When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
G'day, Has anyone disassembled the seat runners from an early C3? If so can you let me know how it's done. I want to disassemble mine so I can have them zinc plated to stop them from rusting.
Hi Mark,
I've not really heard of anyone successfully taking them apart.
The base was parkerized (phosphated) and the slide was natural. I re-plated the base and cleaned the slide. I sprayed the outside of the slide with a little clear and lubed the inside of the slide completely to keep it from rusting.
Regards,
Alan
OK, so after drilling off the bolt heads to remove these crusty pieces....I am at my wits end.
Option 1-restoring these with a wire wheel and taking them apart
Option 2-buying other better used pieces
Option 3-buying a new set from Summit/Jegs for $40
I dropped mine into a local plateworks to have them zinc plated today. They said that they would be able to plate them fully assembled without any problem and when I pick them up just make sure I fully lubricate them before re-installing them. Mine were not in as bad a condition as yours though snoopy.
don't sand blast them-you'll never get the abrasive particles out of the tracks. wire wheel the surface, phosphate (rust converter) the surface , paint, and lube the inside. they'll last another 40 years. but then again, i'm not a fanatic like alan!
Clean them in a parts washer to remove any oil, grease, etc. Glass bead. Then plate, primer, or paint. Then apply lube. Should last a long time. I've seen complete window regulators that were cadmium or zinc plated, no problems, just be sure to lube.
As badly rusted as those are, I don't know that you will have much left if you get rid of the rust...or if the ball bearings will even roll. It doesn't cost much (just your time and effort) to try it, but I'm thinking a used set in better condition would be easier to work with.
Heck, you can always drill out the rivets and do a complete disassembly to de-rust and check out all the parts. Then you can clean and refinish all the different parts properly before you reassemble it. Keep us informed on what you did and how it went.
Mine weren't nearly that bad but I degreased and chemically stripped the paint and got as much of the rust out as I could with a wire wheel. I blew all the moisture out and then repainted with a rust neutralizing primer and then black paint. Then I lubed the tracks with grease they work like brand new. I could not find a way to disassemble them without drilling/hammering or messing them up worse than they were