Power Seat Actuator cleaning & service

The front and rear actuators can be disassembled once they are removed from the track, but their cable attachment orientation is different for the front and rear actuators. The actuator that moves the sear front to rear, cannot be disassembled, so it needs to be cleaned in a different method. More on that later. Removal requires the seat be removed from the car first, and then removing the track assembly. Below are the pictures of what they look like internally.
This is an actuator prior to being disassembled in the down position.



Here it is in the fully extended position.



Here is what the inside looks like with the "guts" removed.



Here is what the "guts" consist of, laid out in the position that they would be assembled into the actuator....



Now that you see the internal parts, you can see that it isn't going to be very difficult to take them apart, clean, lubricate, and reassemble. One word of caution, make sure that you photograph each step, and that you don't get the convex washer in backward. Take each one apart, clean, and reassemble before doing the next. That way, if you loose your way, you have another to get you back on track. I used high temperature wheel bearing grease on mine, since you need to pack them fully, and you don't want the grease leaking out. There is no seals on the bottom of the actuators.
This is the actuator greased and reassembled. Note that there is a washer at the bottom that has a raised section. This raised section fits into a hole in the track to keep everything centered. Also, the washer is the last thing to go back on, since it needs to be off to get the gear shaft in. Also, note that the plastic retainers of the gear shaft are color coded. This is important, so you make sure that you have them properly oriented.



Here is what the actuator looked like when I removed it from the seat track. As you can see it was very crusted with sand and other debris. It wouldn't move up or down.


Here I have removed just the bottom washer exposing the bearing. This bearing is what makes everything move smoothly, and it is important that it isn't damaged. Clear it well and examine for any cracks, etc..




Next to come out is the worm gear shaft and retainers. Note there position on the shaft.

From this point, my hands were greasy, so I stopped taking pictures, and started cleaning. The following pictures you will see the parts, and how they go together.

You will note that in these pictures, there is no grease. That is because I put it together "dry" for taking pictures. They come apart so easily, that it takes about 5 minutes to grease one. The difficult part of this job is getting all the old hard grease out of the various parts. I soaked the parts and did a lot of cleaning with a tooth brush, tooth pick, and a rag. Cleaning each unit took over an hour, not counting the soaking time.

Here is the final step that needs to be done. You need to set the actuators to there lowest point after they are bolted back onto the seat track. To do this, using a square bit of the type that goes on a replaceable bit screwdriver, turn the adjusting shaft till the top shaft is fully retracted. Also, be careful when reinstalling the actuator to the track that you only snug it up, because they are made of die-cast, and it breaks easily. Also make sure that it is properly seated before tightening the bolts.
Below is a picture of the cable shaft where you will make this adjustment.

If I can be of any assistance, please post your questions below. I will do the power seat transmission disassembly and cleaning in a new thread.

Next is the center actuator. This is the one that moves the seat for and aft. It cannot be disassembled for cleaning, I had to resort to another method. I soaked the unit in some stale gasoline in a soup can (I know that it is flammable, but I don't smoke!), until the old grease was dissolved. Then using a small brush (see picture), I cleaned the gears, and turned the adjuster till I was able to get all the gears clean. You can purchase this small brush in the plumbing isle of your local home improvement store, or hardware store.





Then I put it back into the can and agitated it with a wooden dowel. Blew out the unit with compressed air, and soaked some more, until I felt it was totally void of any old grease. A couple of hours in the sun will make all remnants of the cleaning fluid evaporate, leaving you with a unit that is ready for the next step.







Now the unit is ready for greasing. I used high temp wheel bearing grease in a 10 ML syringe to push the grease in through the small hole in the top of the actuator.


The actuator will take the full 10 ML of grease to fill it.
Using this tool, I was able to turn the gear to fully disperse the grease in the case.




Here you can see the small hole that you will be pushing the grease into using the 10 ML or larger syringe. You can purchase a syringe, without the needle at your local pharmacy, or ask your veterinarian for one. In most states, it is not illegal to possess the syringe that has no needle attached to it.

Now that I have covered all the actuators, I will address the seat tracks themselves. The upper part of the seat tracks are the same right and left. The lower sections are specific to each side of the seat.
Here are the right and left lower tracks that bolt to the floor. Note that there is a brass gear that the above actuator engages. The actuator is attached to the upper seat track, and that is the movable part of the seat track.



The actuator described in the last post sets in the rectangular opening in the upper seat track, and depending on its orientation, determines if it will be a right or left side track, when fully assembled.



The actuators described in the beginning of this post are situated in the front and rear of the upper seat track. In the above picture, you can see one end and the hole that centers the actuator at the bottom. The top of the actuator pivots in the raised sections of the upper seat track at each ends, as shown in the picture below.

The upper and lower tracks will need to have lubrication between them, and to keep everything moving smoothly, once again I will use the high temp wheel bearing grease, but sparingly, except for lubricating the long gear in the lower track. It is the most important that this be properly lubricated for a smooth moving seat. On the lower section, there are 4 plastic "shoes" that keep the upper track in alignment. If your tracks have not been properly lubricated, there is a strong chance that these will be damaged, as were mine.



The one on the left is the only good one that I was able to use, and I was lucky enough to find some NOS ones through a friend. In the below picture, you can see one "shoe" mounted in the lower track, and there is a cut out for one "shoe" in each corner.



Note the round stud at the end of the gear in the lower track. There is one at each end of the gear, and thes stops that keeps the track from going too far in either direction. You will need to put the center actuator into its proper location only after the upper and lower track sections are assembled. Before you attach the cables, make sure that you have the end actuators properly sequenced, either fully up or fully down, and the center actuator either fully forward or rearward. If you don't do this, you will damage the seat transmission and / or the cables.

Seats

I'll send you all these to do.

you get a rocking seat that plastic spacer is normal the culprit. they let the seat rock enough and you lose the roller and your done.