[aerodave]

Hello everyone, I would like to present a potentially cheaper solution than buying all of the necessary clips for upwards of $65 to fix the wet seat problem. Allow me to first provide a little bit of background about myself. I have been lurking around on IC reading many people's posts for quite a while now but am not personally an active poster. As an aeronautical engineering student, I had to come up with a creative solution for the annoying wet seat belt problem that also plagued my own vehicle (2001 manual Insight w/156k miles). I bought all the necessary clips which cost me ~$65 and am currently in the middle of fixing the issue using Scott's (KLR3CYL) method. However, I wanted to model in CAD all of the clips that typically break when pulling off the A-pillar molding trim piece before sealing the new clips in place. I've posted the 3D printable STL files for the two kinds of clips you'll need along with a sealing washer for them on Thingiverse with all pertinent instructions and it should be available to download pretty soon. Will definitely update this thread with an appropriate link after my post appears on Thingiverse.

Edit: Here is the link to my Thingiverse post with all 3D printable files --

Gen 1 Honda Insight Replacement Molding Clips (wet seat belt solution) by aerodave63

This is (hopefully) an ultimate solution for the wet seat belt problem in all Gen 1 (2000-2006) Honda Insight vehicles. Read more about it here:https://www.insightcentral.net/threads/wet-seat-belt.18378/ You will need to print 14 regular clips, 2 barbed clips and 16 sealing washers.

www.thingiverse.com

 

[KLR3CYL]

I’ve been selling the necessary must have 8 clips, per side for $20.00 shipped for several years. Both sides are $40.00. Where did you acquire the clips for $65.00?
The very top clip and the the very bottom clip usually survive. Unless there has been a rouge glass man in there, then it’s anybody’s guess.
The very top clip has a metal insert, as far as I know at the time I’m writing this it is only available from Honda and retails for almost $17.00. The bottom clip is about $6.00.
I stock all the clips.
I also recommend you take your mouldings off and see exactly what you need before you order. You can cover the holes with tape for a couple days while you wait for the clips to arrive.
I have concerns about the durability of a 3D printed clip. I’ve seen a number of 3D printed parts and they are OK, but for a clip how does/will the skinny little neck part of the clip hold up compared to the injection molded part we get now?

Any idea of the cost per clip from Thingverse, shipped? And then you have to source the sealing washer, what quantity do you have to purchase and what is the price for them shipped?

I know the clips are necessary for the wet seat belt fix, however if you do a windshield replacement or decide to paint your car the correct way or if you get a replacement moulding because of a rouge glass man you will need clips.

Best of luck with your 3D experiment, please let us know how it turns out.

Scott

 

[aerodave]

I’ve been selling the necessary must have 8 clips, per side for $20.00 shipped for several years. Both sides are $40.00. Where did you acquire the clips for $65.00?
The very top clip and the the very bottom clip usually survive. Unless there has been a rouge glass man in there, then it’s anybody’s guess.
The very top clip has a metal insert, as far as I know at the time I’m writing this it is only available from Honda and retails for almost $17.00. The bottom clip is about $6.00.
I stock all the clips.
I also recommend you take your mouldings off and see exactly what you need before you order. You can cover the holes with tape for a couple days while you wait for the clips to arrive.
I have concerns about the durability of a 3D printed clip. I’ve seen a number of 3D printed parts and they are OK, but for a clip how does/will the skinny little neck part of the clip hold up compared to the injection molded part we get now?

Any idea of the cost per clip from Thingverse, shipped? And then you have to source the sealing washer, what quantity do you have to purchase and what is the price for them shipped?

I know the clips are necessary for the wet seat belt fix, however if you do a windshield replacement or decide to paint your car the correct way or if you get a replacement moulding because of a rouge glass man you will need clips.

Best of luck with your 3D experiment, please let us know how it turns out.

Scott

Hello Scott, thank you for the detailed instructions on the wet seat belt fix you have on Youtube, they're incredibly useful.

I’ve been selling the necessary must have 8 clips, per side for $20.00 shipped for several years. Both sides are $40.00. Where did you acquire the clips for $65.00?

The 2 special clips with a barb on the side I got for $20.52 on HondaPartsCheap.com. The rest of the regular clips which are usually cut off during the molding removal process I ordered from Clipsandfasteners Inc. at $10.32 per pack (10 clips in one pack) for 2 sets (20 clips in total).

I have concerns about the durability of a 3D printed clip. I’ve seen a number of 3D printed parts and they are OK, but for a clip how does/will the skinny little neck part of the clip hold up compared to the injection molded part we get now?

Given that these clips are mounted to the molding and stationary body of the car, there's not much going on in terms of excessive forces acting upon the clips. Ultimate durability really depends on the tensile strength of the printed filament you use. I have listed a number of filaments suitable for this purpose on my Thingiverse post. The three most common ones many people have are Nylon (most durable/temperature resistant), PETG (similar to ABS in mechanical properties but is more temp resistant and prints like PLA), and ABS (least temp resistant but more than durable enough for given application).

Any idea of the cost per clip from Thingverse, shipped? And then you have to source the sealing washer, what quantity do you have to purchase and what is the price for them shipped?

No idea at this point regarding production cost to be honest. Thingiverse is a platform where people could post their designs do be downloaded for free and therefore doesn't directly distribute or ship any products. You can, however, find local 3D printing companies through Thingiverse to print your model through them. I'd assume that it would be pretty similar price-wise to print the 16 clips through a 3rd party manufacturer to what you offer for $40. That's why this project is aimed more towards individuals with 3D printers for convenience, repeatability, and reduced cost. You can also print the sealing washers (16 total) from a flexible filament like TPU or buy similar rubber or silicone washers from any hardware store (I provided all washer dimensions on Thingiverse). Hope this helps.

 

[Saxjonz]

I may need to get a good 3D printer as I have a feeling it will come in handy more than I know. Just like my dremel tool has. Thanks for sharing with us, both of you guys. I’m appreciative of everyone’s contributions in this group here.
On an aside, Scott, that belly pan is great, has boosted my upper mph mpg’s.