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When you attach ground to tank make sure you clean coating from tank as coating is nonconductive. I used star shakeproof washer on upper surface of predrilled hole in tank

The welding shop that is building my drive shaft comes highly recommended within my local classic car community.
I just did not know that they offered that service until I asked someone.

I was inspecting the front seat frame this morning. Does the seat frame come off the adjustable frame? I see 2 bolts on either side and possibly a pair of roll pins under the front end of it. Is that all that is holding the two sections together?

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That frame is a bit different from both of mine so others will be more familiar with where or what needs to be unbolted to get it free from the tracks. As far as removing the roll pins, they are a PIA!! Not only are they in extremely tight but there is no real room to use persuasion to help them out. If the center front bracket welded to the seat frame is like mine, the support is somewhat weak and will not stand up to much persuasion anyway.

Packard issued an article about making a tool to help remove the pins. I made something similar and also modified a C clamp to press the roll pins out. A photo of what I made and the experience I had are here.

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Well, those two roll pins in the front seat frame were not too bad. I removed both motors to give me more room. The pins only took about 20 to 30 minutes. The PITA was that spring. You didn't warn me about that spring. I was afraid it would disembowel me. I'll need another set of hands when it comes time to put it back on.
I did bend one of the bolts as the two sections separated.
The frame needs a lot of serious cleaning but not sure yet just how far I am going to dissemble the frame to accomplish that job.
The good news is, I just talked to my interior guy and I can take the first load of seats and door panels out to him next week for him to get started on. He also comes highly recommended by the local car folks. He actually did some work on m fathers boat about 30 years. ago.

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Glad your pins came out so easily. Comparing brackets, yours is different than the one on my seat. Yours is much thicker and deeper whereas the one on mine looks like they took a piece of U shaped channel iron and only welded at the top front. As to the spring, another difference -- probably both differences due to my frame is 56 Caribbean specific and was designed and built by an outside vendor. My spring was not too hard to put on but the seat needs to be all the way forward on the tracks so spring is almost relaxed to do it.

I got up in my shop's attic this morning to drag down some more of the interior stuff. Nearby was the original dashboard and right there I found that little bracket that holds the emergency brake that I asked about a couple of weeks ago. I've looked everywhere it.

Also, a few years ago I found a marble-sized, ball bearing on my shop floor near my parts shelves. I had no clue what it came from but I dropped it into the bottom of a pencil cup on my bench. This afternoon when I was dissembling the front seat frame a single ball bearing fell out where there should have been two. Remarkably I remembered where I put the one I found. I can't even remember where I put that stupid wrench that I was just using but I knew exactly where that bearing was.

I got the power seat frame completely dissembled today. Now I can put the two tracks into my blast cabinet and clean them up. I might take the two motors to a shop to be checked out. The wires are brittle and cracked.

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You might want to check that the collar like end of the tube they are using for a stop on the worm drive tubes is in good shape and the tube cannot drive into the end mount. One of mine was shot and the tube kept going too far and getting jammed in the recess. The link I gave a few posts ago for the roll pin tool goes to a thread I started about that issue and finally adding a limit switch so the tube could not reach the end.

In addition to the cracked motor wires also look at the little rubber coupling that goes on the shafts between the motor and worm drive. If that is dry and cracked the metal segments that go in the slots and provide the connection can twist out.

Howard, I read the thread that you provided the link on. I understand what you did and why you did it, I don't get all the technicals but that is ok for now.
If I understand right correctly, as long as tube collars are in good shape I don't have to worry about the seat going too far forward. Is that correct?

I got one of the tracks cleaned up today. When I pulled them apart yesterday, only two ball bearings fell out of each track. Shouldn't there have been 4 bearings on each side? It's odd because both sides only had bearings in the rear. It's quite obvious that the tracks were built for 4 on each side.

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I can not see my track to count the number -- and I may not have the same track -- but if there are spaces for 4 per side then that is probably what it takes.

You might check the travel of the horizontal screw adjuster and if the track can go full range or at least within an inch of full range without the space where a ball would go running into the end of the track at either end and stopping the motion then you are probably correct. Ross might have a track sitting around and could tell you the number or if there are supposed to be less.

I don't know what size those balls are but McMaster has a good assortment at not terrible prices if you need more.

On the collar wear, if you can screw the tube all the way to the drive without the end of the tube getting stuck anywhere in the housing then yours is probably OK. My tube would jam in the pot metal housing and motor was sometimes unable to back it out.

The folks taking a look at the power seat motors called this morning. Both motors are toast. I have already contacted Packard Southwest about getting another pair.

I ordered a package of 25, 1/2 ball bearings for the seat track. The front bearings must have fallen out long before I got this car. You can see the groves that are worn into the underside of the track in the photos below.

Since the only bearing that fell out were the ones in front, I cannot help but wonder about the problem that Howard had with the track moving too far forward. That is just a guess until I get it all back together.

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