Retractable seat belt sticking

[Stanley]

The stock seat belt on the driver side of my '73 is sticking. Yesterday about 12" of seat belt was hanging out of the retractor, wouldn't go any more. Pulled it a few times and it came out, but I let it retract. Then tried about 100 times, it wouldn't move. After driving a while, stopped, pulled it once, and it came out. Hooked it up and stuck a comb in the slot on the retractor, so it can't retract.   OK for now but not very good.

 

Couldn't figure where it retracts to until I read this: http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/45114-retractable-seat-belt-restoration-for-my-1972/?hl=%2Bseat+%2Bbelts

 

A good write up, but I hope there's an easier way to fix it. Not much time to work on the car right now. Borrowed a '72 body manual but nothing there about seat belts. Don't seem to have a knack for removing and reinstalling plastic panels.

[SteveJ]

Well, you could get the belts rebuilt. http://www.ssnake-oyl.com/

It won't be cheap, but that is one of those things where you have to ask how much is your life worth.

I have an old set of 73 belts lying around somewhere in my garage. I replaced them with a set of seat belts from Wesco Performance. http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo.net/seatbelts.html

[Zed Head]

We should really start a thread just on safety improvements on these generally old cars with old technology.  Here's a fairly recent post describing a belt breaking during an accident, with pictures.  If you have a wooden steering wheel, things could get pretty nasty.

 

http://www.zcar.com/forum/13-car-talk-forum/362722-very-very-bad-day-me-my-z.html

[rossiz]

my seat belt (driver's side) was really finicky when i first got the car - took it apart and found several plastic fake fingernail tips stuck in there (!!) apparently the PO was a fan of that look, and they would break off when she was fumbling for the belt end down by the seat.

works fine now...

[John Coffey]

Take it apart and fix it.  Its not going to get better until you do that.

[Stanley]

I was afraid of that. It will have to wait a week or two until I can catch up with the work, but I'll grease whatever needs it and remove the fingernails and dust.

 

The belts look like they're in good condition. Noticed the shoulder belt doesn't give any side restraint unless it's cinched really tight. It needs tension on it to stay in the adjusted length, so you need to adjust it after fastening it to the lap belt.  Is there a way to make it stay at the adjusted length? Also the shoulder belt won't stay locked to the lap belt unless it's cinched; I put a rubber washer over the connection fitting which fixed that, though.