Annual Miata Top Drain Cleaning

Crap. Always used compressed air (3/8" fuel hose on an air gun from the top side) to confirm open flow. Had a clog this time & tried to blow it out. Blew water & crud back up into the passenger compartment, wouldn't clear.

Tried a 12 gauge solid core wire snake, wouldn't go more than ~5" down before buckling. Went back to the compressed air & hose, but added a sleeve over it to seal against the "funnel tray". Slowly added pressure until I heard a pop. Nothing came out the bottom, still no discernible air flow below - I think I split the drain hose.

Has anybody here had to R&R a drain hose? I recall NoHome had posted pics of the routing but can't seem to find them. Any help would be appreciated.

I always cleared from the bottom up with a trombone brush.

I will see if I can find the pic. If it was on photobucket it will be gone cause I lost the sign in info. (obsolete e-mail)

I used a coat hanger wire. There is a little rubber flapper as a check valve at the bottom. You should be able to pull the whole rubber line straight out the top if I remember correctly. Of course I did this during a new convertible top install.

RossD wrote: I used a coat hanger wire. There is a little rubber flapper as a check valve at the bottom. You should be able to pull the whole rubber line straight out the top if I remember correctly. Of course I did this during a new convertible top install.

That's what I'm afraid of - having to pull the whole OEM top assembly just to replace a drain tube.

While I cant find the picture of the shell showing the route, I think these components are pretty self explanatory.

What you DONT want to do is flood the sills because once water gets in, it will be stuck in a confined pocket of the inner sill.

In reply to NOHOME:

And it WILL rust.

Which makes for a nice project....

I cleaned mine out while replacing the top a month or so ago, found a marble. No joke.

The plastic string you use for a weedeater is not bad, feed it through until it comes out the bottom, or visa versa. I used to use compressed air, until the folks at miata.net warned me about busting it loose.

To wrap it up, duct taped over the drain hole 'til a new tray & hose assembly came in today. Pulled the old hose out the bottom (had blown it off the tray with compressed air) & found a stray screw lodged tightly into the check valve about 8" down.

Had to pull both seats, side panels, top hinges and front sections on each side of the rain rail to lift the hinge assembly high enough for clearance to install the tray & hose from the top. Oh, and the updated drain tray has some "strainer spines" to keep large pieces of crud from dropping into the tubes

So if anybody finds themselves in the same position, the tray/drain assembly can be replaced without a complete top removal.