Seat runner bolt stuck

jp928

Well-Known Member
Passenger side outer rear bolt - head badly mangled, and its frozen about 1/4" from tight. With enough force I can turn it, but it feels like the captive plate is turning. Trying some penetrating stuff, but not hopeful . The whole area has new underfelt and carpets, including the cover over the runner mounts, so need to be careful not to damage any of the nice new trim. I think I am up for cutting the bolt under the runner, but then I need to remove the remains, and replace the captive plate...
Anybody been here, can share their experience please?
thanks
 
I'd cut just the head off so you have plenty of screw to get a grip on, remove the runners and trim so you can get at the nut plate and then the usual story of penetrating oil & cursing to get the screw out of the nut plate. Good luck.

Yours
Vern
 
If it feels like the captive nut in the little tower is turning, it's because it probably is!
I've been there. I had to cut a mangled bolt with an angle grinder, then cut and bash and weld back together the top of the tower to ensure the captive nut stayed firmly in place without rotating. Lots of swearing involved. Dressed the welds back with a scuffing wheel, bit of primer from a rattle can, all hidden under the carpet afterwards anyway!
 
Got the stuck seat runner bolt out - cut the head off (just enough clearance!). To stop the captive plate turning I had to jam a screwdriver into the thing (hole already there), and was able to slowly unscrew the bolt shaft with visegrips, but it took a while getting the whole 1.5" out at less than 1/2 turn each time, and needed some force. The captive cleaned up ok after I ran a tap through it, and one of the other bolts now screws in readily. Now all I need to do is find a 1/4 UNF screw/bolt - not likely in my mostly metric collection, so off to the www!
Unable to weld, so didnt have that option if it got really bad.
 
They are set screws, 1/4 UNF (No.3 posidrive from memory) There are two different lengths: Front ones should be 1 7/8" long; Rear are 1 3/8" long. From my memory if you screw the long one into the rear they foul on the floor and jam the nut....Which sounds like what happened to you.

also ther should be little rectangular washers under the heads to distribute the load better and one of two sizes of spacer between runner runner and the cup washer sitting on the carpet. The two sizes are 1/4" and 3/4" but I have seen 1/2" ones. obviously you need sets of two x2 or four so you don't twist the seat...
M
 
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Thats worth knowing, thanks. One screw I measured was 1.5" long under the head, so I will check lengths before I reassemble. Might have to make do with what I can get here, either hex head or cap screw. This one was well and truly jammed with about 3/16 still to be tightened, but the last 1/4 of thread was undamaged. Looking at the height of the base I would be surprised if the screw would hit the floor, but....
 
All my bolts are/were 1.5" long. No chance for even a 2" to bottom at the rear.....just maybe at the front. Just waiting on a new bolt now before reassembling. Then on to same problem on driver seat - very stiff recliner lever action.
 
real common problem and one of the first jobs I had to do on my P6 when I bought it, the threads get all *ucked up, same with the height adjusters too.
 
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