Friday, January 10, 2014
How to Repair Car Seat Belts
Seat belts are the bedrock of automotive passenger safety, and when they break they must be attended to quickly. But the forces at play in a car crash are such that merely repairing a seat belt is a bad idea. A properly functioning seat belt could save a life, and rather than being repaired, seat belts must be replaced altogether to avoid the malfunctioning of any individual part. Seat belt replacement can be done at home with the right tools and technique.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the car seat. Remove the bolts at the base of the car seat and remove the seat from the vehicle. This will allow easier access to the seat belt.
2Remove the interior panels that cover the seat belt and retractor.
3Pull back the bolt cover of the bolt attaching the buckle portion of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle.
4Remove the bolt attaching the buckle portion of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle with a socket driver.
5Remove the bolt attaching the retractor with a socket driver.
6Use a socket driver to remove the bolt that holds the bracket the seat belt is threaded through.
7Remove the retractor and belt bracket.
8Pull back the cover over the bolt attaching the belt portion of the seat belt.
9Remove the bolt attaching the belt portion of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle.
10Discard the broken seat belt.
11Bolt the new retractor in place with a socket driver.
12Use a socket driver to bolt in the new bracket the seat belt is threaded through.
13Bolt the belt side of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle with a socket driver.
14Slide the bolt cover over the bolt that attaches the belt side of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle.
15Bolt the buckle portion of the seat belt to the bottom of the vehicle with a socket driver.
16Slide the bolt cover over the bolt that attaches the buckle portion of the seat belt to the floor of the vehicle.
17Replace all interior panels that cover the seat belt and retractor.
18Bolt the car seat back onto the floor of the vehicle with a socket driver.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
How do I Change the Needle Seat in a 40MM Keihin Carb
The 40 mm, constant velocity, Keihan Carb is probably the most common carburetor on motorcycles. It has been standard equipment on BMWs, Harleys and on several Japanese bikes as well. In a nutshell, you change the needle and seat by removing the top of the carburetor, pull out the vacuum piston and the three small parts inside, reassemble the vacuum piston with a new needle, and screw the top back on the carburetor.
Instructions
- 1
Set the carburetor, top-side up, on a bed of rags on a stable surface. Remove the four screws that hold the top on the carburetor with a flat-head screwdriver.
2Remove the top, the small collar and the long spring. Lift out the vacuum piston from the middle of the carburetor along with the small parts inside.
3Remove the needle and the spring seat from the vacuum piston.
4Reassemble by placing the needle through the center hole in the vacuum piston. Place the spring seat over the top of the needle.
5Reinsert the vacuum piston into the carburetor body so the vacuum piston fits in the slide track grooves. If the piston does not fit, turn it 180 degrees. Ensure the diaphragm seats evenly in the groove on top of the carburetor body.
6Place the spring over the spring seat, and carefully lower the top. Hold the top down with one hand.
7Insert one finger from your other hand into the venturi, and raise and lower the vacuum piston to ensure the spring is not binding.
8Screw the top back on the carburetor with a flat-head screwdriver.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
2001 Grand Am Rear Seat Removal
If you have ever wondered what you would have to do to remove the rear seat from your 2001 Grand Am, then the answer is, "not very much." The rear seats in a 2001 Grand Am are held in by clips and nuts that you can easily access. Whether you are modifying your car, or if you would like to do some thorough cleaning, you will be more successful if you know exactly how to remove your seats before you start your project.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the bottom section. Lift up the bottom cushion at the two front corners. Two clips that hold the cushion on are now accessible and can be detached. Slide the cushion forward and out.
2Remove the top section. Remove the two nuts that are located at the bottom corners of the top portion of the seat. Pull the seat so that the tabs where the nuts were can be clear of the studs. Pull the seat up and toward the front of the car so that the upper clips will become disconnected. The top portion of the seat can now be removed.
3Clean up any mess. There will likely be a lot of built-up dirt and messes underneath the seat cushions. Keep some cleaning supplies handy for this.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
How to Repair a Car Seat Belt Buckle
All cars are fitted with the standard shoulder belt. This belt goes over the shoulder and lap, offering maximum protection for the passenger. Seat belts do become subject to casual wear and tear; sometimes they can stop working altogether, making it dangerous for the driver and passengers. Fixing a problem with a seat belt buckle involves dismantling the seat belt.
Instructions
- 1
Fully extend the whole of the seat belt to check for kinks.
2Remove the bolt underneath the seat belt buckle. Hold the retractor straight and thread the seatbelt out. Remove the seat in the car if you need to gain a closer inspection of the belt.
3Use the screwdriver to unscrew the current buckle from the car.
4Screw in the new buckle. Then thread the seat belt through the new buckle.
5Reinstall the small bar underneath the buckle to hold it in place.
6Pull the seat belt out to make sure its working properly.
7Reinstall the seat if necessary.