top goes up but falls back down

[pistonslap]

I have a 78 rockwood and the top won't stay up. I have every thing out to take out the winch but I can't get the sprocket off the shaft. I can't tell if it is held on by a very small allen set screw or a roll pin. If I can't get it off that way would I be able to disconnect the shaft from the back and pull the winch thru inside?
Thanks, Tom

[wavery]

I have a 78 rockwood and the top won't stay up. I have every thing out to take out the winch but I can't get the sprocket off the shaft. I can't tell if it is held on by a very small allen set screw or a roll pin. If I can't get it off that way would I be able to disconnect the shaft from the back and pull the winch thru inside?
Thanks, Tom

Tom,

Your problem may be a very simple one. I'm not sure what style lift that you have but most of them use a spring loaded pawl that catches a gear on the shaft (that's the "Clicking" noise that you should here when cranking the roof up) and keeps the crank from "Unwinding". Sometimes that pawl gets stuck in the open position and the top won't stay up.

When this happens, it can be corrected by cranking the top all the way up and just a little more. That will usually close the pawl and it will catch again. Sometimes a little WD40 will help that situation.

[coach]

Have you seen this document?

The roof may not stay up as a result of over cranking, wedged  nut and rolled pin/clutch. I'm guessing pins.

[pistonslap]

The problem was that the bearing on the cranking shaft in front had popped out of the metal plate that is screwed to to the front wall. The pawl was notresting in the ratcheting slot on the shaft. I fixed that. The problem is now it stays up but in order to get it down I have to manuallyhold the pawl back from the slot. I couldn't find any spring or brken parts anywhere. Is the pawl supposed to be spring loaded? My crank mechanism is similar to the drawing in the manual but not  the same.