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Thread: E31 Seat Twist repair service

  1. #26
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  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by McKennaM View Post
    Mr. Cartoonz,
    Do you or any member's know what the exact location of the motor (1991 E31)that moves the seat bottom forward (towards the dash) and backwords (towards the rear seat), it is not seat back it is the seat bottom. I'm having exactly the same problem,I may have problems accessing the bolts. If any member's could send a note or better a BMW "exploded view" of the numerous motors and cables and the location of the "6 bolts" are it would be greatly appreciated. I am aware that there are centering pins that aid in centering of the bottom seat rails and 4 bolts, 2 at the front and 2 at the rear, but 6 bolts in my mind does not make sense to me. Wouldn't they interfere with the seat bottom moving fore and aft. Another question is about the gearbox gear, it seems to me that if the gear was broken that the seat motor would run but the seat would not move at all. Could or would anyone enlighten me regarding this "gear". My thoughts are that if the seat twists, whether it is the back vertical component or, in my case the seat bottom that the motor and the gearbox are OK, that the problem is with the "speedometer like" cables. Unfortunately, I am not near the car now and won't be able to get to Phoenix until October so I am planning ahead to bring the necessary information and tools that are going to be needed to remove the driver's seat on my E31, which moves on the right, twisting the seat bottom to the right and the left side of the driver's seat bottom does not move which indicates to me that the left cable is the problem. I apologize for rambling. Any suggestions on who could help me with this problem or how to approach acessing the seat rail bolts if the motor/cables for moving fore and aft are not accessible would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for being so long winded. Like the 850 I am not a spring "chicken".
    http://www.frankies-bmw.com/8series/...ries_seats.php
    http://www.bmwccae31.com/DOCS/Howto/52 - Under Seat Repair.pdf

    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...OyYftb2PD_rOhy

    That sort of shows you there are indeed 6 bolts per seat.
    As for the broken gears, do a search... they are in gearboxes in each seat rail.
    With the seats actually out, it is easier to get to all the problem areas.
    Last edited by cartoonz; 09-17-2018 at 07:42 PM.
    '91 Dinan 860 Stage III (new 6L engine)
    '91 Dinan 850 TT stage III (brand new engine) 21st Century Tech meets 18th Century Dinan...
    '91 850i 6sp (mint) (sold)
    '90 Dinan 750iL TT stage III (Guido - The Beast)
    '94 850 CSi The Detroit Auto Show car (restored to factory perfect) (sold)
    '96 850Ci, The George Carlin car
    ''73 3.0 csi, '08 535i, '03 X5 4.6is
    ...and a few other non BMW cars

  3. #28
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    Here is one of the gears that I had cast to replace the split gear on seat rail mechanism. They don't look great and need to be cleaned and polished a bit. I also had a machinist true the bore and size it to fit the spline gear shaft that is inside the seat rail. He pressed the gear onto the shaft almost like a broaching job because splines in gear did not come out well enough in casting.

    Here is the link to shop that has made replacement gears in the past. You do need to send your gear to him so he can use it for a pattern but I think it is destroyed in casting method he uses so he can only make one gear at a time. I had a mold made so I can reproduce the gear multiple times but I used brass so its not as easy to press onto shaft as plastic would be.

    http://www.odometergears.com/product...s+E31+89-99/40


    IMG_20180120_151459486.jpg
    Last edited by JDP530; 09-16-2018 at 11:28 PM. Reason: add

  4. #29
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    cartoonz,

    The second link you show in your post above does not come up for me. Can you provide a better link? Looking to do this job soon, and want all the info I can find! Thanks for your help.

    Gary Knox
    Gary Knox

    '97 BMW 840 Ci
    '03 MB SL55 AMG
    '07 Mini Cooper S hatchback
    '09 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
    '13 Audi A8
    '90 MB 560 SEC and '94 Porsche 928 GTS recently departed but long enjoyed
    50 or so others over the past 70 years of driving

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Knox View Post
    cartoonz,

    The second link you show in your post above does not come up for me. Can you provide a better link? Looking to do this job soon, and want all the info I can find! Thanks for your help.

    Gary Knox
    try the new link I put up... foolish to name a file with spaces in it, that's a PDF with pics
    '91 Dinan 860 Stage III (new 6L engine)
    '91 Dinan 850 TT stage III (brand new engine) 21st Century Tech meets 18th Century Dinan...
    '91 850i 6sp (mint) (sold)
    '90 Dinan 750iL TT stage III (Guido - The Beast)
    '94 850 CSi The Detroit Auto Show car (restored to factory perfect) (sold)
    '96 850Ci, The George Carlin car
    ''73 3.0 csi, '08 535i, '03 X5 4.6is
    ...and a few other non BMW cars

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    West Chester, PA
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    BMWs:74 3.0 CS, 97 840Ci
    Thank you Cartoonz. Perfect and very helpful.

