I have searched and searched to find out how to get the headrest off of my hubby's 86' T/A, and most of them are saying that they just pull off, well not this one or I'm just really weak. I have tried to put screwdrivers, puddy knives, anything, down where the metal part is going into the back of the seat, but nothing is working. Please somebody give me some ideas.

 

i did not know it came off

 

Get a strap of flexible metal, like a slim jim.
Slide it down the front of the support for the headrest, into the seat.
when you have the strap inserted, pull up on the headrest and it will pull out.

There's a spring steel catch in the flat bar that supports the headrest to keep it from just simply pulling out. With the slim jim pushed into place the catch will lie down and slide out, when you're ready to reinstall the headrest just slide it back in.

 

service manual pic.

 

"locally fabricated tool"

I know a few people like that.

 

when i did mine, the head rest was rivited to the damn seat. so you have to pull the seat cover off the top, requiring to remove the top of the seat from the frame, then use a chizel to remove the rivet. it's a pain. then it just goes back on, but it won't stay in any position but down..

 

you can use computer slot blank as the "loccaly fabricated tool"

The piece of metal that you remove from a desktop PC when you insert new video card sound card etc. is perfect for this tool. I just did it and it worked.

 

For about a dollar or less from your local hardware store, in the lumber section where all the nails, screws and metal fasteners are, get a metal 'strap.' They come flat or angled, they're about an inch wide, thin enough to slide into the top of the seat, and flexible enough to curve or bend as needed to get past the headrest. I got a flat one for its length and bent it as needed.

Slide it into the slot in front of the headrest until it stops(it'll be hitting the 'post' that keeps the headrest in), then push harder, and you'll feel it push that post in. Then just slide the headrest out.