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Left side driver's seat removal

Started by 1980450sel, 24 November 2009, 09:45 AM

1980450sel

This has probably been discussed in a previous topic but I couldn't find so I thought I'd pick someone's brain. I went to remove the driver's seat (repair the broken springs, go figure!) and I was stumped. I've removed lots of seats before, you know undo 4 bolts, lift problem solved. I thought this was going to be the same, I move the seat all the way forward and removed the 2 rear bolts, easy but the Haynes  manual I have makes no sense to me after that. And as far as my remove 4 bolts idea goes I can't spot the front bolts. Please help as sitting on the seat for more than 15 minutes sucks!

Scott

oscar

#1
Although I've removed a few seats I can't remember the order I use.  I find it's a PITA I have to work it out every time after cursing.  Someone will give the correct sequence however,

To view the front bolts you have to not only slide the seat backwards using the fore-aft lever at the front of the seat cushion, but also lift the lever for the height adjustment to slide the chair back a little bit further.  The lever on the side of the seat cushion facing the door.  Push your feet against the firewall hard and the front screws will be visible then.  Hope that makes sense.  Not sure if you have to put the rear bolts in again to do this.  Try it without.

One more important thing.  The left hand seat in LHD or RHD configurations has a 5th bolt.  It's above the rear bolt closest to the B pillar and the bolt goes sideways into the sill below the B pillar.  You'll notice a spacer that sits in between the sill and the seat too.
Wrong! 5th bolt is only in non height adjustable front seats
1973 350SE, my first & fave

s class

Wow, I didn't know about the 5t bolt.  Wonder why it would be on one side only. 


[color=blue]'76 6.9 Euro[/color], [color=red]'78 6.9 AMG[/color], '80 280SE, [color=brown]'74 350SE[/color], [color=black]'82 500SEL euro full hydro, '83 500SEL euro full hydro [/color], '81 500SL

koan

Best to do the rear bolts first, slide both adjustments (position and height) forward and remove the back bolts, then slide both adjustments back and do the front bolts. Doing the opposite order ends up with the seat pivoting on the rear bolts when trying to remove them.

I'm going to look for my 5th bolt, don't remember it when I had the seat out.

loan   
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

oscar

#4
Feel down between the bottom of the pillar and the seat and you'll feel the spacer, it's not obvious and has been hidden by a bit of frayed carpet in all my wrecks.

I stumbled across it the first time I removed one, anyhow, here's a pic.



For the "Did you know..(insert intersting factoid)" fans out there like me.... did you know that both sides of a w116 have the hole and pressing to accomodate a blind nut for the 5th bolt, but they only put it on the left seat and as I said before, that's regardless if it's for RHD or LHD. :o :o :o  I have no idea why.  I shouldn't say "fact" either but it seems when seats have come up before the 5th bolt has been mentioned as being in the left hand seat. Is it needed? Probably not, but if anyone doesn't have one I'd guess it's been discarded during a previous removal/install and its existence could probably still be proved by the existence of a hole in the carpet and blind nut still in situ.  Wow, all that info for a nut  ;D Wrong! 5th bolt is only in non height adjustable front seats
1973 350SE, my first & fave

koan

I've got pre-cut shapes where a small piece of carpet can be removed for the 5th bolt on both sides.

But the seats don't have the tower the bolt goes through, the seats bolt directly to the floor. Is it that adjustable height seats don't have the tower, non height adjustable do?

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

oscar

Quote from: koan on 24 November 2009, 11:27 PM
Is it that adjustable height seats don't have the tower, non height adjustable do?

Ooh I dunno.  Will have to do some searching.  You got me thinking if it's just front passenger seats in general, ones which aren't height adjustable, are the ones with the 5th bolt.  I had in my mind that a LHD poster or two said they had the 5th bolt on the driver's side but it's very plausible, as always, that I could be wrong.  6.9s have height adjustable seats both sides do they?  Maybe that's the rule, no 5th bolt for height adjustable.
1973 350SE, my first & fave

TJ 450

Quote from: oscar on 24 November 2009, 11:47 PM
Quote from: koan on 24 November 2009, 11:27 PM
Is it that adjustable height seats don't have the tower, non height adjustable do?

Ooh I dunno.  Will have to do some searching.  You got me thinking if it's just front passenger seats in general, ones which aren't height adjustable, are the ones with the 5th bolt.  I had in my mind that a LHD poster or two said they had the 5th bolt on the driver's side but it's very plausible, as always, that I could be wrong.  6.9s have height adjustable seats both sides do they?  Maybe that's the rule, no 5th bolt for height adjustable.

Both seats in the 6.9 do indeed have height adjustment. My 450SEL has the extra bolt on the passenger side and the 6.9 doesn't... the bolt must be to support the tower.

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

oscar

Well I'm this close to putting a strike through all my bogus info relating to the 5th bolt.  I'll wait till hopefully someone gives some info on a LHD passenger and driver's seat to see if the 5th bolt is purely limited to non height adjustable passenger seats which seems to be the case.  Apologies for the shoddy info, it's bound to happen occasionally ;D
1973 350SE, my first & fave

1980450sel

Thanks for all the great info guys! In my 1980 450 SEL 4.5L both driver's and passenger's seats are height adjustable, I'm not bragging, in fact I'm exposing my ignorance. I can't figure out how to move the handle to raise the seat. Can I be sitting in the seat? Would help to have my tongue sticking out the side of my mouth? If so which side is best? I can't seem to get much adjustment whatever I do. Any pointers anyone. :-\

Thanks,
Scott

TJ 450

#10
The handle on the door side of the seat is the height adjustment, it is meant to be pulled directly upwards. Usually it requires a lot or force and it is very easy to break the handle off in this case.

You then slide the seat fore or aft depending on the desire height position, and adjust the seat position accordingly. It may require a lot of force if the mechanism hasn't been lubricated for a while.

It would be interesting to see a photo of the height adjustment on the passenger's side. ;)

Tim
1976 450SEL 6.9 1432
1969 300SEL 6.3 1394
2003 ML500

1980450sel

#11
That's funny Tim, you mention that the handle is easy to break, in fact when I got the car the driver's side handle was already broken off. I've been in Mexico for the past month and I started this topic because it's the first project I want to do. I'm headed back in less than a week so I will post a pic of the passenger seat then. Thanks everyone so far.

Scott

koan

Years ago I bought a pair of handles from Star Motors (I think).

The old plastic handle needs to be hacked away from the metal, the new handle has two small bolts that attach it to the metal piece through the hole that formerly held the molded handle on.

koan
Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

WGB

The replacement handles are bolted on as Koan says but there has been a 116 complete original handle assembly on US ebay and  think it is still a current listing.

Bill

1980450sel

Hi everyone,
Well I'm back from my trip and I excitedly tried the advice given and it worked the seat is out and I've used the pool noodle method to fix the  sagging outside edge of the seat as mentioned in a previous topic. It feels pretty good. It's tough getting that foam in there as the're many sharp edges (it's hard typing with all these band-aids on). Also oscar there was no 5th bolt holding the seat down in my particular car.

As far as a replacement handle goes I was thinking of having a machinist friend make me one or two out of aluminum and then get them anodized black. Will I get kicked out of the forum if I don't use all original MB parts? Just wondering. ::)

Thanks for all the help.

Scott