Well i did all the research ahead of time to know what to expect once I took the seat out and slid the seat leather up. Of course, turns out the mechanism in my seat looks nothing like what other S197s have shown.

Pictures attached. There is a thin metal plate with the motor mounted on the right side. It appears that the motor drives a cable reel in a pulley system. When the cable is pulled taut, the thin metal plate is forced to bow out at the middle, which pushes into the driver's back. The first thing I noticed is the motor mounts via a plastic piece that broke. So I think when the motor tries to pull on the cable, it just moves the motor instead of the cable. So we tried using zip ties to hold the motor stationary. Now the motor still runs, or sounds like it's trying, but the cable still doesn't move. I think it's bound up in the cable reel. Can't get that open, it requires small square shaped bits.

 

Here is one of the examples/posts that didn't look like my lumbar mechanism.

https://www.allfordmustangs.com/foru.../topics/636082

And attached is a marked up picture. The red line is the cable route. The blue piece pivots when the cable is pulled, which yanks on the extension spring.

 

This looks like the part I have. However, the Ford dealership thinks it is for an Explorer.

https://www.youroempartsstore.com/oe...-6l2z7865500ca

 

So it's the plastic cable reel in the motor gearbox that broke... photo attached.