Convertible Top Cylinder Rebuild Service

Inspect your leaking cylinders before you ship them to us

Know the condition of your parts. Inspect your cylinders carefully before shipping them to us. Older model cars have often had multiple owners, and previous attempts to repair the cylinders may have been made. Some cylinder rods are also prone to rust and pitting. Cylinders with rusty rods cannot be rebuilt properly without replacing the rods.

Before sending your cylinders, carefully look for missing parts, damage, or signs of tampering. Cylinders that were previously tampered with or altered will likely require additional work to rebuild, and in some cases may be damaged beyond repair.

If your cylinders are damaged, tampered with, missing parts, or are altered in any way, call us to discuss your options before you ship them to us. In most cases, we can still repair your damaged cylinders, but additional costs will apply based on the extent of the damage.

Prepping your cylinders

When you ship your cylinders to us to be rebuilt, they should be prepped and packed carefully to prevent damage and avoid fluid leakage. Before packing, make sure to remove all fluid. To do this, point the cylinder hose ports or hose ends, where applicable, into a bucket and remove fluid by extending and retracting the cylinder rod end-to-end several times. Be sure to point the cylinder ports into the bucket and away from yourself.

Once drained, push the cylinder rod completely into the cylinder. Remove all hose clips, switches, and/or sensors to insure they do not get lost or damaged in the shipping and rebuild process. Wrap any exposed cylinder rod with bubble wrap, foam, or any other material that will protect it from getting damaged. Place cylinders in a plastic bag to contain any residual hydraulic fluid. Wrap each cylinder individually before placing it in a box for shipping.

Shipping instructions

• Make sure to pack and ship your parts in a sturdy, well-padded box.
• Fill out our Customer Information Sheet and put it inside the box with your parts.
• We recommend adding additional shipping insurance to cover for loss or damage.
• Make sure that you get a tracking number for your shipment, so you know when we receive your package.
• You won’t hear from us when we receive your package unless there is a problem. If there is damage or if any parts are missing, we’ll call you before we start the rebuild to let you know what we’re seeing and discuss any additional repair costs. Otherwise, the first that you’ll hear from us is when the rebuild is complete, and we call to collect credit card payment.

Ship Cylinders To:
Cabriolet Hydraulics
2111 72nd Terrace E
Sarasota, FL 34243

When we receive your cylinders

We perform a detailed inspection when we receive and unpack your cylinders. We look for missing parts, physical damage such as bent rods, drilled holes, scrapes, dents, rust and pitting, or any other alterations to the original factory cylinders. If your cylinders are free of damage and all the parts are intact, we begin the repair the same day that we receive your cylinders.

If we find any damage during our inspection process, we will call you to discuss the damage before we start any work on your cylinders. Often times we can still repair your damaged cylinders, but additional costs will apply based on the extent of the damage.

Turnaround Time

Turnaround time varies depending upon cylinder type, condition of the cylinder, and our current workload.

• Most cylinders typically take 1-2 business days to rebuild from the time we receive them.
• Cylinders that need rod replacements may take longer to rebuild.
• BMW Z4 (E85) cylinders typically require 2-3 business days to rebuild.
• Porsche Carrera 996/997 hydraulic ram(s) typically require 4-5 business days to rebuild.
  For Porsche Carrera 996/997 hydraulic rams, we may have “ready to go” rebuilt ram kits available for exchange. This exchange option is only available for the pair of rams, not individual rams. We charge a non-refundable exchange fee when you exchange/swap your cylinders with ours. You ship your cylinders to us. Upon receipt of your rams, we inspect them for damage. If your rams are in good condition, we pull a ram kit from our inventory and ship the ram kit back to you the same business day in most cases. Contact us for cylinder availability. If your cylinders are damaged, we will contact you about rebuilding your cylinders rather than exchanging them.

Payment and Shipping

Payment is due when we complete your rebuild/order and we’re ready to ship your parts back to you. When your rebuild is complete, we will include the shipping costs in your order total and call you to collect payment.

Our standard shipping methods are UPS Ground and FedEx Express, which typically take1-2 business days. We can also expedite your return shipments, if requested.

We accept payment via Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. We do not accept checks as a form of payment.

International Orders

Canadian Orders
For payment, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. When we ship your order out, you will be responsible for any tariffs, taxes, and/or duties imposed by Canada when your order is sent back. We will ship out international orders through FedEx International Priority.

All Other International Orders

We only accept payment via PayPal, with a 5% PayPal transaction fee added to the order based on the total of the order. When we ship your order out, you will be responsible for any tariffs, taxes, and/or duties imposed by your country when your order is sent back. We will ship out international orders through FedEx International Priority.

International Orders Shipping to Us

When shipping your part(s) to us for repair, please use DDP as the Terms of Trade and use Harmonized Tariff Code 8412.21.0045. If your shipment is not processed correctly and Cabriolet Hydraulics is charged tariffs, taxes and/or import duties on the shipment, those charges will be added to your bill to be paid when your order is shipped back.