84 E23 seat tilt gearbox

Swap your seats side for side. At least this gives the driver seat the safety of stability.

Unbolt them from the floor (17mm on the E28; probably the same on E23) by running them all the way forward, then all the way back for access to the bolts. Unbolt the seatbelts wherever you have access (also 17 mm). Unplug them from the power. Take them out and turn them over to swap the seat tracks from one to the other (10 mm, IIRC). Assembly is the reverse of removal. Don't know what you might need to do with armrests; I don't have any. ;^)

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there; done that)

"E28 Guy©" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com... | carl mciver wrote: | > I got this 733i and upon investigating the lack of solidity to the seal | > back, I found that the outer tilt gearbox is gone save the cover, and the | > cable is just sticking out in space. The friendly local dealer I've been | > spending a lot of money at lately says that part is over $180 and not even | > in the country that he knows of. Normally, wrecking yards sell the whole | > seat, and one that might have had core seats tossed them. | > I've been scratching my head for some time trying to figure out at the | > least how to lock the seat back in place. It does tilt, but having only one | > side connected bothers me a lot. Don't like that unstable feeling, not to | > mention the safety issue. | > Does anyone have any suggestions before I try to weld up something to | > the cover to pin the gear in place? | | Swap your seats side for side. At least this gives the driver seat the | safety of stability. | | Unbolt them from the floor (17mm on the E28; probably the same on E23) | by running them all the way forward, then all the way back for access | to the bolts. Unbolt the seatbelts wherever you have access (also 17 | mm). Unplug them from the power. Take them out and turn them over to | swap the seat tracks from one to the other (10 mm, IIRC). Assembly is | the reverse of removal. Don't know what you might need to do with | armrests; I don't have any. ;^) | -- | C.R. Krieger | (Been there; done that)

I've actually done that before, but on a car with much simpler seats, and it was for sure pondered. Today I did find out that the seat mechanism is similar to the 85+ 533, and that gearbox is the same, and that a wrecking yard not too far from here has a number of 533 seat cores. Small relief, but still puts me out $125, which is a bit better than the other options so far. I'll be carrying my kids in the car regularly, do don't want them to be any less safe than I am. I really like a stable seat, having ridden in a car with a milk crate for the driver (and FWIW, he used his seat belt!) Never again.

Well, then let me make the next suggestion since I *am* an E28 Guy=A9! Get over to

and ask around. Someone's probably got one of those things lying around for a couple of bucks. Maybe even free for shipping costs. We've got members all around the world (mostly US, but also Canada, the UK and Oz as well as in eastern and northern Europe; there's even a guy in Thailand), so someone will be relatively near you.

FWIW, I'm guessing you're in the US or Canada (I'm not sure there were Euro 533s). Here, the 533i is an '83-'84 model only. After that, it was a 535i/is. Be aware that the 535i*s* has sport seats that are different than standard 'comfort' seats. I suspect that the '82-'88

528e seats were identical, if you can find a set with power.

-- C=2ER. Krieger (Been there - a lot)

"E28 Guy©" wrote

Well, then let me make the next suggestion since I *am* an E28 Guy©! Get over to

and ask around. Someone's probably got one of those things lying around for a couple of bucks. Maybe even free for shipping costs. We've got members all around the world (mostly US, but also Canada, the UK and Oz as well as in eastern and northern Europe; there's even a guy in Thailand), so someone will be relatively near you.

FWIW, I'm guessing you're in the US or Canada (I'm not sure there were Euro 533s). Here, the 533i is an '83-'84 model only. After that, it was a 535i/is. Be aware that the 535i*s* has sport seats that are different than standard 'comfort' seats. I suspect that the '82-'88

528e seats were identical, if you can find a set with power.

-- C.R. Krieger (Been there - a lot)

Ah, now that's a useful bit of information. I did get a message today that seat cores were a hundred bucks, which isn't so bad for all I'm getting, but all money saved....

Well, then let me make the next suggestion since I *am* an E28 Guy©! Get over to

and ask around. Someone's probably got one of those things lying around for a couple of bucks. Maybe even free for shipping costs. We've got members all around the world (mostly US, but also Canada, the UK and Oz as well as in eastern and northern Europe; there's even a guy in Thailand), so someone will be relatively near you.

That was the ticket! Arrangements have been made for exactly what I need! Thanks a bunch!