How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

[Mark E.]

How do I get the shoulder belt free from the seat back? I tried wiggling it through the slot without luck. The escutcheon on the back side is unscrewed. I'm doing this because I need to remove the seat from the car.

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[Tom L.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Well this was a challenge for me too. Mostly since I didn't have the tool required. Having little hair I just didn't have a hair dryer, so I borrowed one from the wife with the promise that I'd return it in great shape. Joking aside, pull the belt out, heated the rubber (?) cover over the end of the belt with a hair dryer until it becomes soft and it should pull right off. Do the same when putting it back together. Was pretty simple. Hope this helps!

[Mark E.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Thanks Tom.

I was hoping there is a trick to free the belt without removing the sleeve, but maybe there isn't. I used a heat gun to install the repro buckle sleeve and it was a real bear to get on. If you look at it, I don't think it's positioned correctly... maybe the new piece is a tad small.

[Ralph S.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Look below in similar threads

[Mark E.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Look below in similar threads

Thanks Ralph. My bad- I usually search a topic before posting.

It looks like I'll be wrestling the sleeves off with my heat gun. It's a repro so if it puts up a fight I may cut and replace it.

[Patrick B.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Mark- I have had my original 70 sleeves off and on a number of times with a heat gun on the LOW setting. It is not as brutal as it sounds.

[Mark E.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Mark- I have had my original 70 sleeves off and on a number of times with a heat gun on the LOW setting. It is not as brutal as it sounds.

It was brutal when I installed them. Maybe the reproductions are a stiffer material or smaller.

[Mark E.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

An update to close out the thread:

I heated the sleeve with a heat gun, and it slipped right off! An order of magnitude easier than it was putting it on. Thank you to the folks who posted.

[Sal C.]

Re: How to free shoulder belt from seat slot?

Bring a pan of boiling water out to the garage. Dip the end of the belt in and you'll be able to do whatever you want with the boot.