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Sport seat lumbar bladder replacement

Inertia 500

Active member
Joined
Mar 15, 2005
Messages
32
Location
Georgia
Corvette
1986 dark red coupe Z-51
Has anyone replaced the lumbar bladder in their sport seat(s)? I took apart the driver's side seat from my '86 yesterday but would like some confirmation that I did it right. The factory manual gives instructions for replacing the bladder and the way I interpreted them you have to remove the seat back upholstery to get to the bladder. I removed the hog rings that secure the leather seat back cover to the seat frame and pulled the lower half of the seat cover away from the seat, exposing the foam seat cushion. To my surprise, there was no bladder there. :confused The three clear plastic tubes were just stuffed into the seat back but were not connected to anything. I'm assuming that in the past someone removed the bladder but I want to make sure that it isn't hidden inside the seat foam or something. I never could figure out how to remove the hard plastic seat back shell but it doesn't seem to be necessary to do so.

Also I noticed that the inside of the leather seat cover was lined with a black rubber material but it has deterioriated and fallen apart. Any wisdom out there about what this material was for and if I should replace it with something else?

Thanks!
 
Your manual should show four clips that secure the upholstery to the seat back, two near mid-top, and two near mid-bottom. The bladder should be located between the foam and the leather.

I hope you are not going through this trouble to replace your bladders when the pump my be faulty.
 
Thanks for the reply 6speeder. The four clips are the hog rings that I removed. Since the bladder is no longer there (removed by someone in the past) I have no choice but to replace it. The pump is also completely ruined and must be replaced. The plastic crankshaft that slips onto the motor shaft is broken, and the diaphragm housing is cracked and falling apart.
 
Here is one source for replacement parts: http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=3.6084

You are looking at about $230 for parts..... might want to consider a designer pillow........

If the passenger side pump needs new a diaphragm, pm me your address and I will mail you some, or if you have a 1.25" gasket cutter, you can make your own from an old bicycle inner tube.
 
Hey 6speeder,

Thanks for the offer on the diaphram. I haven't taken apart the passenger's seat yet so I don't know what shape everything is in.

You are right about the cost. I ordered the whole system for the driver's side from Eckler's - pump, switch assembly and bladder. Seems like all the old plastic parts had become brittle were falling apart.
 
Inertia 500 said:
Has anyone replaced the lumbar bladder in their sport seat(s)? I took apart the driver's side seat from my '86 yesterday but would like some confirmation that I did it right. The factory manual gives instructions for replacing the bladder and the way I interpreted them you have to remove the seat back upholstery to get to the bladder. I removed the hog rings that secure the leather seat back cover to the seat frame and pulled the lower half of the seat cover away from the seat, exposing the foam seat cushion. To my surprise, there was no bladder there. :confused The three clear plastic tubes were just stuffed into the seat back but were not connected to anything. I'm assuming that in the past someone removed the bladder but I want to make sure that it isn't hidden inside the seat foam or something. I never could figure out how to remove the hard plastic seat back shell but it doesn't seem to be necessary to do so.

Also I noticed that the inside of the leather seat cover was lined with a black rubber material but it has deterioriated and fallen apart. Any wisdom out there about what this material was for and if I should replace it with something else?

Thanks!

I can now answer my own question. The black rubber material stuck to the inside of the seat cover was the old bladder! :L It had completely deterioriated from age. What threw me is that the replacement bladders are made from clear material, but the original was made from black material.
 
All I get out of the pump is a click sound when I hit the switch! Does that indicate that the pump is bad? It does the smae thing on both side!
 
All I get out of the pump is a click sound when I hit the switch! Does that indicate that the pump is bad? It does the smae thing on both side!

the pump diaphram is held to the reciprocating pump piston by a philips head screw and the outer edge of the diaphram is trapped by the housing cover, so the diaphram keeps the piston in position...when the diaphram disintegrates, the piston cocks sideways and jams in its running chamber as the pump drive tries to start up --hence the ''click''.

hearing the click is good -- means the pump motor, switch, and wiring are all ok, just need a new pump diaphram (cost $o.oo if you cut em from the cuff of an old dishwashing glove that the wif wuz gonna trash anyway, cost a bit more if you must buy a PAIR of new gloves -- one glove cuff will make abt a dozen pump diaphrams)
 
Speed thanks for the help. I wasnt sure what I was getting into with this. Is it possible to change the diaprham without taking the pump out of the seat ? I don't know but if possible I will try that! Thans for the help.
 
I usually frequent another forum, but I thought I'd add a thought to this thread.

I can now answer my own question. The black rubber material stuck to the inside of the seat cover was the old bladder! :L It had completely deterioriated from age. What threw me is that the replacement bladders are made from clear material, but the original was made from black material.

I know what you mean. Mine looked like this:
seatBladder.jpg


I also put together a little guide to sport seat repair. If you want to take a look its at:
http://www.geocities.com/gamextremist/corvette/page3.htm
 

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