Date:         Sat, 5 Mar 2011 08:00:47 -0600
Reply-To:     mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: What's the trick to tightening the armrests?
Comments: To: KK AL <kkalnsf@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTikd9mFJJYo7JEAZuZZvy1Q=DEbujO3XgCn-AChF@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

---- KK AL <kkalnsf@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> We have an 87 Syncro. The armrests are loosening up. According to the Bently
> shop manual there are caps on the sides of the armrests that pop off for
> access to the mechanism.
> There are no such caps and no obvious way to access the mechanism to tighten
> them.
>
> There must be something we are missing because we have had them tightened up
> in the past by our local VW mechanic.

If these are the same as the seats in the camper, there is a roll pin that has to be driven out of the axle on which the arm rest pivots in order to get access to the mechanism.  To get to the pin, one has to squeeze the arm rest foam back from the seat itself.  Just use a big screw driver or other suitable lever to get the foam pushed back out of the way (you'll have to hold it back while you work, seven hands would be great -- got an octopus handy?).  Then drive the pin out.  After that, the arm rest can be removed.  Then the mechanism will be exposed, and tightening will be obvious.  When I got my camper, the seat arms were just hanging down and flopping around.

mcneely