308 Seat Removal | FerrariChat

308 Seat Removal

Discussion in '308/328' started by Imatk, Aug 22, 2020.

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  1. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    Searched all over and found posts about allen bolts holding the seats into the car.

    I'm unable to see any allen bolts at all... I do see two hex bolts on the front of the seat rail (driver's) but even with the seat all the way forward I have no visibility on the back bolts which I assume are also hex bolts?

    Or am I going about this all wrong?

    I was hoping there might be a seat "tilt" so I could lift the back up a little to see back there, but no dice.

    Thanks for any help.
     
  2. Alex308qv

    Alex308qv Formula Junior

    Jul 1, 2016
    378
    PA
    Full Name:
    Alex
    Should be hex bolts, someone probably replaced yours. With the seat fully forward, you should just be able to get a wrench on the rear bolts. If you feel around in the channel you should feel the head of the bolts back there.

    Quite often the mechanisms are gummy and it takes a bit of back and forth before you can get the seat fully forward. Make sure nothing is restricting the motion upfront. If those hex bolts heads are too tall, that might be an issue.

    Once the seats are removed, be sure to get all the gunk out of the rails with brake clean and lube them up good with Molykote 33 silicone grease or equivalent.
     
  3. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,517
    Cerritos, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Don’t you see any bolts at all in the back?
     
  4. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    No I can't see under the seat at all since it's basically on the floor.

    I removed the two bolts on the track in front, but that didn't release the front either... so I'm back to looking for the allen bolts, but I don't see them for the life of me.
     
    miketuason likes this.
  5. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,517
    Cerritos, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike
    You have to move the seat forward more until you can see the back of the rail and that’s where you’ll see the bolts
     
  6. miketuason

    miketuason F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2006
    15,517
    Cerritos, CA.
    Full Name:
    Mike
    You might need to remove the two front bolts first so you can slide the seat forward more to expose the two rear bolts.
     
  7. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
  8. 348KYD

    348KYD Karting

    Jul 29, 2007
    65
    Bedfordshire, UK
    Full Name:
    Nick
    You're probably not getting the seat far enough forward as others have said. Both my seats in my GT4 stuck in the same place so I thought they were right forward and I still couldn't see the bolts. After some encouragement with a large hammer, they freed up and the rear bolts appeared.
     
  9. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    Ok, I'll see if my passenger side goes up farther... that seat seems to be perfect so I can at least judge where it "should" be.
     
  10. Martin308GTB

    Martin308GTB F1 Rookie

    Jan 22, 2003
    4,212
    Black Forest Germany
    Full Name:
    Martin N.
    Are you sure? My car has allen bolts as well. And those with the pointed end, which are not so easy to source anywhere.

    Best from Germany
    Martin
     
  11. francisn

    francisn Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
    1,938
    Berks, UK
    Full Name:
    francis newman
    Indeed, my GT4 also has allen bolts. I have recently had my seat out for repair (sheared frame in
    3 places, apparently not uncommon) and it took a lot of force to move the seat far enough forward to get to the rear bolts. I hate doing the job. Third time I've done it. There is so little room to get to the bolts. Each time I have had to use a simple all n key as though I have allens to fit a 3/8" socket wrench there is not enough height between the bolt and teh seat base to get it in. As there is only room for a about a quarter turn each time the key is engaged it is a long and laborious job. The more you can turn the bolt with your fingers the better, before you have to resort to the key.
    I rebuilt the rails (there is a post about this in the Dino 246 section) and the seat now slides much more smoothly so will be easier if I ever have to take it out again.
     
  12. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    Yeah I was just about to post... "How the heck do you get to the bolts??

    Here's a picture of the clearance... my wife managed to get the seat forward enough because she's much smaller than I am.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  13. francisn

    francisn Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
    1,938
    Berks, UK
    Full Name:
    francis newman
     
  14. francisn

    francisn Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
    1,938
    Berks, UK
    Full Name:
    francis newman
    Should go another half inch forward. Sitting in the seat and trying to move it forward is not the best way. Use one hand to hold the release knob and get your shoulder behind the back of the seat for a really strong push.
     
  15. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    Ok... got three of the four out. And just for my entertainment whoever put them in last (I'm guessing they were re-upholstered) they decided to mix and match with the hex bolts.

    So two of them are 5mm and two of them are 6mm... isn't that cool :)

    The last one simply will not come out. It's just spinning. I'm starting to think this bolt is the reason the seat wasn't going back in the first place... in any case I'm probably going to cut it out at this point since I can't seem to get it out any other way.
     
  16. kiwiokie

    kiwiokie Formula 3

    Aug 19, 2013
    1,455
    Tulsa, OK
    Full Name:
    John McDermott
  17. kiwiokie

    kiwiokie Formula 3

    Aug 19, 2013
    1,455
    Tulsa, OK
    Full Name:
    John McDermott
  18. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    So I figured out why the last bolt was spinning.

    The little metal "box" that holds the nut in place underneath the car had bent away. So it was just spinning with the bolt.

    So I got some assistance from my lovely wife and while she held the bolt from the bottom with a screwdriver, I ratcheted from the top and it came free.

    Whoever did this seat before... wow... there are two bolts that are identical (5mm hex) one bolt that has been grinded away on the head, which I suspect is the same bolt as the other two since it is also 5mm.

    Then the last bolt, the one that wouldn't come out... is a 6mm bolt.

    Not sure what the "stock" bolts are but I suspect none of these are the correct stock bolt.

    In any case the friggen seat is finally out! I'll wait another day to address the track and see why it isn't sliding all the way back, but I suspect it may have been that last bolt... probably sticking up too high causing it to not go all the way back... notice the lovely bend on it.

    Thanks for all the help guys, this forum is awesome!

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  19. francisn

    francisn Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
    1,938
    Berks, UK
    Full Name:
    francis newman
    The one on the left is definitely a culprit. I'm not going to volunteer to remove mine to photo them - was just pleased to get them back in, but they are more like the ones on the right!
     
    Imatk likes this.
  20. francisn

    francisn Formula 3

    Apr 18, 2004
    1,938
    Berks, UK
    Full Name:
    francis newman
  21. 4right

    4right F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    I was planning to remove my seats this coming weekend to apply Leatherique. After reviewing this thread, I am having second thoughts. Maybe I will apply the Leatherique with the seats in the car.
     
  22. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    Well let me put it this way... I'm making darn sure these things are fixed before they go back in, because I do not EVER want to remove them again.

    I spent the entire day removing them.

    If it wasn't for this site I'd probably still have no clue as to how to get them out.

    I have no idea why they didn't just add an additional 1/2" to those rails... just a LITTLE more room would have made the job much easier.

    I've taken a lot of seats out of a lot of cars... this one took the cake by FAR :)
     
  23. Ferraridoc

    Ferraridoc F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2012
    16,070
    Gold Coast, Aust.
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    Welcome to the "Fixing problems created by the dumb previous owner" world. Although, in a lot of cases, it's the mechanic - there are a lot of sins committed when nobody's watching.
     
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  24. Imatk

    Imatk Formula Junior

    May 6, 2007
    290
    I highly suspect the seats were reupholstered. They're in better condition than the materials in the rest of the interior. Not that those materials are in "bad" shape, but you can tell the seat leather isn't over 30 years old.

    So I'm going to put my money on the upholsterer.
     
    ferrariowner likes this.
  25. Ferraridoc

    Ferraridoc F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 20, 2012
    16,070
    Gold Coast, Aust.
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    Yep, I'd have to agree
     

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