Def name the part, or put up a pic, have a bunch of master parts books, can look it up. Without a 97xxxxx, 48xxxx, 52xxxx, or 54xxxx part number, sure doesn't seem like a Pontiac part number from '60's and early '70's.
I don't know what it is called I don't have a photo. It is the part in the reclining seat that lets the seat recline. I was given
this part # 7582812 but the person was not sure it is for the part I'm looking for, just trying to confirm.
Because I'm old and bored, I surfed around the Internet today to see what I could find. It seems that most of the 1967 A bodies offered a reclining bucket seat, and it would be reasonable to assume the parts interchange. Are you trying to find the part by its part number, or just trying to find the part to fix a seat?
I would like to find the part, mine is froze up and won't work I've soaked it over and over just won't move.
I have a part # but don't know if it is correct just trying to confirm.
The reclining mechanism is called a positioning unit. It was discontinued decades ago. The unit was only used in '66-early '70 Strato bucket seats with the recliner option. Very, very rare option, usually combined with optional headrests in '66-68. I've only had three early reclining buckets in well over 3 decades of boneyarding, swappers, as well as having well above a hundred pair of '63-72 GM bucket seats. In the late '90's, early '00's, a loose recliner mechanism out of a early Strato bucket would bring $200-300 on eBay... not the rh seat, just the reclining mechanism. An old Chevelle vendor friend was keen on buying '66 strato's and upgrading them with factory headrests and the passenger recliner unit. In your position, I would get with a machinist buddy, and go about taking the mechanism apart and making whatever part is needed, then resssemble.
Thanks pinion head for your reply, very interesting info. am starting to find out more about this unit.
Is there a way to confirm the part number?
Thanks again.
It's the "latch asm" that allows the pass side Strato seat to recline. Looked 7582812 up in a March '77 dated Pontiac Dealer Parts and Accesory Price Guide. That quick search, gave me the group number, 11.377. I then looked up the part number in my '71 dated master parts book. list price was right over $40 in '71 dollars. Was also used by Chevrolet, not Olds or Buick.
Just cked my latest date master parts book, the common bound version dated April '83, and the part was discontinued by then. Only the handle was still available at that time.
Thanks again pinion head So glad to hear that part number is correct. I can see where a parts manual really
comes in handy. Great work this forum is the best !!!
I actually have a 1967 reclining seat inbound with the same problem. I'm also a machinist and will be disassembling the unit late this week. I'll let you know what I find. I if it turns out that our problems are caused by the same thing and I have to machine a part to fix the problem I would be happy to help you out.
Just got my tracking info for the seats and they wont be here until Monday so it will probably be mid next week before I get them torn down. I will let you know what I find.
Ok my seats came in today so I immediately tore into them. Here is what I found. The first thing I noticed on my seats was that the cable that runs from the release handle to the positioning unit was frozen solid so I cut some hog rings and moved the upholstering out of the way so could get to the positioning unit better. I reached in and manually depressed the lever on the positioning unit and tried to recline the seat. No dice it wouldn't move so I thought my positioning unit was frozen also. So I knocked out the upper and lower roll pins and removed the unit from the seat to evaluate it. It took a little while to figure out how the unit worked but I eventually figured it out. So here is the bad news... The positioning unit is crimped together at both the top and the bottom and is made of very heavy gauge tubing. It is not a serviceable unit. Unless you own a machine shop or have allot of very specialized equipment the every day guy would never be able to get this thing apart and back together without totally destroying it.
Now the good news!!!
Mine is not frozen up and I doubt yours is either unless the seat was stored outside for a long time with the seat back off. There are VERY VERY strong springs inside the unit. The unit only has about an inch of travel and is under constant spring pressure. When it is assembled in the seat, the length of the seat back provides allot of leverage to be able to extend the unit as you recline the set.
I started to type an explanation of how this thing works and what to do but it was just to lengthy and complicated to explain here. I will PM you my cell number. When you have your unit in hand and can have these pics in front of you give me a call and I will explain it to you. I have my seat re-assembled now and it works great:grin2:
Shon
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