Front passanger seat flip latch - Mirada

[Buick_T]

Hello!
Sorry if this post seems hard to comprehend but I'll try my best.
Anyone have insight about the latch and/or release system on passanger side? The seat moves front and back from the release lever from the front under the seat. But the lever to flip the seat over to allow entering the rear seat was loose and not doing anything.
I took away the side panel and the lever but moving the lever's base up by hand does nothing. I can see a large gear-type part and (supposedly) a locking piece beneath it but I can't see how that is supposed to work.
Anyone have had to fix one of these or any pointers at what I should be looking at?

 

[Justwondering]

Buick_T -- Welcome.
You win the award for most interesting first-post in April 2023!

I've a 5th avenue, seats don't flip forward. What year, model is your car?
Are the seats original to your car?

JW

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Some of what you are seeing might also be related to the recline portion of the seat back with the chrome lever on the side rather then the release lever.

Buick_T -- Welcome.
You win the award for most interesting first-post in April 2023!

I've a 5th avenue, seats don't flip forward. What year, model is your car?
Are the seats original to your car?

JW

He said Mirada so it's an 80-83 which would have some differences then 4 door seats.

 

[Justwondering]

You know I didn't see Mirada in the post heading.
I must be blind today.
Too much excitement.
Sorry folks.
JW

 

[Buick_T]

The mystery is unfolding, to a degree.

The problem is (in theory) that the arm turning the mechanism does not stay in the pivot point (the rectangular base of the lever itself). These are seen left-most on the second image. When the lever is turned clock-wise it should turn the plate behind all the covers. When I pried the cover with a flat-head it released the seat and folded it forwards!

On the first photo we can see that the whole arm/plate-assembly is tilted downward, and that is the problem. Caused by what, that is now the big question! I can't see inside, but I am fairly sure some washer/retainer/take-a-guess has disintegrated in time. If I press the plate from the side to straigten the whole mechanism, the arm stays (relatively) firm around it's pivot point (again, where the latch is bolted) and even the lever on the front of the seat works ways better since the wire gets a bit tighter as it is supposed to.

For now all I came up was try to add some kind of washers or lock rings behind the plate around the stud to pry it backwards basically straightening it. Nylon would propably be best but a metal lock ring would propably be only thing that would actually stay there. Kind of hesitant to add any friction in there though...

The problem is indeed that I can not see a clear way to remove anything to resolve the actual problem without drilling and grinding, ultimately leading to more things broken and to repair, even replace.

Maybe if anyone had a photo of these things from some other Mirada (or 2 door car of the era) it could help if something was clearly missing.

EDIT: Oh, and the arm between the actual mechanism and the pivot point is held on place with a nut which only loosely turns around but does not move neither in or out. It could be designed that way but more than likely it has just busted threads on the stud. I first presumed it might be the problem until realising how tilted the assy on the seat-end really was.

 

[Aspen500]

I've never seen one, on any make of car, that could be dissassembled and repaired without, as you said, drilling and grinding. It was always a remove and replace operation when they were worn out or broken. Sorry, that doesn't help you much though.