Step zero: Use the hardware from the old pillaged Jettas, but buy a new set
of belts from Potterman
Inaki
From: DocWyte <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: [A2-16v] The adventures of DocWyte and Molly the wonder dog...
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 14:09:17 -0700 (PDT)
As I gazed around my house and enjoyed the beautiful
weather, I decided to take my faithful companion,
Molly the wonder dog (yellow lab) and work on Project
GLI.
Project GLI ('90 GLI 2l 16v) was cursed from the
factory with the door mounted passive restraint seat
belts. Months ago I'd pillaged several older jettas
to get the needed parts to convert to "normal" 3 point
seatbelts. They'd been sitting on my workbench every
since.
Step one: Drag all parts out from the basement
workbench. Drop bag and watch in dismay as bolts and
washers fall on gravel driveway. Molly the wonder dog
spies a chipmunk and happily chases it. I start
picking up parts.
Step two: Bring all needed tools up from basement,
including Bentley manual. You DO have a Bentley
manual, right?
Step three: Dry fit all parts, seeing how they fit
together and making sure I have all the needed
hardware. I can't stress this enough, if you can't
figure out how things fit outside of the car, good
luck once you're inside the car!! Also, do yourself a
favor and get at least twice as many of the bolts as
you really need. You'll understand later in this
story why...
Step four: Remove front seats. Email me if you don't
know how... Molly the wonderdog promptly plunks
herself down on the seats, getting doghair everywhere.
Ugh...
Step five: Remove black plastic trim around edge of
carpet, be careful prying up the trim, the plastic
tabs get very brittle with age. That'll reveal two
phillips head screws that hold the lower B pillar trim
on.
Step six: Remove B pillar trim parts. Look at the
top of the B pillar and see what kind of threaded
holes you have up there. Some cars will only have one
threaded hole to accept a 17mm bolt (for fixed point
shoulder belt), others will have two threaded holes.
This is to hold the adjustable shoulder portion of the
"normal" belt system. Luckily I'd pillaged both from
the junkyard, otherwise I'd have been SOL.
Step seven: Evict Molly the wonderdog from front
seats. She looks at you mournfully until she sees the
squirrel on the other side of the yard, chase
ensues... Remove old lapbelt etc from front seats and
replace with "normal" belt anchor.
Step Eight: Mount inertial reel onto tabs on car.
Try to thread 17mm bolt into place by feel. Drop bolt
down into recess of car. Spout out choice 4 letter
words. Notice neighbor walking small children in
street. Blame Molly the wonder dog. Get magnet on a
stick and manage to fish bolt out and get it in place.
Torque to 29 ft lbs. Mount up lower B pillar trim.
Step Nine: Do the same on the passenger side of car.
Once again drop 17mm bolt into recess of car. Spout
more 4 letter words. Look guiltily around for small
children. See none. Remember next door neighbor runs
a day care center from her house. Blame Molly the
wonder dog again. Try to fish bolt out with magnet on
a stick. Can't find it, feel it etc. Get extra bolt
from bag (see what I mean?) mount up reel. Realize
car will have permenant rattle down there now.
Sigh... Molly is now rolling around yard with all
paws in the air...
Step Ten: Mount up adjustable shoulder point. It
uses two 6mm allen head bolts. Have I mentioned how
much I hate allen head bolts? Struggle to mount upper
B pillar trim. Have to do it three times before
everything is right. Mount up upper and lower belt
anchors, torque to 29 ft lbs. Passenger side goes
more smoothly.
Step Eleven: Reinstall seats, don't forget to hook up
harness for power recaros if so equipped.
Step Twelve: Time to remove old door mounted hookups.
The drivers side has a ground interupt circuit that
kept you from starting car without belt hooked up.
Step Twelve a: Remove two 5mm allen head bolts from
drivers side. Pull out seat belt hook up. Clip two
brown wires and wire them together. Voila, gorund
interupt circuit gone.
Step Twelve b: Attempt to remove passenger side allen
head bolts. Get the upper one out no sweat, lower one
strips out. Can't pound in next larger size allen
head socket. More choice 4 letter words. Molly gazes
at me mournfully...
Step Thirteen: Grab drill and drill out offending
allen head bolt. Use prybar and pop off bracket.
Smile triumphantly at Molly, who's more interested in
licking, uh, certain anatomical areas... Turn away...
Step Fourteen: Pull off brackets from front of B
pillar. Three phillips head screws, welded into
place. Have to use hammer to persuade them to come
out. Replace with plugs found in junkyard.
Step Fifteen: Say small prayer and attempt to start
car. Vrooommmm!! Success! Molly the wonder dog wags
her tail and barks in approval as she jumps into the
back seat to go for a ride...
Not too bad of a job, should only take 2 hours or so,
taking your time. One wrench on the 5 wrench scale.
Beer and a good dog increase chances of success...
-josh
=====
Josh Wyte
Momentum Motorsports
508-833-3024 After 5 pm EST
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