the reason the real needs to be held vertically ..
as it's mounted in the van is ....
if there are no forces acting on the real ( or van ) like deceleration , the
real moves freely.

the slightest amount of deceleration ( an maybe acceleration ) causes a tiny
pendulum to swing, locking up the real.
You can test if it's working right by ...
drive along at say 40 mph and confirm the real is not locked by pulling on
the seat belt,
then get on the brakes pretty hard ..the real should lock up.

it's probably locked when it's inverted too, as you say.

Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bret Berger" <bretberger@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 11:06 PM
Subject: Pro Tip - Vanagon Seat Belt Inertia Reel

> For some future helpless sap to find via Google.
>
> I just spent an hour trying to unwind a the seat belt off an inertia
> reel on my 1982 diesel Westfalia which I had removed to lubricate and
> wash the seat belt.  The reel will NOT unwind unless it is oriented the
> same way it is mounted in the van!  That makes sense... keeps the
> (belted) occupant strapped in while the Vanagon is upside down.
>
> BTW, after washing the seat belts in my (front load) washing machine and
> giving the inertia reel mechanisms a very light squirt of (non WD-40)
> lubricant they work like a charm.
>
> Bret in St. George, Utah