2 years later and I still haven't updated this thread like I said I would . Oh well, looks like most of you guys have been able to figure it out . Good work.

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lets not wait another two years

I took the motors out and the pins were the problem. Changed them out for some pins I got at autozone. Worked the first two times I put the top up and down but the third time I think I accidently held the the button for a half second too long when opening the top and the pins broke :-(

I am ordering some heavy duty, Stainless Steel 3/32nd roll pins tonight and installing those next week. Hopefully that'll work better

I'm new here and I could kiss your feet. I just bought a '99 convertible about 3 weeks ago and the top quit working on me this week. I also did a google search and came up with this GREAT thread.

It pays to suck up to the craft guys at work because I told them what the problem was and they sent me home with 3 different types of pins to try. I got everything torn apart but could not get what was left of the pin out. I had to wait for my husband to get home from work and he was able to get it out for me. Unfortunately, the 3/32" size was just a tiny bit too small and wouldn't stay in. We ended up cutting an allen wrench and using that. I put everything back together and it works great again!!!

Now, I need to figure out how to fix the door lock. I bought the car knowing there were a few issues with it but nothing huge and the price I paid reflected that. I've always wanted a convertible so I'm having a great time this summer with it. My kids are loving it too. I bought them scarves and sunglasses since it gets pretty windy in the back seat. It does kind of cut down the cool factor though when I have to put their booster seats in!

Annie (yes, a chick and, yes I fixed it myself)

Tapping out the pins is not a problem for me, but how do you guys get the retaining washer off the end of the shaft without breaking it?

Ok so I got everything apart and one side had the snapped pin. No problem, punched it out and put in a new pin. Reassembled everything and the damn motors still don't turn. I'm now thinking the relay has gone bad because I can hear it clicking but the motors aren't turning. I hot wired the motors and they both turn but just not with the relay in place. Anybody have a spare relay?

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6gcelicas may have one, pm him

Upon further investigation I think the inertia switch that activates when the car is moving is stuck. Now I just have to figure out where it is. Anybody have any idea before I start tearing the car apart again and tracing wires?

Last and final update. Ok for all you Celica convertible owners out there that can't figure out why your top won't go up or down even after you pull out and check the motors, check the relay, and inertia switch. OK go into the trunk and pull the little access door off the back of the seat. Inside there is a F**K'N switched marked "MANUAL", flip it up. Now try your top.
At least one good thing came out of this. I fixed the one motor that had a sheared pin in it. Oh, and I found out that there is a freakin switch in the trunk that inactivates the top motors and you can apparently switch it while loading groceries or something into the trunk without realizing it. Thats it. Thanks for watching...

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Aww man, I hate it when stupid stuff stumps you! Glad you figured it out.

Annie

My second pin sheared last fall and, since the weather is getting nice, I fixed it yesterday. It went very smoothly and I even got the broken pin out by myself. The only thing my hubby did was cut the new pin for me. I'm not really allowed to have sharp objects because I have a tendency to cut myself!

The next project is to clean my EGR. I'm hoping I can find a tutorial as great as this one.

Annie

Hi I'm busy working on the motor and pin problem (after having the cast alloy lifter arm Tig welded after it broke due to uneven lifting stress when one motor failed) - The pin doesn't go right through the motor shaft - a hole right through the shaft would seriosly weaken it. There are two short pins, one in from either side, and they only enter the shaft by 2mm. I am told that they are only 'keepers' and the major torque is taken (supposedly) by the pinion being a VERY tight fit on the shaft. I'm trying roll pins because I'm short of time, but I fear they may not last long, but knowing the problem and the ease with which the motors can be removed, I'll be prepared for it next time!
Beano (UK)

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Are you sure about that? I replaced mine a few years ago, when I pushed them out it looked exactly like a roll pin. It wasn't a solid pin that was scored, it was a regular roll pin. Unless someone changed it before I got the car and put a roll pin in.

Yuo when I pulled my motors apart they had roll pins in them. I first replaced them with roll pins and the first time I held the button a seond too long they snapped.

So then I fnally replaced them eith solid pins and haven't had any issues!

