Recover headrests.

[drrhein]

I purchased a recover kit for my 1980 107 and can't figure out how to get the headrest covers on past the steel shafts. Anybody done this??

[ScottinSoCal]

Originally Posted by drrhein

I purchased a recover kit for my 1980 107 and can't figure out how to get the headrest covers on past the steel shafts. Anybody done this??

I carefully pulled the metal core out of the foam, inserted the foam into the new cover, then put the metal core back in. Once I was sure it fit properly and I wouldn't have to reverse it, I pulled the metal core out, sprayed the crap out of it with foam adhesive and tucked it into the foam for the adhesive to dry.

[Strife]

Hmmm...I'm not sure but from what pictures I see on the Internet of a 1980 450SL, I THINK that these headrests are the flat-topped models, not the curved earlier headrests. Assuming that these are the flat-topped headrests, I did not have any problems like these with the 85/380 or 86/560 headrests that I did (different seats, same headrests). But admittedly, it was tricky to tuck the foam into the material - silicone spray and working from one side to the other slowly helped. I was really afraid of tearing the new material.

One set (of superior quality, like the original but in MB-TEX) had clips on the bottom like the original headrests; the other set used Velcro. But the results were similar for both, pretty good.

What I DID have problems with were the @#$@#$ screws on the seat frames...

[drrhein]

Yeah, those $^&(& screws. I wound up drilling out a couple, tried an impact screwdriver on one but broke the welded nut loose. Finally discovered that the blue loctite will loosen if you WD40 the heck out of it 24 hours in advance. Then use a #4 phillips driver (Try finding one of THOSE at sears :-0), Stand on it, hold your body just so, have your wife and two neighbors hold everything, utter a few prayers and they'll come loose. Now I just have to find new screws.

[Strife]

You can get them at the dealership. They are a safety item (high strength) and they have a part number. I think they were about $1 each and were (strangely) NOT pre-locktited. I know it's a PITA and expensive, but I think any junk you would find at a hardware store would shear right off in an accident (and probably won't cost much less). This Would Be Bad.

[drrhein]

Got the screws on the second seat out in 5 Minutes. I wd40'd the screws (after removing the back) last night and LEFT THE SEAT IN! Then I could really get some pressure on the #4 screwdriver and they came right out after the first turn. I discovered once you get the seats on the bench you really can't get enough pressure on the screws and hold the seat too.
Also I mis-spoke, mine is an 85 500sl Euro so has the curved headrests.
I'm doing some pics of the process of the recover today and maybe we can post them somewhere here for everyone else.