your C6 coupe’s removable top.In the video below Paul and Brittany walk us through most all of the steps in this relatively easy process. We’ll let Paul and Brittany take you through the steps in the video below, but here’s the short version:
1. Remove the roof panel from the car
2. Clean all of the weather stripping on the car and top with a foaming cleaner and microfiber towel
3. Torque all of the locating pins to 16 ft-lbs
4. Clean and lubricate the locating pins with dielectric grease
5. Remove your front latch handles and also lubricate the T40 shoulder bolt with dielectric grease
6. Reinstall the bolt and handle.
7. Torque to 13 ft-lbs
8. Lubricate the weather strips, allow to sit for 1 hour and then wipe off the excess
9. Reinstall your top and enjoy the quiet time behind the wheel of your C6!
Here is the video showing the steps Paul and Brittney took to fix the creaking removable top on a 2009 Corvette:https://youtu.be/V49RPk3VRnkWe can tell you that the owner of the C6 in the video had a 500 mile, creak-free trip home from the Bash after Paul and Brittany worked their magic on the car.If you’ll be attending any of the big Corvette shows in the future be sure to check Paul and Brittany’s seminars and also check out TheCorvetteMechanic.com for more tips and tricks for your late model Corvette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V49RPk3VRnk