Removing recliner mechanism to switch right and left seatback

[RichardPercival]

IHappy Easter to all those who celebrate it! I have emerged from my chocolate egg consumption coma and am back working on my seats.

I often feel like I must be very stupid as things that I see mentioned in other forum threads as easy seem far less obvious to me!

I am trying to switch out my right and left seatbacks so that the worn part on my seatback bolster by the drivers door (that I am repairing) will now be on the passenger seat adjacent to the wooden tray between the seats and hopefully the repair will be under less stress.

Taking the backs apart from the seat squab was easy enough (since the lower seats are not switchable) however I am now stuck removing the metal parts (recliner mechanism) as this will also have to be switched between the seats so that the lever etc remain on the right side of the relevant seat backs.

Everything has come off just fine, but I do not now know if I need to remove the splined metal knob that the larger black plastic knob slots on to and flip it to the opposite side of the metal rod running through the seat (both sides have three metal prongs so it would seem possible) or whether I need to remove the small brass circlips inside the seatback and some how pullout the whole rod and insert in the other seat?

I have tried to jiggle off the splined metal knob without success and removed one of the brass circlips which did not seem to alter movability for the rod at all. I know several people have discussed removing the rod while re-doing the leather, but there doesn't seem to be any thread containing instructions that I could find and it's not in the Tech Guide..

Does anyone know what needs to be removed here or perhaps just which is going to be easier! How do I get the rod to release? My seats are the post '66 ones with the metal ratcheting system rather than the up to '65 nylon adjustment ones.

Thanks for thoughts as always!

[BobH]

Hello, i've added a bunch of stuff to the tech manual, not sure if you've seen this from earlier posts, it might help

Please don't find anything else that's missing on your car, i'm all Googled out searching for stuff that's no longer available

[RichardPercival]

Thanks Bob! I'll do my best not to prompt anymore mass google searches for parts..

Unfortunately, the info you added on the Tech Manual does look to be from the thread written by Joachim (Achim) more than a decade ago which I'd read before posting my question and which rather leaves off exactly where my question began.

My hope then, is that someone can discuss their experience with either removing the splined metal knob (that meets with the large plastic hand turned one) from the 3 prongs it connects to if that's quicker for my seatback switching task - or with guidance for removing the rod from the +66 ratcheded design seatback and how that should be done without force - The parts Achim lists for the early cars with nylon seat adjustment aren't the same.

[RichardPercival]

Bob, I see you added the info about the plastic caps now too 😂

In the end it just comes down to daring to force it!
Removing the 2 circlips doesn’t appear to have any effect on the rod’s movement, but if you push it hard you can force it through the brass tubes and rubber bungs at either end.

I’ll add that note to the tech manual too.

[zoegrlh]

Did my seats years ago, I think I did not attempt to take the plastic adjustment knob( big black one) off, I took the “c” clips off front m other side the the clips in the middle (2) and held the spring adjustment teeth off the bar and removed it bar by pulling it with the black knob. Many try to remove the knob, do not do so, might break the knob.

[Leester]

I second Bob Hyatt's assessment to not try to remove the knob. My trim shop broke that knob which is NLA. That said, if you insist, I beleive you have to fabricate a hook to reach behind the knob where there are holes. The hook reaches into the holes in the back of the knob and you pull it, popping off the cover. Then there is a small screw that holds the knob on.

In my case, the remainder of the knob that was left was possibly pressed on or maybe time had bonded the knob to the rod.

As I said, its NLA MB however Authentic Classics has a repro. I think knob + cover is over $100 bucks.

Good luck.