Seat recline broken

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doctormap
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#1 Seat recline broken

Post by doctormap » Mon May 08, 2017 7:50 pm

The driver's seat recline mechanism has broken. Sudden increase in pressure, such as getting out of the vehicle, results in the seat back releasing into the rear of the vehicle.
My mechanic tells me this will cost $1000 to repair, including labor. Is there any way to lock the mechanism in place by wiring the lever in place, or am I destined to spend the $1000?
Mark Pearson
1969 Jaguar XKE 2+2
Missouri, USA

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1954Etype
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#2 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by 1954Etype » Mon May 08, 2017 7:54 pm

Seat reclining mechanism around £200 from SNGB. Dead easy to fit.
Angus 67 FHC 1E33656
61 OTS 875047

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abowie
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#3 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by abowie » Tue May 09, 2017 12:57 am

Bodge is easy.

Put the seat where you want it.

Drill a 6mm hole completely through the flat plates of the recline mechanism in such a way that the hole goes through both the fixed piece and the movable piece. Tap this hole for 1/4" UNF. Screw in a 1/4" UNF Philips headed setscrew long enough to stick out 1/8". Problem solved. I did this with my S1.5. It is easier with the seats out but you can probably do it with the seats in.

I pulled the mechanisms on mine completely apart looking for worn teeth or bent bits, and found nothing. i had new stronger springs made for the locking lever. None of this worked.
Andrew.
881824, 1E21538. 889457. 1961 4.3l Mk2. 1975 XJS. 1962 MGB
http://www.projectetype.com/index.php/the-blog.html
Adelaide, Australia

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#4 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by doctormap » Wed May 10, 2017 6:14 pm

I decided to fix this myself. My mechanic had the seat disassembled and reassembled in one day, to tell me that he didn't want to fix it. I figure if he can do it, so can I. So I ordered the part from Terry's online, should be here in a week or so, and then I can remove the beach ball and the inner tube from behind the seat back and remove the seat from the car, and take the thing apart, put the new part in, put it all back together.
Can't be that hard.
Mark Pearson
1969 Jaguar XKE 2+2
Missouri, USA

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mgcjag
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#5 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by mgcjag » Wed May 10, 2017 6:27 pm

Hi Mark...photo of mine from a 69 2+2 that may help
Image the seat back bolts to the 2 vertical holes....the large spring is shown released....it should be pulled back and slot behind the stud to the right of the top hole...its Very strong, beware
Steve
69 S2 2+2 (just sold) ..Realm C type replica, 1960 xk150fhc

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#6 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by doctormap » Mon May 15, 2017 3:12 pm

It took me all of about 30 minutes to disassemble the seat. I slid the seat all the way forward to get access to the mounting bolts, removed the two bolts on the floor, slid the seat back, removed the seat from the car, removed the screws holding the plastic covers over the sides. Then I removed the two big bolts on either side holding the seat back and got that off. Then the two hex head bolts on either side holding the recline mechanism onto the seat. The last bolt was holding the spring tension, so it released the spring tension when it came off, but it was okay.

Terry's Jag Parts will be sending me the new recline mechanism in about a week, so I will be able to get it back together then.
Mark Pearson
1969 Jaguar XKE 2+2
Missouri, USA

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#7 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by doctormap » Mon May 22, 2017 6:52 pm

Done! I received the box in the mail Saturday about noon from Terry's Jaguar Parts. I had to take the passenger side seat out of the car to figure out how the thing goes together, as the Haynes manual does not cover interior parts. I figured out that the big springs have to be bolted on with the hex head bolts first at the seat bottom, then the spring end has to be stretched behind the tension post. I used my Vise-grips to grab the end of the spring and pull the spring back. The first one worked like a charm, the second one took me a few tries, but I did get it. Then I put the seat back on. The hardest part was getting that last bolt lined up. Then I found that there were no holes for the little screws that hold the plastic covers on, so I had to drill holes for that, but that didn't take too long.
I guess in a way it turned out to be a good thing, because with both seats out of the car it gave me a good excuse to vacuum out the carpet very thoroughly.
Total time to reassemble: about an hour. Money not spent on mechanic labor: $500. It's a good thing I had not thrown out the old recline mechanism, as the new one doesn't come with the adjustment handle, nor the plastic covers, or the associated attachment screws.
Lesson learned: don't throw anything away until the new stuff is in the car and working properly.
Mark Pearson
1969 Jaguar XKE 2+2
Missouri, USA

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mgcjag
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#8 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by mgcjag » Mon May 22, 2017 7:34 pm

Hi Mark...great that you have done it yourself......ps..dont throw anything away at all.....keep all the old bits in a box somewhere, you never know they may come in handy....even if its broken
Steve
69 S2 2+2 (just sold) ..Realm C type replica, 1960 xk150fhc

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Bob Falfa
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#9 Re: Seat recline broken

Post by Bob Falfa » Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:08 pm

Thanks for this. I really need to fix my passenger seat recline mechanism. The problem is, I get so much amusement when I floor the throttle hard, and my passenger collapses backwards into the rear seat. Oh how I laugh.

:dance:
1969 Series 2 2+2
E Type Club & JEC member

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