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seat cover replacement

Seat  cover removeal.

start with this thread on how to get at the retainer for the head rest.
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=24336

Unzip seat cover and remove the little lever do hicky on the rear lower part of the seat and seat belt guide thing on top.

Tilt seat forward

Reach up inside the seat cover and you will find the assembly that guides your head rest.
feel for the clip mentioned in the above link.

now feel for the thin sheet metal track that guides your head rest.

Position head rest almost all the way down into the seat.

From the bottom of the back side of the seat, slide hacksaw blade on the front side of the headrest mount but inside the sheet metal track. It is not easy to over come the tention of the clips but this step is required to keep constant presure on the clips.

once you have your hacksaw blade stuffed up in between the sheet metal guide and the headrest mount and have over came two points of tension from the heavy duty retainer sping clips, you can now yank up on the head rest to remove the whole unit. 

Now you can simply pull / yank up on the plastic trim piece that sticks down into the seat back.

now you can roll up your seat cover but only a couple inches.

there are two veritcal rods on each side of the seat wich are hooked inward at the bottom and held with metal ring crimps.

pry out the metal rods from the rings.  You may need to open up the ring slightly or pry them apart in order to get the rods free.

once the rods are not held by the rings, you can carefull extract the rods bringing them out the bottom.

now roll seat cover up to the next set of PITA metal rings.

open rings or whatever it takes to relase the seat cover metal rod from the seat back metal rod.

now finish lifting cover off

install new cover which will be rolled up half way.

use zip ties instead of the metal rings to re-secure the halfway point seat back cover to the metal rods.

now roll down the remaining portion of seat cover

now install the two vertical metal rods back in place. Note- the top portion of the metal rods are placed behind the horizontal metal rods you found in the middle of the seat back.

zipper the seat shut

take headrest assembly over to the vise and secure it with the knotch up.  File down the sharp 90deg angles on the notch so that each side is now 45deg.  Why? so the next time you want the headrest off, you can pull it out easy as pie.  I know,, I tried it and it works perfect.

insert your headrest pieces parts and your little cover on the rear of the seat back.,, done.

While you are at it, and you have this type of console, see if the loose feeling in the console can be the same problem I had.  The seat pivit bolt on the armrest side was loose.  I tightened it down and the sheetmetal in the seat back was stripped out.  Also, there was significant play in the pivit area. I added washers under the torx bolt head and added a nut to the bolt end.  This was a perfect fix for my problem with the arm rest feeling loose all the time.

PS. shop manual says to come into the front top side of headrest with a thin metal sheetmetal and insert that down into the headrest track. I had **ZERO** clearance for this option so i chose to do the same process coming in from the bottom of the seat.

good luck,, enjoy the many cuts on your hands.




seat cover replacement

Reply #4
I noticed the same problem with the instructions from the book, No clearance for the piece of metal at the top. I was going to go from the bottom as you did. Glad to see that idea works.

Good job Scott
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
***** Project "EVOLUTION" 1987 Cougar LS  & 1985 Cougar Convertible *****
[/COLOR]
5.0 HO 306 roller block, machined GT-40P heads, Wiseco dished forged pistons, Eagle forged floating I-beam connecting rods, Lunati pushrods, ARP bolts, Scorpion aluminum 1.6 rockers, Comp Cams Magnum 266HR, Explorer intake, 65mm TB, MAF Conversion, 19# injectors, Ford Racing stainless P-headers, 2-1/2" cat-less exhaust w/ Flowtech Afterburner lers , SC AOD with 2800 BDR torque converter, 3.73 T-Lok rear, CHE rear control arms, full 2-1/2" frame w/1" jacking rails & seat supports, Rear disk brakes, Turbine wheels, All original interior w/ floor shift upgrade .......
Pretty much every panel on my 87 is new, rebuilt, or re constructed. :D
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seat cover replacement

Reply #5
thanks,
the only thing that i could get to work was the hacksaw blade.  sheet metal that thin would bend, the slim jim bent up also.

that spring tab system is very strong.  i tried to bend the tabs with a screw driver outward (forward) but they just held thier spot when I let it go.  i pryed pretty far out also, thats how i cut the tops of my hands rubbing all the metal framework insde the seat.

also, i placed a pass side seat back cover on the driver side.  you cant see the old lever hole very easy but there is no way to tape it in place on the rear.  I know you said you were doing rear pockets but i am not. just fyi.  I eyeballed the location where the new cut out would be with the zipper done and used a razor to cut out the new hole.

seat cover replacement

Reply #6
I'm going to give mine a try later today or tomorrow morning.
Let you know how I make out. Mabe I'll have more pics too. My seats are a bit different in the vert
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
***** Project "EVOLUTION" 1987 Cougar LS  & 1985 Cougar Convertible *****
[/COLOR]
5.0 HO 306 roller block, machined GT-40P heads, Wiseco dished forged pistons, Eagle forged floating I-beam connecting rods, Lunati pushrods, ARP bolts, Scorpion aluminum 1.6 rockers, Comp Cams Magnum 266HR, Explorer intake, 65mm TB, MAF Conversion, 19# injectors, Ford Racing stainless P-headers, 2-1/2" cat-less exhaust w/ Flowtech Afterburner lers , SC AOD with 2800 BDR torque converter, 3.73 T-Lok rear, CHE rear control arms, full 2-1/2" frame w/1" jacking rails & seat supports, Rear disk brakes, Turbine wheels, All original interior w/ floor shift upgrade .......
Pretty much every panel on my 87 is new, rebuilt, or re constructed. :D
Join us on Facebook

seat cover replacement

Reply #7
Ill post up some pics of Sport seat covering and foam replacement along with power recline "conversion".
1986 Cougar LS

seat cover replacement

Reply #8
somebody please post photos of sport seats) i've removed seatcovers in january)) and now i can't remember how to assemble them... :mad:
87' T-bird Sport

seat cover replacement

Reply #9
Where are this rod from?
Someone who remember please check am i correct in assembly of rearseat?
87' T-bird Sport

seat cover replacement

Reply #10
This is all I could find about the back seat. There may be more in another book I have.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
***** Project "EVOLUTION" 1987 Cougar LS  & 1985 Cougar Convertible *****
[/COLOR]
5.0 HO 306 roller block, machined GT-40P heads, Wiseco dished forged pistons, Eagle forged floating I-beam connecting rods, Lunati pushrods, ARP bolts, Scorpion aluminum 1.6 rockers, Comp Cams Magnum 266HR, Explorer intake, 65mm TB, MAF Conversion, 19# injectors, Ford Racing stainless P-headers, 2-1/2" cat-less exhaust w/ Flowtech Afterburner lers , SC AOD with 2800 BDR torque converter, 3.73 T-Lok rear, CHE rear control arms, full 2-1/2" frame w/1" jacking rails & seat supports, Rear disk brakes, Turbine wheels, All original interior w/ floor shift upgrade .......
Pretty much every panel on my 87 is new, rebuilt, or re constructed. :D
Join us on Facebook


 

seat cover replacement

Reply #12



















1986 Cougar LS


seat cover replacement

Reply #14
No order here. Just a lot of pics from when I recovered my seats.







































1986 Cougar LS