How do you install seat belt retractor covers? Like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1965...ageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p1638.m118 The belt buckle doesn't fit through the bottom of the cover, and the seat belt retractor itself says "caution do not remove"... Thanks for your help
Hi Dan, The old seatbelt retractor should just pop off by gently pulling the sides out. The buckle should fit through - try on an angle. Installs the same way in reverse. The only difference I can think of is a standard seatbelt retractor cover has a larger opening to accomodate the standard large buckle. A deluxe seatbelt retractor cover has a smaller opening as the deluxe lap belts featured small buckles so you could distinguish them from the larger shoulder belts.
My '65 only has lap belts... I just tried what you said, and it still won't fit... I compared it to the original cover, and it's the same. (The original cover was cracked, so it just slid off when I was removing the belts...)
If you have retractors and a cover then you will have to remove the seat belts from the retractor and then slide the 'other' end of the seat belt through the top retractor opening and reinstall the seat belt on the retractor. The retractors just bolt through the carpet so it can be done at anytime.
I'm at the same stage in my interior restore. It appears that one must take apart the "do not remove" part, slide the new covers on, and re-tention the seat belt retractor some how.
They are not real difficuly to disassembe them but I have not figured out how to remove the actual belt from the roller,theres a c type clip that hold the belt to the the roller.The little covers that say do not remove just pull off or slightly pry them off,they are not held on other than there is a dowel locating part on them and there is a clockspring inside the cap and thats why they tell you not to remove them as you could knock your eye or something.If you do one at a time and pay attention you just put the cover and spring back on part way and wind the tension back up so it retracts nicely and put the cap back in the dowel hole.Not real hard to do this part but like I said I have never figured out to remove the c clip from the roller,it looks like the big clip just prys off and snaps on but I did not try it to hard as I did not want to screw something up.Theres a few places that will put new covers on for you if you can wait and send them in,one place I found was in Texas but just do a web search for Seat Belt restoration and you should find one of the places....Oh rewinding the spring is alot like on a old lawn mower pulllstarter if that gives you some idea.........
Dan, you pull the male end of the seat belt thru the plastic cover opening and the cover snaps onto the retractor base when bolted down. see pic.
My 65 ones will not fit through the hole in cover,maybe the later male ends on 70 or so will but 65s will not..........I tried every possible angle and they will not go through without breaking the cover.........
Dan, its not that easy to explain but I'll try. Gently pry off the DO NOT REMOVE cover with a knife or thin screwdriver. It has three tabs on it. Inside the cover is a coil spring similar to the one inside an AFB choke housing. It will have to come uncoiled when the cover is removed. That's OK as you will see later. During reassembly the cover can only go on the correct way due to the spacing of the tabs. Then you will have to pound the dowel pin out of the middle of the seat belt. It is a splined dowel rod but doesn't take that much effort to pound out. Once the dowel rod is out the seat belt will come out. Unravel the seat belt all the way out so that the C clip mentioned before is exposed. Its a spring clip so just pry it off without bending it. I think I just used a screwdriver. With the clip off the seatbelt can be removed from the plastic tube it rolls up on. Now feed the seatbelt through the opening in the cover and back onto the plastic tube. Wedge the clip back on the seatbelt. Then put the dowel rod back in. Wind the seatbelt onto the tube. With the coil spring inside the DO NOT REMOVE cover place the slot on the spring into the slot on the dowel rod. While holding the seat belt assembly in place rotate the spring to get the proper tension - about 3 or 4 complete turns as I recall. When you have the proper tension push the cover back in to holes. It should stay on its own. If you need to change the tension just ease the cover off so you can wind or unwind the spring one turn either way. I was nervous the first time I did it but it really isn't that difficult to do once you are under way.
