Manual passenger seat stuck

[enuff_zed]

I am asking as I honestly cannot remember so ignore me if I'm talking squit.
Do the rear bolts project through under the car or are they fully enclosed? Just wondering if you could drill it out from underneath?

[skmattwell]

I am asking as I honestly cannot remember so ignore me if I'm talking squit.
Do the rear bolts project through under the car or are they fully enclosed? Just wondering if you could drill it out from underneath?

They are protected unfortunately. I could easily get this rail out if I saw through the bolt from under the rail, it will just leave me with the rest of the bolt stuck in the threads, which makes for more work. Do you think drilling the stuck bolt out of the thread would be simple enough?

[enuff_zed]

I am asking as I honestly cannot remember so ignore me if I'm talking squit.
Do the rear bolts project through under the car or are they fully enclosed? Just wondering if you could drill it out from underneath?

They are protected unfortunately. I could easily get this rail out if I saw through the bolt from under the rail, it will just leave me with the rest of the bolt stuck in the threads, which makes for more work. Do you think drilling the stuck bolt out of the thread would be simple enough?

I think you'd be ok with an Eezi-out kit. The bolts aren't usually too tight.

[skmattwell]

I am asking as I honestly cannot remember so ignore me if I'm talking squit.
Do the rear bolts project through under the car or are they fully enclosed? Just wondering if you could drill it out from underneath?

They are protected unfortunately. I could easily get this rail out if I saw through the bolt from under the rail, it will just leave me with the rest of the bolt stuck in the threads, which makes for more work. Do you think drilling the stuck bolt out of the thread would be simple enough?

I think you'd be ok with an Eezi-out kit. The bolts aren't usually too tight.

If the other bolt was anything to go by, It was pretty well seated in there. If Eezi-out doesn't work, would it be a case of drilling it out?

[enuff_zed]

They are protected unfortunately. I could easily get this rail out if I saw through the bolt from under the rail, it will just leave me with the rest of the bolt stuck in the threads, which makes for more work. Do you think drilling the stuck bolt out of the thread would be simple enough?

I think you'd be ok with an Eezi-out kit. The bolts aren't usually too tight.

If the other bolt was anything to go by, It was pretty well seated in there. If Eezi-out doesn't work, would it be a case of drilling it out?

Well you need to drill a hole first to fit the extractor into. Then if that doesn't work it's slowly open it out until it comes loose, without damaging the threads.
Sometimes the heat from drilling is enough to help loosen it a little.

[grannyknot]

If that doesn't work, I think cutting through the bolt is the only option left. Unless anyone has any better ideas of course

Just read through this thread, tough situation, I would remove that seat belt receiver/ explosive belt tightener and get it out of the way while it is still in good shape.
You may have to go caveman on the rail and you don't want the charge going off.
If you can't get that rail to move by hitting alternately on both ends then you'll have to get a sawsall with a metal cutting blade between the carpet and the rail, then drill out the rusty bolt.
Either way you probably won't be able to use that rail again.

That yellow zinc flange that goes over the top of the spring I think is the lock mechanism that holds the rail in place, the problem is most likely there.
Have you tried getting that moving? Or perhaps you could drill out the studs hold that flange.

[Zedebee]

There is a lot of rust there, it could be the inner and outer rail have simply fused together. Have you tried giving the inner rail a whack in the backwards direction to break the fuse, obviously making sure the locking mechanism is unlatched. You really want to uncover that bolt and extract it normally if you can.

[skmattwell]

If that doesn't work, I think cutting through the bolt is the only option left. Unless anyone has any better ideas of course

Just read through this thread, tough situation, I would remove that seat belt receiver/ explosive belt tightener and get it out of the way while it is still in good shape.
You may have to go caveman on the rail and you don't want the charge going off.
If you can't get that rail to move by hitting alternately on both ends then you'll have to get a sawsall with a metal cutting blade between the carpet and the rail, then drill out the rusty bolt.
Either way you probably won't be able to use that rail again.

That yellow zinc flange that goes over the top of the spring I think is the lock mechanism that holds the rail in place, the problem is most likely there.
Have you tried getting that moving? Or perhaps you could drill out the studs hold that flange.

Hi mate, thanks for giving it a read, I'm at the final hurdle now!

I've looked through the rail and verified the locking pin is releasing as it should, so I think that's been ruled out as the culprit.

Another forum member is coming round with a recip and angle grinder to help me out tomorrow, so hopefully we can get it cut through once and for all. The rail and seat is going to the skip, so I have no qualms destroying it I have the tools to cut through the bolt, but don't want the headache of trying to remove it from the threads, so it's a last resort.

There is a lot of rust there, it could be the inner and outer rail have simply fused together. Have you tried giving the inner rail a whack in the backwards direction to break the fuse, obviously making sure the locking mechanism is unlatched. You really want to uncover that bolt and extract it normally if you can.

Will give it another go tonight, but have hammered away in both directions without an inch of movement I agree that the rails are so rusty I think they've fused together. If we manage to cut the rail in two near where the bolt is, hopefully it will remove the blockage

[skmattwell]

IT'S OUT!!
Finally after hours of trying, the stubborn seat rail has finally been removed, all without cutting through the bolt. Fellow forum member chemical.equal (thanks again) got his angle grinder out and cut out the rail above the bolt

IMG_20230203_164304867.jpg (182.66 KiB) Viewed 305 times

And here it is, my kryptonite...

IMG_20230203_173722996.jpg (69.19 KiB) Viewed 305 times

Between us we used an angle grinder, and oscillating multi tool for more tricky cuts, to expose the bolt. It was really in there, but managed to finally wrench it out.

My final update will come over the weekend when I get to put in my new seats!! Thanks everyone for your help again, every suggestion (even if it might not have directly worked) contributed to getting this thing out

[DMike]

Having the rail out from the car, did you find out why it got stuck?

[skmattwell]

Having the rail out from the car, did you find out why it got stuck?

Nope, we both inspected the rail and are baffled. We removed the locking pin completely to verify it wasn't that and looking through the rail shows no blockages. We've put it down to rust fusing itself together very, very well

[Usel]

Even your hand shows the trauma this has been

Well done on getting it out!!

[Mr Tidy]

Congratulations to you both on finally getting there.

[grannyknot]

YEA!!! Good work.

[Zedebee]

Glad you got that out. Great photo, and glad to see chemical.equal277 wearing the appropriate PPE.