13 replies to this topic

[Spannermanal]

1975 Mini 850

Hi,I'm trying to refit the seat belts on the mini and I just can't get the inertia reel to work properly - tugging sharply as you would in a crash etc.

It's a long time since I took them out and I want to check that I have gone about it the right way!

Bolted the sill and door pillar bolts no problem.

Mounted the inertia reel on the outside of the companion bin, with the locating lug on the reel going through the hole just above the main bolt hole. Fitted the metal fixing plate on the inside of the companion bin, tighten the bolt and the seatbelt goes in and out fine, but does not latch when tugged. Checked both belts and they are the same.

I took the reel off and held loose, I can get the belts to operate correctly.

What am I missing!!

The Haynes manual doesn't cover this - or at least I can'f find it.

[1984mini25]

Mounted the inertia reel on the outside of the companion bin, with the locating lug on the reel going through the hole just above the main bolt hole. Fitted the metal fixing plate on the inside of the companion bin, tighten the bolt and the seatbelt goes in and out fine, but does not latch when tugged. Checked both belts and they are the same.

They mount the other way round, the reel inside the companion bin and the bolt/washer on the outside.

[tommy13]

As above, the reel should be on the inside of the bin. Some early Minis had reels which locked with some sort of inertia device, and just pulling the belt smartly would not lock them. To test these you had to put one arm in the bin, pull the belt and thump the back of the reel at the same time to see if it locks.
Whilst you need to know the belts will lock for your own peace of mind you may be shocked to know that although many MOT testers pull the belts to see if the lock, it is not actually part of the test and therefore a non locking belt cannot be failed.

[Spannermanal]

Tried to fit them on inside of bin but this doesn't look right. I have attached some photos. What is the hole on the front of the bin for - there is some kind of enclosure on the inside of the bin, but I can't see how anything gets attached to this.

I guess I am using the correct holes at the bottom?

Now very confused!

Attached Files

•  Photo0001.jpg   565.16K   9 downloads
•  Photo0003.jpg   539.42K   8 downloads
•  Photo0002.jpg   651.56K   9 downloads

[xBR4DLEY]

No , they are mounted on the side side nearer where the seatbelt is mounted onto the sill but on the inside of the bin. Does that help? The hole you have in the other picture anyway .....

[megamini_jb]

doesnt the seat belt reel thingy fit in the rear bin pocket and it bolts on using the hole on the front of the bin (single hole)... correct me if im wrong. lol

[mini danny]

here you go look on pic to the right

[1984mini25]

Tried to fit them on inside of bin but this doesn't look right. I have attached some photos. What is the hole on the front of the bin for - there is some kind of enclosure on the inside of the bin, but I can't see how anything gets attached to this.

I guess I am using the correct holes at the bottom?

Now very confused!

Those DON’T look like standard mounting holes (maybe the others might like to look closer)

So you’re probably right in that the seat belts mount the way you had them first time round and could just be something up with the seat belts themselves.

[Spannermanal]

Right, just tried it mounted internally on the front of the bin and it doesn't fit - the metal fixing bar (with the threaded hole in it) does not fit on the inside of the reel mechanism. Tried fitting on the inside of the side (so the threaded hole bar is on the outside face of the bin) and this does work either, not does it look right.

Can anyone take a photograph of what it should look like - bearing in mind I have a 1975 model.

looked in the Moss catalog and that doesn't help either.

God it's cold outside!

[pikey7]

if they've been fitted to the outside of the bins like that for a while, then you may have another problem in that they will have been rubbing and chafing on the bins for a while and may have frayed to the point where they are no longer safe. Also, even fitted there, I would have thought they should have latched with a sharp tug. Probably wouldn't have worked properly in an actual accident, but still should lock statically.

edit. Looking at your pic a bit closer, they don't look like standard belts. Probably why they don't fit in a standard place and why a PO has bodged them into where they were. They are probably not even the vertical outlet ones which is why they don't latch when pulled.

Time for new belts.

Edited by pikey7, 18 December 2010 - 08:36 PM.

[Spannermanal]

here you go look on pic to the right

You have a later car than me with offset dash and five switches on the panel. Perhaps later cars are different?

[mini danny]

here you go look on pic to the right

You have a later car than me with offset dash and five switches on the panel. Perhaps later cars are different?

its 1979

[Spannermanal]

if they've been fitted to the outside of the bins like that for a while, then you may have another problem in that they will have been rubbing and chafing on the bins for a while and may have frayed to the point where they are no longer safe. Also, even fitted there, I would have thought they should have latched with a sharp tug. Probably wouldn't have worked properly in an actual accident, but still should lock statically.

edit. Looking at your pic a bit closer, they don't look like standard belts. Probably why they don't fit in a standard place and why a PO has bodged them into where they were. They are probably not even the vertical outlet ones which is why they don't latch when pulled.

Time for new belts.

I don't think so. The car is very original and only has 48,000 miles on it. The fixings look properly formed and they are exactly the same on both sides. The seat belts are Kangol. Any help?

[pikey7]

kangol mostly make aftermarket belts, but in the 70s, they could have also made some OE stuff. AFAIK though, britax made standard fit austin belts, so it still kinda points to being the wrong ones.

those holes (the pattern of 4) are unlike anything i've ever seen as standard. they do look very very suspiciously like aftermarket parts. In '75, you wouldn't have necessarily had seatbelts fitted as standard, so i guess it was just a question of cheapest and easiest way of fitting something for when the law changed saying you had to wear them.

Quite honestly, look in the classified ads here... you'll pick a pair of genuine used ones up for a song. (ask on the breaking cars too.. preferably the rotten ones not the crashed ones! you never know...)

edit: don't forget the buckles on the tunnel too, different manufacturers have different shaped buckles.

Edited by pikey7, 18 December 2010 - 08:52 PM.