    Gary
    Gary Knox

    '97 BMW 840 Ci
    '03 MB SL55 AMG
    '07 Mini Cooper S hatchback
    '09 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
    '13 Audi A8
    '90 MB 560 SEC and '94 Porsche 928 GTS recently departed but long enjoyed
    50 or so others over the past 70 years of driving

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    Page Arizona coconino cou
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    1991 BMW 850I CB73435
    Hi JDP530,
    Can you direct me to where you sourced these nylon gears. I am having trouble finding any gears for a 1991 850i seat with memory and heaters. I don't think the heated seat matters, but I understand that the memory feature has a different motor with a counter.I'm at a loss for finding parts, and apparently the E31 850i uses different parts. Can anyone tell me if the E32 750 Uses the same parts

  8. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by McKennaM View Post
    Hi JDP530,
    Can you direct me to where you sourced these nylon gears. I am having trouble finding any gears for a 1991 850i seat with memory and heaters. I don't think the heated seat matters, but I understand that the memory feature has a different motor with a counter.I'm at a loss for finding parts, and apparently the E31 850i uses different parts. Can anyone tell me if the E32 750 Uses the same parts
    One source for the plastic is gear is here: http://www.odometergears.com/product...s+E31+89-99/40

    You will need to send your gear for him to mold another and he can only make one gear for each gear sent in.

  9. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    Page Arizona coconino cou
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    1991 BMW 850I CB73435
    Thank you for the information JDP530, is this seat rail mechanism unique to the 850 series?
    Did you get the brass gears from the previously mentioned Odometergears, if not may I ask where you procured the replacement part's.
    Again, thank you for your time.
    Last edited by McKennaM; 10-10-2018 at 08:54 PM.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by McKennaM View Post
    Thank you for the information JDP530, is this seat rail mechanism unique to the 850 series?
    Did you get the brass gears from the previously mentioned Odometergears, if not may I ask where you procured the replacement part's.
    Again, thank you for your time.
    I have no idea of this rail is used in any other models. I could not find the correct replacement gears through any sources I checked. But, Odometergears can cast a plastic gear if you provide him with the old one.

    I had a vulcanized mold made of the gear from my seat. Then we cast a few of them in brass. My machinist squared up the gears and drilled them so they could be pressed onto shaft. I will send you a PM.

  11. #36
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    Thank you all again for the advice and assist.
    MM

  12. #37
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    BMWs:74 3.0 CS, 97 840Ci
    JDP530,

    Would you also include me on the info you sent McKennaM via a PM? IF it is easier to do via email, I'll forward you my email address.

    Thanks for help.

    Gary
    Gary Knox

    '97 BMW 840 Ci
    '03 MB SL55 AMG
    '07 Mini Cooper S hatchback
    '09 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
    '13 Audi A8
    '90 MB 560 SEC and '94 Porsche 928 GTS recently departed but long enjoyed
    50 or so others over the past 70 years of driving

  13. #38
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    May 2019
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
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    1995 840Ci Cosmos Black
    Just a quick shout-out to all of the folks who've documented repairing the Seat Twist issue. My rail gears were fine, but the outboard (driver's left side) driver's cable end had retracted by 3/8". About an hour's work later and the driver's seat is moving properly again (but still reversed under manual control until the SMM is repaired). Now to fix the passenger seat twist and repair the lumbar supports. All in good time! Thanks again to all that have come before and helped address this!

  14. #39
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
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    Northern VA
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    1991 BMW 850i

    E31 Seat Twist repair service

    Hello everyone, I finally decided to tackle this seat twist repair for my driver side seat. As I tried to test the cable with a drill I could feel that the cable was just spinning without any resistance also I could literally slide the cable out from the casing - is this by design OR and indicator of broken cable.
    Last edited by akatoch; 05-07-2021 at 05:51 PM.
    ========
    91 850i 6-speed, 2018 M550 - wife mobile, Lexus GX460 - Family mobile

  15. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by akatoch View Post
    Hello everyone, I finally decided to tackle this seat twist repair for my driver side seat. As I tried to test the cable with a drill I could feel that the cable was just spinning without any resistance also I could literally slide the cable out from the casing - is this by design OR and indicator of broken cable.
    Pull the cable out of the sheath (Do NOT pull out the sheath from frame) and see if the end if balled up. If so, you need a cable. If not, you need a gear.

  16. #41
    Join Date
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    1992 BMW 325is
    Sorry for reviving this thread. I have 95 840 Ci non sport and looking to refurbish front seats. Does anyone know if this seat design was shared with other models and where would be a good place to look for replacement of bottom cushions and back rests leather? It is Lt silver gray based on mdecoder info.
    thank you in advance!

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