Author Topic: Seat disassembly tour  (Read 4380 times)

Miloslav Maun

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  • 1966 230 SL
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Seat disassembly tour
« on: June 18, 2009, 09:00:00 »
I have disassembled my seat recently to have it redone so I thought it could be useful to post some experience here.

What you're going to need: A 10mm spanner, preferably with a ratchet, a big flathead screwdriver, big philips screwdriver, medium sized philips screwdriver.

First remove the seat. Slide it all the way to the back (remove the carpet under the seat if it is in the way). Unscrew the two bolts in the rails. Here the ratchet spanner can be handy because there is not much space to put a socket wrench (the seat won't go far enough to the back). Then slide the seat to the front. This time you can go much farther and use the socket wrench. Carefully remove the seat from the car so that you do not damage the paint or anything else.

Bring the seat to your workbench and place it upside down. Now it is time to lubricate the rails - usually they are dirty and do not move easily. What a difference when you move your seat afterwards!
There are three bolts in every rail - you will need to move it to get access to all of them.

Miloslav Maun

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Re: Seat disassembly tour
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2009, 09:23:38 »
Now let's remove the chrome covers. There are two versions of Pagoda seats, as far as I know. I have two pagodas, 1965 and 1966 and each has a different system. Mercedes has probably changed them somewhere between July 65 and December 66. I find the later system  to be much user friendlier.

Let me describe both. First you'll need to remove the rosette. On the earlier cars, the rosette is attached by a spring through the rosette base. Just pry the spring out by a nail and hammer. Try not to lose the spring! (See the detailed photo of the rosette removed - the spring has been replaced so that I do not lose it)

The rosette on the later cars has two parts. The middle cap can be pried off by a screwdriver through the reverse side - see the two holes on the photo - just locate one of them and push the from the back.

The earlier chrome covers have four or five "paws" which are bent around the reclining mechanism. Usually, if your seat has been disassembled before, those paws break away. This was also my case and the only remedy was to drill a hole through both the reclining mechanism and the chrome cover and attach the chrome with a bolt with countersunk head - otherwise it always tillts up.

The later cars have a much better solution - the chrome is held by a two plastic teeth which can be easily pried away and the chrome comes off.
« Last Edit: June 18, 2009, 09:45:07 by Muf »

Miloslav Maun

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Re: Seat disassembly tour
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2009, 09:40:55 »
To remove the big slotted screws, you'll need a really big screwdriver. that fits. Otherwise you might chew the screw head.

So, that's it for now. I hope I did not make too many mistakes in English... :-) and you can undestand.

Peter van Es

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Re: Seat disassembly tour
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2009, 18:58:35 »
Muf,

great info... thanks

now if you'd been a Full Member you could have added this to the Technical Manual, Seat Removal section straight away  ;)

Peter
1970 280SL. System Admin of the site. Please do not mail or PM me questions on Pagoda's... I'm not likely to know the answer.  Please post on the forum instead!