M-Tec drivers seat help....

[law]

Is it possible to replace the ratchet mechanism? (as Im assuming its buggered?)

If mines quite upright (I'm a short arse), it will click itself back 2-3 clicks before locking in.
And while upright, the seat wont lock down, so it'll tip forward if pulled (MOT failure iirc??)


I know the simple answer is leave it back, but I'm at tip toes on the pedals anyway!

Ta muchly!

[siddiqi1]

it could justb e the springs you know! best thing is four bolts and take the seat out, flip it over and have a looky! these seats arent complex at all really!

[Brianmoooore]

The complete ratchet mechanisms rotate and unclip easily from each side of the seat.

[law]

Superb! Cheers guys. Thats Saturday sorted then!

[tomson]

If mines quite upright (I'm a short arse), it will click itself back 2-3 clicks before locking in.
And while upright, the seat wont lock down, so it'll tip forward if pulled (MOT failure iirc??)

I've had this before and it was just a build up of crap in the mechanism,

Strip, clean and lubricate did the trick......

[law]

I had a look while the seat was in the car still and couldnt find any bolts holding it in place.
Will all be revealed when the seat is out?

[tomson]

4 bolts on the end of each runner to remove the seat.

Take the covers off each mech, 1 plastic screw each side. Remove the seat back cover, 2 screws on the bottom edge and slide up and over the tilt levers. remove the seat back, 2 screws towards the bottom of the back, you will see the mech once the cover is off. Disconnect the tilt cables from the mech and remove the 17mm bolt from the frame and the pin in the centre and the mechs will tilt forward with the help of a screwdriver and pop off.

[law]

Superb! Fingers crossed the rain holds off on Saturday!!

[tomson]

Superb! Fingers crossed the rain holds off on Saturday!!

Quite!

[Brianmoooore]

... and the mechs will tilt forward with the help of a screwdriver and pop off.

There's a spring loaded latch that stops each plate from rotating to the point where it simply lifts off.

[tomson]

... and the mechs will tilt forward with the help of a screwdriver and pop off.

There's a spring loaded latch that stops each plate from rotating to the point where it simply lifts off.

Thats why I said with the help of a screwdriver!

If he gets that far he should be able to work that out!

[Brianmoooore]

Depends what he does with the screwdriver!
Screwdriver, cold chisel, pry bar - all the same thing to me.

[siddiqi1]

guys!

i have four door seats in my 2 door. with this method that you are describing to say, can they be converted to fold?

how would igo about doing that then?

Saboor

[Brianmoooore]

guys!

i have four door seats in my 2 door. with this method that you are describing to say, can they be converted to fold?

how would igo about doing that then?

Saboor

You don't need to change anything - just add a few bits.
The folding mechanism is included on all seats, but the cables, handles and brackets for the handles, aren't fitted.
The brackets are welded to the seat back frame, so the easiest route is probably to find some two door seat backs off of some scrap seats, and swap over the fabric from your seats.

[siddiqi1]

ahhh ok

well all these minor pieces can be purchased from the stealers, i would like to have new ones! the seat back may be an issue!

can i notuse some sort bracketry or jubilee clipping system to hold the braket in place instead, though its obv been welded there for strength as well no?

my current seats are sports leather ones so am a bit iffy taking the material off that!!!

[Brianmoooore]

Haven't looked up the ETK, but I doubt if the brackets are available separately, so you would have to cut them from a scrap frame, even if you didn't recover it.
Fabric removal and replacement is a simple enough, if time consuming, job.

[siddiqi1]

oh ok. tiem consuming im not fussed about, im sad ill spend all day on if i must! its jsut that i dont have a welder so am stuck in that depo!

have to go to stealers to get some washers anyway, so will have a chatty with them and see what i can harness!

thanks for the advice brian

[law]

Well, stripped the seat appart today. And sods law, the ratchet is so worn, it wont hold the seat in fully upright position

Got it all back together nice and easy too

So granny cushion it is then!

[pnd]

i have an mtec seat with good cloth but a twisted back(needs welding) but it would do to replace your mechanism and I only want £15 for it collected west midlands. pm me if interested.

