Stuck seats??

[jond911]

hello:

I'm looking for suggestions on getting my stuck seats to slide front and back like they should. On my '72T the factory seats have always given me trouble when trying to adjust. Now, after sitting up for nearly two years...they are extremely hard to adjust. I must look hilarious hugging the steering wheel, with my right hand below knee level, holding the release mechanism, while humping and sliding forward desparately trying to get my seat to move.....

Any suggestions on what I could use, in regards to oil, grease, etc., that I could apply without totaly trashing the carpet in the vehicle. I've opted not to use a crowbar in hopes that one of you fine people might have a better solution.

Thanks in advance!

[Sumotang]

I have the same problem with my seats on an 83SC. They are a bit sticky but dont sound as bad as yours. I had the drivers seat out the other day tracking down an electrical problem and they slide on a rail/guide mechanism.

I was considering using some grease on this component but thought that it would just attract dirt. Am considering some graphite dust at the moment.

Hope someone comes up with a solution.

[Steve87-911]

Just remove all the beer bottle caps that are jammed in the rails. That'll fix it.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[jond911]

I checked for twist off caps....regular beer caps that require an opener.... I was even looking for the pull off tabs that we all used to make necklaces out of when we were kids...

To no avail..... seats still stuck... I definitely need some type of lubricant on these rails... as mine are so dry they appear to be chalky white!

I purchased 101 projects after getting my vehicle back from the shop last week... No project in there for seat removal..

How hard is it to remove the seats in these early cars??

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

jond

[Sumotang]

My seats are held down by a bolt at the back and the front. I believe the early cars may have allen key bolts. There are a number of threads on this but remove the front bolts first then the seat will slide forward a little more so you can access the rear bolts.

If you have the bolts like my car you need a 1/4" drive socket to remove it.

[Jerome Ryals]

Catch 22 they are easy to remove by unbolting from the floor but you have to be able to move them forward and backward to remove the allen head bolts. I'd try some type of penetrant oil - non spray type - if possible to lubricate the rails, sounds like they are very dry and 'semi corroded together. If you can remove the seat backs it will give you more working room to get all the way around them.

[buster73]

Possible the rails are bend. Check for any warpage and straighten where necessary.

[jond911]

I do have the allen type bolts, but as stated I can't remove without being able to slide back and forth. I guess I'll start with a little 3-N-1 OIL at the contact points let it penetrate and try to work it back and forth a little at a time. Then go for some type of heavier lubricant / grease, etc.

We'll see what happens.... I don't beleive the rails are bent, as the seats did move at one time. The car has just sat up for too long.

I appreciate everyones assistance!

jd

[Steve87-911]

If you do get it to move enough to access the seat bolts, just beware that those allen bolt heads strip quite easily. Make sure you have the right size allen wrench and shove it in all the way. And have your needle nose plyers handy to extract those funky nut things they screw into cuz they may fall inside the rail.

[autobonrun]

I happen to have a couple bent ones from a pair of 79SC seats. Hopefully this photo will show you why your seats are sticking. I'm not sure if you have the same rail setup as mine on your car, but if so, Buster73 is probably correct.

The sections that slide should be parallel all the way down. There are three or so ball bearings inside that help it slide. If the rail is bent at the end, as in this photo, all the lubrication in the world will not help. Also, these things are strong. I couldn't straighten mine using a vise. Luckily, I had some identical ones in good shape to use on my new sport seats.
Try to see if and where yours are bent and push like hell in the opposite direction. If you move it to the spot where it is pressed together, it sticks there very tightly.

If you can see that yours are bent, I'd try to locate some used ones then try to straighten yours out enough to access the hold down bolts. Using a bright light you should be able to see if one of the two is pinched together somewhat even with them in the car. It doesn't take much of a bend to prevent the bearing from sticking in the race.

Good luck.