t-top rattling, how to take locking handle off?

[zwaldo]

the drivers side T-top has started making a sound similar to someone tapping their knuckle on it everytime I hit a bump. Since the noise is directly next to my ear, it's hard to fix it how my grandpa would, by simply turning up the radio. I tried to take the top apart, but i can't figure out how to remove the handle so that I can take the plastic completely off. after I did that I was going to run a bead of silicon around the edges to see if that stops it.

Has anyone else had this problem and fixed it in a similar, or a dissimilar way? any suggestions would be helpful

[zwaldo]

nobody's taken the black handle off their t-top to access the internals? I couldn't find it in my manual.

[Ed Blown Vert]

If I remember correctly, when I took mine off. You just work the plastic around the handle. I got rid of my 96 with T-Tops. So I can't look again.

[2001NBMZ28]

What's making noise - the lock cylinder retaining clip? You can also adjust the brackets the pins engage. Helms just says "remove handle." Shows it in locked position, remove roof lift-off handle spring, pull.

[zwaldo]

i'll get a digital camera and take some pictures of what my problem is. I'm not sure what the sound is comming from, but it just sounds like a hollow tapping, maybe just the plastic loose. The T-tops work fine just loose.

I have taken the two screws out that hold the thing together, but haven't figured out how to take the black handle so that i can take the whole plastic piece off to put a beed of silicon on nicely.

[Danger731]

I had a coin fall into the space between the glass and plastic once

[Redphoenix1998]

there's a locking clip around the T top handle. You need a pick or a thin flathead to pry off the retaining clip. It's like the clp that goes on a manual window handle. Be careful, it has a tendency to fly off. Byt look real close at the base of the handle, you'll see the metal clip