Seat belt retractors

[jadney@vwtype3.org (Melissa & Jim)]

>Does anyone know where I can get a new(?) seat belt retractor for my front 
>seatbelts?  I've already done the take-it-apart-and-fix/inspect-it-routine 
>and, well, after 24 years I think I just need new ones.
>
>Part of my fix was to add a couple of turns to the spring but it only 
>helped for a short time (warning: if you're not dexterous don't try this 
>because the spring would like nothing better than to unwind itself and to 
>rewind the spring is a pain!).  Now I must feed the slack to the retractor 
>for it to roll (it no longer pulls the belt on its own).

I have this same problem, too.  I find that the best thing for it is to 
completely remove the belt from the mechanism and wash it thoroughly in a 
bucket of laundry soap.  It's amasing how stiff the belts have become with 
the dirt of 2+ decades.  This helps a bit.

I think the spring also needs a good lubricant to allow the layers to slide 
easily over one another.  I have been meaning to stop at a clock shop and 
ask what they use for mainsprings but haven't done it yet.

Jim
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       Melissa Kepner                                    Jim Adney
       jadney@vwtype3.org              jadney@vwtype3.org
                             Laura Kepner-Adney
                             Madison, Wisconsin
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