Date:         Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:16:05 -0800
Reply-To:     BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Subject:      Re: 89 vanagon swivel seats - how do you make them swivel ?
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2007021719550591@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 19:49:35 -0500, you wrote:

>On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 15:46:35 -0500, Larry Hinshaw <LHinshaw@EARTHLINK.NET>
>wrote:
>
>>OK... I have screwed around now for about an hour total and still have not
>figured out how to swivel the seats !
>>I know that you depress the latch in the from of each seat which should
>release the seat from the forward position.
>>
>>I have pushed and prodded and neither seat will budge.  I don't have the
>owners manual ...but this isn't rocket science is it?
>>neither seat is damaged.
>>
>>I need some advice before I take the seats out so that I can get a better
>look.
>>
>>Larry, Charlotte, NC
>
>As Jake said, you lift the locking lever to release the seat for rotation,
>not depress the lever.  However, you may still find that the seat(s) are
>difficult to rotate.  Years worth of dirt getting mixed with the grease
>that lubricates the opposing faces of the seat swivel mechanism can make
>those swivels virtually impossible to rotate.  When I bought my van, the
>seats absolutely would not budge, no matter how much force was applied. If
>you have this problem, or if you just want the seats to swivel more freely,
>post again or p-mail me and I'll write out the rest of the procedure and/or
>refer you to previous posts on the subject.
>
>Bill


?????

I've never thought to try to lift the lever!!!  S agrees that it's a
push leverl and not a lift lever.  Is this year-dependent?

In Esme, I push the lever down.  The tricky bit is to then properly
apply the rotating push ... if I push from shoulder-height then I'm
pushing the seat down instead of around.  I need to apply my
push-around at the same height as the lever.

Another potential hitch ... and I mean that physically ... is the
straps that wrap under the seat, that hold the seat cover on.
Sometimes they get bunched up and jam the works.

BTW, this seat rotation is as much art as science.  S is adamant that
rotating the seat clockwise [looking from above] is much easier than
anti-clockwise.  But I've never managed to make it budge clockwise, so
I push anti-clockwise.


B&S
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal