Topic: Seat Back Repairs -

[jwc66k]

A friend brought over the driver’s seat from his son’s 66 Hardtop daily driver. Something didn’t feel right. The seat moved sideways a little and the back went “back” a lot further than Ford intended. A quick look showed the adjusting screw was bent and entered the seat back at an odd angle. That was the good part. The screw would not come out without a lot of force, but it did come out. My instructions were to try a fix without removing the seat cover, the kid just bought a house and money was tight. Fortunately, the seat upholstery was black, the same as the temporary driver’s seat from the only other car available, a 66 Shelby, the pressure was on.
I removed the seat back trim and popped it loose from the base. The next step was to remove the seat back and cut the hog rings to fold the upholstery away from the lower bar to try to straighten the threaded insert. Now it got worse. The lower bar was bent, picture 1.
To straighten the bar, I got some 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 inch pipe fittings and threaded sections to use as tooling on my 20 ton press. One of the problems was getting some pressure on the bar but the seat back itself was in the way. Picture 2 shows the rig. The lower fittings consisted of a pair of floor flanges and two 4 inch long pipe sections with a notch cut into them to hold the outer ends of the bent pipe at the bottom. Another notch was cut in the upper pipe section to keep the pressure centered on the bar at the bend. I had to use a 1/4 inch plate at the bottom as the seat back had to go into the press sideways. All this worked, picture 3. The bar got straight, the threaded insert was straightened and re-threaded, new hog rings and the upper section popped back to the base.
There was more. All four studs from the seat track were stripped so new tracks were required. The four screws to attach the track to the seat were stripped and the adjustment rod was stripped.
The bottom line is on these older cars, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably needs attention.
Jim

[Bob Gaines]

I got as much or more out of new improvised fixtures I can now see how to make up and use with my press as i did with the process of how you fixed the seat. Thanks for sharing.

[J_Speegle]

Thanks Jim for posting an inventive application and solution to another challenge.

[ruppstang]

Jim I like a guy that can think on his feet. Looks like you pass the test.
BTW was that a 300lb gorilla that sat in that seat? LOL
Marty

[jwc66k]

Jim I like a guy that can think on his feet. Looks like you pass the test.
BTW was that a 300lb gorilla that sat in that seat? LOL
Marty

No comment. He's a friend, but he was "encouraged" to be gentle in the future.

I got as much or more out of new improvised fixtures I can now see how to make up and use with my press as i did with the process of how you fixed the seat. Thanks for sharing.

I found that a 1 1/2 inch pipe cap fit the ram of the press. I drilled a 5/16 hole in the end for a 5/16 bolt to press out hinge pins. I had to use a die grinder with a small wheel on the inside threads to slightly enlarge the diameter to fit. A number 7 drill made a hole on the side for a 1/4-20 tap and a 1/4-20 thumb screw keeps it on. Your ram may be a different dia but the concept would be the same. The top piece is a 1 1/2 to 1 1/4 reducer with a couple of thick washers (I think the ones used on a 64-66 steering box) to keep the reducer from sticking. to the ram. The rest of the plumbing is 1 1/4 inch.
Jim 

[67gtasanjose]

I got as much or more out of new improvised fixtures I can now see how to make up and use with my press as i did with the process of how you fixed the seat. Thanks for sharing.

+1

My 20 ton press is one of my "beast friends", it has more than paid for itself 8,000%

Allways looking for more ways to use it, a great tool for everyone to own!  20 ton press plus a 6inch high quality (read as no chinese junk) bearing splitter, an OTC "Hub Tamer" kit, also an OTC Ball Joint press, a few large deepwell sockets (1-1/2" & larger) and it seems there isn't any job that these 20 ton presses cannot handle! 

[drummingrocks]

My 20 ton press is one of my "beast friends", it has more than paid for itself 8,000%

Allways looking for more ways to use it, a great tool for everyone to own!  20 ton press plus a 6inch high quality (read as no chinese junk) bearing splitter, an OTC "Hub Tamer" kit, also an OTC Ball Joint press, a few large deepwell sockets (1-1/2" & larger) and it seems there isn't any job that these 20 ton presses cannot handle!

I'd love to have a press at home.  We use ours at the shop all the time.  The problem is finding a good one.  Where did you guys buy yours?  I looked at the Harbor Freight one a while back, but even their "better" model looked like junk.

[67gtasanjose]

I'd love to have a press at home.  We use ours at the shop all the time.  The problem is finding a good one.  Where did you guys buy yours?  I looked at the Harbor Freight one a while back, but even their "better" model looked like junk.

Strange enough, I got mine from a roaming "tool guy" who stopped by my shop about a year after I opened up with a pickup truck load of new tools. (I own a repair garage). I paid something like $75 for it! He was asking $150 but I was broke at the time, couldn't afford paying that much I thought and actually didn't really want any of the rest of the crap tools and was walking away when he asked if I had ANY interest in ANYTHING and I said only the press and he said to make an offer, so $75 bought it!
Nothing special, has a Made in USA sticker on the stand and "American Tool Exchange" on the bottle jack, it has manual lifting (no cable-lift like some) and only thing else it came with was two flat plates. I bought a cheap bearing splitter from the same guy, that was a waste (maybe $20 loss?) Bought the next one from Snap-On (it was really pricey) but in over 15 years now, that Snap-On splitter is no worse for the wear than when it was say a year old (scratches etc.) I use mine average out about twice a week for some job or another.

[krelboyne]

A common reason for the driver side seat back breakage is from drivers leaning back, and reaching into pockets for money for toll booths, food drive thru's, etc.

[gt350t]

Nice write up Jim, and yes he's quite the guerrilla. Let's hope my son will be more gentle with the seat this time.   Steve

[DM_1964]

Very thorough and great work as always Jim.

If they were to bulldoze the Great Mall and rebuild the SJ plant, you'd be the first employee hired

[jwc66k]

The San Jose Ford Assembly Plant is now the Great Mall of the Bay, around 220 stores, a good use for an old structure. I'll leave it alone. But if they do bulldoze it -
Jim

[jwc66k]

I'd love to have a press at home.  We use ours at the shop all the time.  The problem is finding a good one.  Where did you guys buy yours?  I looked at the Harbor Freight one a while back, but even their "better" model looked like junk.

Careful, the 20 press I use is from Harbor Freight. I got it for $154, on sale, which made it affordable. The tolerances are loose but workable. The only thing I would prefer for it to have is a gage indicating the pump pressure, a minor addition. So far I've had no problems.
Jim

[drummingrocks]

Careful, the 20 press I use is from Harbor Freight. I got it for $154, on sale, which made it affordable. The tolerances are loose but workable. The only thing I would prefer for it to have is a gage indicating the pump pressure, a minor addition. So far I've had no problems.
Jim

Hmm, maybe I should take another look at it.  This is what you have? http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

[jwc66k]

Hmm, maybe I should take another look at it.  This is what you have? http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

That's it. I can't verify the stock number, but that the one. It's not a production press, light to medium duty home use. I recommend that you wait for the press to go on sale. Right now it's $199. I was going to get one at $175 but kept putting it off - then it hit $153.95. It was time to buy.
Jim