Hi guys, I just replaced my well worn passenger seat. Getting closer and closer to looking real sharp again. One thing, the "new" seat didn't come with the plastic (trying to think of the word) lever cover. Just the piece of bare metal to work the latch.

Good news is, my old seat has a perfectly good piece, I just have to figure out how to get it off without destroying it. Tried to just apply leverage, nothing happened and I stopped before the rectangular plastic surround I was forced to use as a fulcrum cra
Cracked.

Figured I better ask for advice. Might anyone remember how to get that plastic off? For clarity I'm talking about the plastic that your finger touches to raise the lever and release the seatback.
Thanks!
John

 

Johnken,

I found this old 2018 pic showing the metal lever which jogged my memory.

Unfortunately the plastic cover is a plastic POS "push fit" which clicks in place (note the grove in the metal). As you found, this won't easily come off without breaking it (or the plastic base cover) as there's just no access from the seat side. For me, I found a similar replacement from a Mazda/Ford in the scrap yard which was removeable, and just painted it and pushed it on. Not perfect and didn't match the other Jaguar side, but you'll never see both sides of the car at the same time.

 

it requires a fine jeweler's screw driver to release the clip on the plastic piece

 

David, Steve, thank you both!

John

 

Solved! The plastic cover is press fitted on. I could find absolutely no way to press release it, tools or not.

Finally I used a pair of long nose pliers. With the goal of spreading the force equally. It worked, but a tiny bit of plastic broke off. . . My successful reattach to the target seat shows it is not mechanically compromised.

FYI the plastic cover provides parallel clamshell protrusions to attach to the flat metal lever. This lever has a very small circular bump near the end on 1 side to link into that clamshell protrusion.

John

 

Does anyone know where I can get the plastic cover?

 

That's the million dollar question. I found a guy in Italy that makes them with a laser 3D printer but he won.t ship to the US due to custom problems. I think SNG Barrett may have the knob but not the escutcheon (parallel clam shell rectangular cover).