How to lower top on '99 Coleman Sea Pine

[Dock]

Hi ,
I have a 1999 Coleman Sea Pine which I bought a few days ago.. When I got it, the lift mechanism was frozen due to rust. I disassembled the gear box and freed the threaded shaft, lubed the pulleys, etc. Now the top cranks up.The question I have is , there is a rachet dog in the gear box which keeps the top up, but there is no evident way to release the mechanism to lower it. The crank will turn clockwise, but not counterclockwise to lower the top. I can deactivate the rachet by disassembling the gear box, but wonder if the top will stay up if I do that. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Dock

[fire58p12]

Wow good question! I ahd a Coleman Cheyenne 2009 and I think All I had to do was crank the roof in the opposite direction. I don't remember anything special to release it. Keep looking somebody will have the answer good luck!

[Superslif]

First let me welcome you to the family.....

I remember when we had our 99' Coleman I made the mistake and sprayed some lube inside the gearbox. I was told by the dealer that in order for the top to go up and down there is some sort of washer thing inside the rear box that you do not want any lube on, otherwise it will not in-gauge right. It needs friction in order to in-gauge. That washer thing is meant to stay dry. I ended up drilling out the rivets to the gearbox and wiping off the lube on that wash like thing. I'm sure there is a name to it, but all I know is having lube on it will not let you change directions from raising the top to lowering it. Yes, the crank will crank, but it will not in-gauge to lower the top.

[Kablewizard]

Hi Dock. And welcome to iRV2. We had a 99 Bayside. The first answer should be to make it go down once it it all the way up, is to crank a bit more in the up direction and you will feel it release and then it can be cranked in the opposite direction to go down. That is if you did not lube to much as stated above. I believe I read some place that you can clean it and it will be OK but I don't remember where I saw it in here. I will keep looking.

[Dock]

Hi Guys, thanks for the responses. I can assure you there is a simple gear on a threaded shaft mechanism with a rachet dog which is spring loaded to rachet only one way. There is no friction drive whatsoever, just a simple gear on a shaft. I guess I will dismantle the box and defeat the rachet mechanism as it is clearly designed to turn only one way. I believe the friction on the screw shaft threads will be sufficient to hold the top up. In any case, I will find out. Thanks again,
Dock