A little help? Trying to reassemble w123 seat rails/adjusters
 

Short version:

Anyone got a workable exploded diagram (that is, NOT the factory parts diagram, which is near useless in this case) or photos of how the seat rails and adjusters go together on a w123 seat with height adjustment?

I have googled every conceivable combo of terms on this and come up with squat.

Long version:

I started doing a swap of the front seat pads (seat bases) in my 1980 300td in August. I had bought good used seat cushions (just the seat assemblies, no rails or adjusters) from a fellow forum member, and was swapping in for my old ones. Got the passenger seat done. On the '80 that's simple, no height adjuster on the right side seat.

Then when I went to do the driver seat I discovered, when I pulled the seat out, that I had a case of the infamous old-Benz-owner rust blindness. I knew my floor needed help, but not that much help.

I removed the rails and adjuster hardware from the old seat but never completed the swap ('cause I was gonna do it like next week, ya'know?). Yeah, right. Only finished the floor mid-November. Now I don't remember diddly about how I pulled it apart.

Fast forward to now. I have the driver seat bottom with the fore/aft rails attached on both sides, and the height adjuster rail attached on the left side (where that handle is). I can't figure out how to do the rest:

- right side height adjuster (bottom) rail
- fore/aft adjuster handle assembly
- a piece that I think is supposed to be an anchor for the side seat base trim

In particular, where is the fore/aft ajuster handle/rod supposed to bolt on? I cannot figure out where there are holes that match the spacing of the holes in the black bracket that forms part of the handle/rod assembly. If I get that the rest may fall together.

Tks

I just went through this exact same thing myself. Took everything apart on thanksgiving day then went to put everything back together on the following Sunday and was scratching my head for a good couple of hours trying to remember and/or find something good online to show me the way.

Finally just pulled out the passenger seat that is the same as the driver in mine to look at and figure out where everything goes.

It was actually pretty easy once I had that other seat to look at.

In regards to your question about the for/aft adjuster handle... It goes on first. Underneath (between the rail and the spring base)of the for/aft slde rail. IIRC. If that is not right I'll be glad to go under and look.

Zacharias,

I did a long DIY pictorial of swapping W126 seat cushions into a W116 and many of the steps are also applicable to the W123.

The disassembly of the seat height adjustment assembly mechanism and the seat rails on a W116 seat are shown on posts 10, 11 and 12 here: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/352422-diy-%96-pictorial-w126-front-seat-cushions-w116.html

Hope this is helpful. :)

It does not take that long to forget how some things came apart... now that expensive film is extinct ... digital pics of everything being taken apart... never know when things will be held up by some unexpected event.... some things are hard to remember an hour later....

No argument from me, Leathermang. No idea either why it did not occur to me to grab some phone pics at the time, as I was having bad thoughts about the reassembly even as I took the damn thing apart.

Thanks for the link, Alec300sd. Will have a look at your pictorial.

I am getting there now. I see how how it goes together, my problem now is that I seem to be light on the (correct) hardware (seem to have phillips screws instead of the bolts needed in a couple of spots, and missing nut retainers x2) for this and that. Unusual as I am normally borderline OCD when it comes to keeping that stuff organized.