Has anyone breathed new life back into a lazy belt retractor?
My drivers one seemed decent when out of the car but clearly doesn't have enough oomph once reinstalled. I have to help it recoil.
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,385
My VIN: thirty two 'o five
Club(s): (PNDC)
Has anyone breathed new life back into a lazy belt retractor?
My drivers one seemed decent when out of the car but clearly doesn't have enough oomph once reinstalled. I have to help it recoil.
Dave
Here, somewhere.
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,570
My VIN: 10757 1st place Concourse 1998
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
Posts: 2,072
My VIN: 0934
Club(s): (NCDMC) (DCUK)
Yes.
Try what Bruce tried. LINK: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1814
Looks like he got resolution in post #6.
With all disclaimers about safety stuff.
March '81, 5-speed, black interior
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,385
My VIN: thirty two 'o five
Club(s): (PNDC)
I removed the retractor yesterday and gave it some TLC. It was clearly not safe in its current state as it wouldn't recoil without me shoving belt back down the door trim.
I DID NOT open it up, one doesn't need to. Using compressed air and WD-40 i got the mechanism working as good as new.
Here's whatcha gotta do.
Tools needed:
• clamp or vice grip
• compressed air
• a vice
• WD-40 (or similar)
• shop rags
1. Remove retractor from car (assumes you can remove trim panel)
2. Place upright in the vice via the bracket.
3. pull belt out all the way and gently use the vice grips to hold the belt to the cross bar on the mechanism
4. locate where the belt terminates into the spool - this is your big access point.
5. fire compressed air down the spool slots into both sides of the mechanism, as well as around the perimeter of the black plastic casing, and anywhere else you like
6. turn the retractor to ONE side on the vice - fire WD 40 into the same places you did with compressed air (mop up extra lubricant to avoid exposure to belt!!!)
7. Let it soak
8. put retractor upright and exercise the belt in and out for a few minutes
9. repeat with the opposite side
10 repeat steps 6 - 9 with a second dose of WD 40
11. Let sit upright in the vice for a few hours to let excess lubricant drain.
12. Reinstall.
Dave
Here, somewhere.
Location: Renton, WA
Posts: 342
My VIN: 02261
Club(s): (PNDC)
I took this picture way back in March 2002. Yes, thirteen years ago.
I thought the seat belt could be serviceable so I removed the black plastic cover and BOING!!! the coiled spring violently jumped out as you can see in the picture.
The coiled spring is attached at one end to the black plastic cover and the other end is attached to the metal shaft that goes through the center of the seat belt.
The other side has a black plastic cover, which houses the ratcheting mechanism. On the mechanism side you will see the small light blue plastic thing for the passenger seat belt. The drivers side seat belt has a red plastic thing.
Remove ONLY the plastic cover on the mechanism side. From there you may be able to rotate the mechanism thereby allowing the seatbelt to once again rotate freely.
I threw that passenger side seat belt in the garbage a long time ago since I figured I had ruined it because I was unable to get it working properly.
Mark Vanyo
Links to DeLorean related web sites!
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?19...s-Part-I-of-II.
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,385
My VIN: thirty two 'o five
Club(s): (PNDC)
It has been a while since I tackled this, but my recollection is that I needed a lubricant that could roll and shake around to coat everything. Give it a shot, you can't make it worse!
Dave
Here, somewhere.
Location: West Sayville, N.Y.
Posts: 1,350
My VIN: 005058 000927
Club(s): (AZ-D) (DMA) (DOA) (DCUK)
Please do not attempt to disassemble and repair any seatbelt mechanism. I believe it violates some federal law if I'm not mistaken. In any case if it malfunctions in an accident and anyone other than the person who repaired it is injured the "tamperer"s liability would be almost unlimited. WD 40 would even cause a liability issue IMHO if something bad were to happen. (Note-It is also a violation to tamper with seat tracks and/or modifications to the mounting areas.)
Rob