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From my experience, the pin goes right through the shaft. You can see straight through it in one of the pictures I posted on the first page.

Geez why am I just NOW seeing this post???? I was about to pay to have my motors fixed. Im glad Ive been too lazy to bother with it. LAZINESS HAS FINALLY PAID OFF!!!!!! now i gotta get off my lazy A$$ and fix this darn thing.....

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Oh wth!? You're still here!? I didn't even know you still had your Celica haha. Good to see you're still around .

I had large objects in the trunk and slammed on my brakes. The next time I tried convertible top it would't work.
Turned out objects bumped manual-auto switch in trunk.

Hi - I too have this prob - except that in my case the big alloy lift beam snapped clean in two when the soft top lifted 'skewed'. I had to dismantle the lift mechanism and take it to my local Tig Welder (wonderful man).
Back to the motor - I have tried and tried and cannot remove the 'broken bit of pin' from the shaft. It appears that the shaft is drilled in part way from each side, and therefore accepts a short pin from each side. the shaft is only a quarter inch diameter, so a hole all the way through would weaken it - right? ARE there shafts like this? Or do ALL shafts have a hole right through? I have supported the shaft and given it some hefty whacks with a hardened drift, which I'm sure would knock any piece of broken pin out - after all, it is less than 1/8" long and can't have THAT much of a grip! I tried inserting roll pins from either side - and the repair worked - ONCE.

Next I intend grinding a flat down the side of the shaft and a groove in the pinion and forcing a tiny piece of hex key or drill bit down the slot with a little Loctite.
I'll let you know how I get on - eventually - Meanwhile - its manual!
Roger

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The hole goes straight through the whole shaft, they are usually hard to get out. You'll have to put it on a flat surface without the hole covered on the bottom and either press it out or hammer it out. I've done it each way, hammering is easier. I had a set of knockout pins to put on it. The replacement one should be just as hard to get in as this one is to get out.

I didn't think mine could be the pin. I took the entire motor and gearbox out as one unit and the output gear on the box still ran under a little manual tension. I took the motor off the box, and sure enough, the pin was snapped. When I put it back together, I figured out what to listen for. Even if the "broken" motor is still strong enough to assist the stop, if you hear the motor continue to run after the top hits the stop, you have a broken pin.

I'm lucky I didn't break something else on the top! I grabbed the manual handle to assist the top going up all summer. No sign of damage to the rails. Whew!

I'm also convinced it's a rolled pin. My local hardware store called it a "tension pin," if you're having trouble finding one.

I guess noone has a write up on how to refurb these things? My left motor has some trouble coming up and down somtimes then it has this high pitched screal when it doesnt wanna make it, but it moves so I dont think its the pin. Anyone has any luck opening these things?

you can get them on ebay sometimes, refurbishing them is a PITA

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Wow i still havent fixed my damn motors after all this time.....seems like too much work, im gonna have to just pay s omeone to do it for me....and yes im still here

its really not a big deal to do, takes maybe about 20 mins.

the only thing is just to get the motors out...

Yeah, it's really easy to do, and like njccmd2002 said, the hardest part is getting the motors out.

Do you still live in Lakewood, CA like your profile says? I'm in SoCal, so if you need help let me know.

I really gotta get around to updating the pics on the first post .
I'll try to do that this week if it doesn't rain again.

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it's been a long time since I pulled mine out, but I remember it being easy to pull the motors out using my 8mm craftsman ratchetwrench. I thought getting the roll pins out of the motors was the most time consuming. Overall it didn't take very long though. And it's well worth spending the $10 or so on the one wrench just to pull the motors out easily.

If the motors are in plain sight, then they are pretty easy to remove. It's just the whole process of removing everything else to get to the motors that was time consuming for me. Getting the old pins out of the motors is my favorite part, because I get to hit something with a hammer .

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I second that

MaskedMan,
Are you actually in Korea or just from there? I used to live there, I still have friends that live just outside of Suwon. I don't remember seeing any Toyotas, except one Supra in Seoul. How did you get a Celica over there?

I actually live in California, but it would be awesome to live in Korea. How long did you live there? I would really like to move, but if I can't take my Celica with me, then no deal .