Everyone,
My shoulder belts seem to be real parsnickety. The drivers belt does not retract back to a tight position. I have removed it and taken off the case and then it seems to work fine. Just seems fouled up when assembled and on the car. I hate to get news ones for no reason, and I don't want to install any other kind of restraints.

Anyone know any tricks for getting these things to work well?

MadeRight

I have never been able to get original 914 ones to work right once they stop retracting right. A swap to 924 belts only requires minor modificatiosn to the reel mechanism (removing a pin, breaks right off with vice grips) and they work better. The hardest part is getting them out of the 924. 924s are plentiful in wrecking yards too.

Which pin needs to be broken off of the 924 belts. anypics or could you explain which one. i guess if i try to fit them it may become obvious.

I think they only had 1 pin. I took the whole setup out of a 924, as the buckles are different. The reel mechanism has a pin on the back that is a different size and/or length than the 914 reels. I heard somewhere that some may have a removable pin and you can swap them.. mine was tack welded on to the reel body, so I just broke it off. Once it's bolted in place in a 914, it can't really go anywhere, so the pin isn't important.

(important note: this is only for late 914s with the firewall provision for a retractable seatbelt)

Step one--the cheap and easy stuff.

Steal, umm I mean borrow a "binder clip" from work. A big one, preferably. Then pull the whole belt out of the retractor as far as it will go, and put the binder clip on it to keep it out. Wash with lukewarm water and mild soap. Rinse with more lukewarm water. Let air-dry in the shade. When the belt is dry, treat with Scotch-Guard per the instructions you get with that stuff. When that is done, try the belt a few times.

If that doesn't do the job, then 924 belts (I hear early-ish 944 belts and Rabbit belts may also work) can be modified to fit.

If that's not your cup of tea, contact http://www.peparts.com and pay them a couple hundred for a new belt. You'll need to send them your old one as a core.

--DD

The seat belt webbing doesn't last forever. PEParts will also rebuild your seat belts with new webbing (at least they used to, they don't mention this or the 914 at all on their site).

On my '72 both belts seem to have weak retracter springs. I can help push them a very little bit and they roll back up. But that is a pain in the ass. It would be nice to have them working. The webbing looks just fine so there must be some spring issues. Maybe a lubing?

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Apr 18 2005, 12:52 PM)

PEParts will also rebuild your seat belts with new webbing (at least they used to, they don't mention this or the 914 at all on their site).

they do have a process for building a belt specifically for the 914, it sounds pretty nice. i've been in contact with them and it's a little different from stock, mostly the d-ring, but otherwise sounds good. $149 i think, which is a small price to pay for ones safety, imho.

~a

QUOTE (double-a @ Apr 18 2005, 10:22 PM)

QUOTE (lapuwali @ Apr 18 2005, 12:52 PM) PEParts will also rebuild your seat belts with new webbing (at least they used to, they don't mention this or the 914 at all on their site). they do have a process for building a belt specifically for the 914, it sounds pretty nice. i've been in contact with them and it's a little different from stock, mostly the d-ring, but otherwise sounds good. $149 i think, which is a small price to pay for ones safety, imho. ~a

however, if 924 or 944 belts will work with minimum modification... that seems the smart route...

I actually pulled mine out, sprayed a little WD-40(is there anything this stuff isn't good for?) in there, and that helped a lot, I bet washing the webbing, per DD's instructions would help even more...