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MG MGB Technical - Headrest removal

71 roadster. I want to remove the head rests to fit some seatbelt guides to the top of the seats.
The belts keep falling on the floor when getting in and out of the vehicle. Do the headrests just pull out or is there a trick to it, if they just pull out mine appear to be stuck.
Trevor Harvey

Put the hood down, stand on the rear shelf, put hands round the bottom of the headrest in the down position and pull up hard & fast.

The stems have spring clips that have to be overcome.

Mind you don't fall over backwards or hit yourself in the face with the headrest!
A Straub

Alternatively fashion a long thin piece of metal the same shape as the stalk. Slide this down the stalk when the head rest is only half lifted, Hold metal strip in place and pull the HR up. The HR have a spring clip that prevents their removal. The clip only protrudes one side thru the stalk. The metal strip provides a "slope" to allow the upward pressure to depress the protruding bit. There is no way of knowing which side the protruding bit is! It may take several attempts and if all else fails you may just have to yank it out as suggested.
Michael Beswick

as you look at the headrest from the front
. put the lightest oil you have down around the stem particularly the l/h/s of the headrest stem
. then pull the headrest up fully, showing about 9" of stem
. lean the headrest to the left and sharp pull to get it out

if it's an after market headrest then the triangle of sprung metal that holds it can be nasty and sharp, not something you want to squeeze in with your figures

as per photo below

Nigel Atkins

ETA: if that don't work perhaps the sprung triangle is on the r/h/s so as before but lean headrest to the right and sharp pull
Nigel Atkins

I've had to use a hydraulic jack to get mine (1973) out in the past. No triangular piece on the stem, but I recall some kind of flat spring inside the seat tube that I didn't bother to refit.
Paul Hunt

there's a spring inside the seat tube that is there to hold the headrest in position when you adjust it's height (from the seat back)
Nigel Atkins

Just pull :) A little wriggle can sometimes help as well.

However, the alternative is that some of the belt guides seem to not require the need to remove the headrests, so perhaps look at them instead.

rachmacb

I have fitted the Moss seat belt guides and, did as described, a short hard pull on the headrest does the trick.
Having had these fitted for a week now, with roller seat belts, they are a vast improvement. The minor drawback is that they very slightly foul the hood frame on my roadster, but if you are careful when lowering the hood then there is no issue. In a GT I expect that they are ideal.

I wish I had fitted these years ago !

RT
Richard Thompson

The flat spring does the same job as the triangular one on the other type of headrest stem i.e. holds it at the required height as well as 'prevent' it being pulled out altogether.
Paul Hunt

sorry Paul I misunderstood which spring you meant and had forgotten what the original headrest stem spring was like

the photo I put up was of a later copy headrest with imitation stitching and that nasty sharp triangular spring

I think the original flat spring could be held in with thumb and finger but not the nasty sharp triangular spring on the copy
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 20/03/2014 and 21/03/2014

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