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#1
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Seat Track Removal
Ok. I give up. I'm repairing the seats on my '81 300TD. I've got the seats out and want to remove the tracks.
I've read all the threads on seat repair. I've looked at my service manual (nothing). Everyone says "just remove the 4 phillips screws and the tracks come off". Well, I've removed 6 screws now and it's still firmly attached. I see there are screws in the middle of the track that I can't get to. There are also screws that would require a side screwdriver. I haven't tackled those yet. I'm stumped. I just can't figure this out.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#2
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You must slide the track so the holes line up over the screws. plenty of folks get stumped by that one
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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K 1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild 1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K 1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor 2014 Kubota L3800 tractor 1964 VW bug "Lifes too short to drive a boring car" |
#3
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Hmm. I'll have to take some pics I think. It appears to me that they are completely hidden.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#4
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OK. Here is a pic of my seat.
The bolt I'm pointing to is coming from the bottom, connecting the bare metal portion to the black portion. If I reach my hand into the springs, I can feel the top of the threads. How do I access that bolt? I see no way to get to it. I've moved the seat backward, forward, every which way. It won't move far enough to reach that.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL Last edited by whunter; 04-06-2011 at 08:37 AM. Reason: attached picture |
#5
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There is an access hole that you have to line up, it will go through the lower track.
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#6
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Either that or its a bolt that doesn't have to come out. Its been a while but you CAN get to all the bolts you need to.
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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K 1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild 1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K 1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor 2014 Kubota L3800 tractor 1964 VW bug "Lifes too short to drive a boring car" |
#7
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Well. I'm still stumped. From what I can tell, there is no hole to line up. I moved the track back and forth and there is NO opening at all.
The other thing I don't understand is that everyone says there are 4 bolts. Well I removed the 4 easy bolts. 2 at the back and 2 at the front. But there is still this middle bolt. What are these 4 bolts?
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#8
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Quote:
You'll probably need to remove the lower half of the track first. Then you'll find the holes in the black stamped steel piece that the other posters are referring to. You'll need to get a #3 Phillips screwdriver and extend it though the hole in the black stamped steel piece and snag the head of the screw that holds the track to the seat frame. There are three of these screws on each side. |
#9
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I got it all apart finally. I never could get any holes to line up. I just used a side screwdriver and got the screw out of the track assembly. Once that was off, I was able to get the rest of it off.
Thanks for all the help.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#10
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Time to clean
Now you have all the tracks seperated, right?
Now flood each with WD40 or soak in a cleaning solution. Make each track slide (I began with large rods in the holes and leverage to first get them loose) and shake to remove all the loose change. The coins were the problem in mine and it took a lot of soaking, moving, and shaking to get them all out. Dimes are just the right size to fall through the 123 access holes and wedge the slider so it cannot move. Once the track slides freely, you should be able to spot the access holes for reassembly. Free sliding tracks allow you to get to every fastener with a straight screwdriver.
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Charles 1983 300D, bought new, 215k+ miles, donated to Purple Hearts veterans charity but I have parts for sale: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=296386 |
#11
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Quote:
Suprisingly the seat was in really good shape. The horsehair pad looked good. The foam wasn't deteriorated at all. Not one spring was broken. It's a bit mushy for my liking so I put some pool noodles in there. This is the passenger seat and I'm expecting the driver's side to be in much worse shape.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#12
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Mine looked rusty, but it all came off. I don't know what alloy MB used for tracks but it seems to be very rust resistant. I think old, dirty, dried out cola might look a lot like rust.
I think the key to avoid the problem in the future is to routinely exercise the tracks - especially the height adjuster track. And pick up all loose change!
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Charles 1983 300D, bought new, 215k+ miles, donated to Purple Hearts veterans charity but I have parts for sale: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=296386 |
#13
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Quote:
Sorry, no loose change.
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1981 300TD 1986 300SDL |
#14
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Answer
The W123 seat track must be partially disassembled to access the (seat base) "center" track frame mounting screws.
I do not have time at the moment to take pictures and/or write a DIY. FYI: There are two early and two late model seat track designs. .
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ASE Master Mechanic asemastermechanic@juno.com Prototype R&D/testing: Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician. Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH). Dynamometer. Heat exchanger durability. HV-A/C Climate Control. Vehicle build. Fleet Durability Technical Quality Auditor. Automotive Technical Writer 1985 300SD 1983 300D 1984 190D 2003 Volvo V70 2002 Honda Civic https://www.boldegoist.com/ |
#15
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heh, this thread reminds me of one time a customer of mine was getting bolts out of a seat base... he's working in my yard, while I'm working on several other things, and after an hour of fiddling with the seat and trying really hard to get the FRONT BOLT OUT OF THE BASE OF THE SEAT... he asks me how to get to it.
I look at it, giggle, and grab the seat adjuster handle and slide the seat back an inch... bolt fully exposed now... and walk away. I think he's still cursing me.
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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread "as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do! My drivers: 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5Turbo 1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!! 1987 300TD 1987 300TD 1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere! |
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