[tomson]

ahhh ok

well all these minor pieces can be purchased from the stealers, i would like to have new ones! the seat back may be an issue!

can i notuse some sort bracketry or jubilee clipping system to hold the braket in place instead, though its obv been welded there for strength as well no?

my current seats are sports leather ones so am a bit iffy taking the material off that!!!

Its simply not worth messing with.
4door seats don't have the provision for the tilt cables/pulleys, just source 2 door seats in your trim pattern and sell the 4door ones on after. or find a worn pair of front seats and retrim your bolsters on the backs.....

[law]

I dunno if the bits are available...I phoned a dealer asking for the ratchet mech, and they said only the entire frame was available.....and that was £600 odd!!!!

[Globulator]

Remove the seat back cover, 2 screws on the bottom edge and slide up and over the tilt levers. remove the seat back, 2 screws towards the bottom of the back

I had one of the top clips fall off my seat and I could not slide the back off because the tilt lever would not come off on the side of the seat back.

How do you get the chair back to clear the lever?? Does it just pull off?

[law]

Came off easy on mine. Just slid it up, then once the metal clip thingys were disengaged, it was a case of angling the cover off the lever!

[Globulator]

My seat back was clear on the left hand side but on the right hand side it was attached to the frame by the lever that you move to tilt the seat forward (to allow passengers to get into the back seats) in the middle of the side of the seat back.

There is a bit of plastic that locks the seat back to the seat metalwork, and the lever (pivoting on the seat metalwork) sticks through and ends in the lever. Nothing there wanted to move at all.

I'll try to get a photo in the next day or two.. these are regular leather seats of a two door cab.

[law]

You get the plastic lever/handle thing off? It sits quite tightly on a metal shaft....

[siddiqi1]

siddiqi1 wrote:
ahhh ok

well all these minor pieces can be purchased from the stealers, i would like to have new ones! the seat back may be an issue!

can i notuse some sort bracketry or jubilee clipping system to hold the braket in place instead, though its obv been welded there for strength as well no?

my current seats are sports leather ones so am a bit iffy taking the material off that!!!


Its simply not worth messing with.
4door seats don't have the provision for the tilt cables/pulleys, just source 2 door seats in your trim pattern and sell the 4door ones on after. or find a worn pair of front seats and retrim your bolsters on the backs.....

thanks for the advice buddy! yea it will be more hassle agreed! im being lazy, i cant find a pair of e46 leathers in black for cheap enough at the mo! waiting for those coz i really want the electrics in them!!!!

[tomson]

Remove the seat back cover, 2 screws on the bottom edge and slide up and over the tilt levers. remove the seat back, 2 screws towards the bottom of the back

I had one of the top clips fall off my seat and I could not slide the back off because the tilt lever would not come off on the side of the seat back.

How do you get the chair back to clear the lever?? Does it just pull off?

You need to slide the tilt lever cover off then the other plastic piece you mention will come off, they can be tight if they havent been removed before but they will pop off with some persuasion from a screwdriver or similar.

The seat backs on the passenger seat can be a pain because of the 2 tilt levers but they will come off! I've damaged a few backs in the process so be careful!!

[tomson]

siddiqi1 wrote:
ahhh ok

well all these minor pieces can be purchased from the stealers, i would like to have new ones! the seat back may be an issue!

can i notuse some sort bracketry or jubilee clipping system to hold the braket in place instead, though its obv been welded there for strength as well no?

my current seats are sports leather ones so am a bit iffy taking the material off that!!!


Its simply not worth messing with.
4door seats don't have the provision for the tilt cables/pulleys, just source 2 door seats in your trim pattern and sell the 4door ones on after. or find a worn pair of front seats and retrim your bolsters on the backs.....

thanks for the advice buddy! yea it will be more hassle agreed! im being lazy, i cant find a pair of e46 leathers in black for cheap enough at the mo! waiting for those coz i really want the electrics in them!!!!

I do have some spare frames in amongst my scrap actually but I'm sure they are convertible ones so the tilt levers are in the wrong place but I will check for you! I'm assuming you want them for the car in your sig?

[siddiqi1]

yes tis for the car in the sig my friend! how hard is it to remove the leather and put it back over again i wonder?