308 Seatbelt Replacement - $95 + 1 hour | FerrariChat

308 Seatbelt Replacement - $95 + 1 hour

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by 4Webers, Aug 6, 2006.

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  1. 4Webers

    4Webers Formula Junior

    Nov 12, 2003
    276
    Texas
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    Darrell
    #1 4Webers, Aug 6, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    For those of you like me who are sick of their old worn-out seatbelt getting bunched up and stuck in the shoulder pulley (and breaking the plastic cover too), I finally found a solution that doesn't cost $400 for the factory replacement. International Auto Parts' 3-point seat belt kit (PN30112, $95) works great, but you need to swap the male latch half on the replacement with the original so that you can use the original female latch half (~1 hour). You will need to either cut the old belt to get the latch off, or you can completely dis-assemble the original retractor to get at the end of the spool and remove the belt that way (see Birdman's post for instructions). I ended up doing both, because I ran out of patience trying to get the old belt off of the spool, plus the old belt was useless anyway. The replacement retractor comes apart very easily, and it was easy to get the new belt off of its spool. Be careful when the belt is fully un-spooled, as the spool spring will be very wound up and ready to retract at a nasty rate once the belt is off. I used a binder clamp to hold the spool in place while I put the old latch onto the new belt. Don't forget to thread the belt through the replacement housing before re-attaching to the spool (like I did the first time).

    The replacement retractor bolts right back where the original was, and I think that it even looks better than the original, as the spool is completely covered instead of half-exposed like the original is. The shoulder pulley is an EXACT replica of the early-308 factory pulleys, and the replacement plastic cover will even snap right onto the original pulley. Apparently the later 308's have a slightly different shape to the pulley and cover, but I'm sure that the replacement pulley/cover will work in those cars if you want to use it.

    One last warning, the bolts that hold the retractor and anchor the seatbelt end are full of locktite and hard to get out the first time. On mine, the threads of the captive nut at the seatbelt end got messed up just from removing that bolt, and I had to buy a tap to clean them out before I could get the bolt back in.
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  2. Mike C

    Mike C F1 Veteran
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    Aug 3, 2002
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    Nice! Thanks for sharing!
     
  3. don_xvi

    don_xvi F1 Rookie

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    Don the 16th
    +1
     
  4. thecarreaper

    thecarreaper F1 World Champ
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    Sep 30, 2003
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    Savannah
    excellent thread ! ancient seatbelts can be a real pain on an everyday basis!
     
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Definately should be replaced due to age now on the older cars, no matter the appearance......nice work!
     
  6. don_xvi

    don_xvi F1 Rookie

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    Don the 16th
    +1
    I'm up to 2 so far !

    Recall that racing sanctioning bodies require that belts be replaced at 5 (?) years of age due to deterioration (UV, I suppose). Not sure if the materials used are quite the same as in production belts or not, but I think this is a good move for all of us.
     
  7. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    I just mention it as my old cars (run on the street) have the original units....

    As Denny Hulme once said, "Speed is non negotiable." RIP.....

    I like to heed advice like that...;)
     
  8. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
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    Dec 28, 2003
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    I never thought of taking the belt off the new one. I thought they would be sewn on that end as well. I have a new set but also bought new latches and was going to swap out the whole set. Maybe I'll look at taking them apart so I can keep the original latch!
     
  9. 4Webers

    4Webers Formula Junior

    Nov 12, 2003
    276
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Darrell
    The whole process would have been extremely easy if the opening where the belt goes through on the original latch wasn't so small. I was able to squeeze the replacement latch off of the end of the new belt, but there was no way to get the old latch back on the same way.

    It's amazing how a little thing like a nice new belt that doesn't stick in the pulley makes driving the car more enjoyable. That, and the old stretched and shaggy belt probably would have ripped in two if I ever needed it.
     
  10. ATSAaron

    ATSAaron Formula 3
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    Anyone have photos of disassembling the aftermarket seatbelt?

    Aaron
     
  11. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
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    Just unroll it all the way to the end. What you'll see is the belt going through a slot with a loop in the other end that has a rod in it. You push the belt back through the slot, pull the rod out and then pull the belt back through the slot. Just be careful because the spool is spring loaded and will uncoil. I just used a clamp to hold it in place while I swapped the buckles out.
     
  12. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 11, 2004
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    Looks really nice!!!
     
  13. ATSAaron

    ATSAaron Formula 3
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    Got it. The spring unwound, but I kept it in it's little cover, so I just had to wind it some when I reinstalled it. Looks as good as 4Webers now. Interior is so much more comfortable now. My old seatbelt locked up immediately; in fact you had to tickle the mechanism just to get it out enough to latch. After that you were locked into the seat.

    Aaron
     

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