Seat Removal 1975/914, Can Not Get These Buggers Out!!! Options

[Conceivedready61]

I believe on here somewhere I've seen a thread about this, But it didn't help?? I am completely removing the interior to fix rust and replace everything.... I'm a retired Paint and Body guy, and I'm still stumped?? I need to remove both seats, the tilt works fine, But there is no Loop Handle to move seats forward/backwards? I can see where the seat pivots to tilt but there are no apparent bolts/screws that I can see anywhere at all?? How do I get these Darn Seats out??? Help!!!! I've also tried to find the supposed finger release on the rails, I've checked all 4 several times, even wandered over to my VW Thing to compare, and don't feel anything at all, so you'd think the seats would just slide off, but No, they're not budging at all???

[mepstein]

There’s a spring steel tab on the outside rail. Reach under the seat, push the steel tab down with your finger and slide the seat forward. As soon as you find the little lever and get the seat to slide forward, you will be able to do it again and again in seconds.

[RickS]

There is a metal bar on one of the sliders you will need to find and press in or out to release.

[drem914]

You can see the spring tab about a third of the way back on the black part of the rail

[Ansbacher]

There’s a spring steel tab on the outside rail. Reach under the seat, push the steel tab down with your finger and slide the seat forward. As soon as you find the little lever and get the seat to slide forward, you will be able to do it again and again in seconds.

You are actually pressing upward on the tab from below the seat.

[Mark Henry]

There’s a spring steel tab on the outside rail. Reach under the seat, push the steel tab down with your finger and slide the seat forward. As soon as you find the little lever and get the seat to slide forward, you will be able to do it again and again in seconds.

You are actually pressing upward on the tab from below the seat.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

It's on the rail opposite of the D handle rail, get a flashlight and pull the seat all the way forward and tilt it back, look under the seat rail. and you should see the spring.
Once you see it you be like Homer Simpson...DOH!

[Mikey914]

Look for the broken pot metal tab in the track. If you push it "up" as if you had a metal tab on it, it will release

[Conceivedready61]

Thanks everybody, I'm on it, if you hear Gun Shots just ignore them, I take out my frustrations on inanimate objects.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Conceivedready61]

Look for the broken pot metal tab in the track. If you push it "up" as if you had a metal tab on it, it will release

Thanks, Love your website, I'ma be buyin lotsa goodies very soon...

[Conceivedready61]

No Luck..... Did I happen to mention that the seats are seemingly all the way back and do not slide at all?? I did find the Hidden finger tab, but that only helps if your almost all the way off, and my seats don't move, cant get to the 4 screws/bolts on the back hinge point they're under the seat at this point??? I even tried removing the height adjusting cog under the front of the seats, but that only gave me about another 1/2 inch of space to work with?? I did spray lots of Liquid Wrench inside all 4 sliders in hopes it'd loosen something up in case its rusted although this car is a Cali car and doesn't have much rust at all... Literally tried putting a long 2X4 behind the passenger seat and prying against the 1/4 panel jamb,,,,,Nothin....

[lierofox]

Each seat has 2 rails, the inner rail (towards the center of the vehicle) has the seat adjuster handle (the loop that's made of pot-metal and usually breaks off) that's your main adjuster. On the opposite rail (the one near the longs) there's a piece of spring steel that hooks over a dowel in the rail, and prevents the seat from sliding fully off.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-18880-1588715663.1.png)

To completely remove the seat, pull the adjuster handle up (or if it's already broken off, you'll just have to push up on the piece of steel that it attaches to) slide the seat forward until it hits the stop, back off slightly, and then push up on the spring steel tab so it doesn't catch the stop, while also pulling up on the adjuster, then, with your 3rd arm, you can push the seat forward and completely off the rails.

[Conceivedready61]

Each seat has 2 rails, the inner rail (towards the center of the vehicle) has the seat adjuster handle (the loop that's made of pot-metal and usually breaks off) that's your main adjuster. On the opposite rail (the one near the longs) there's a piece of spring steel that hooks over a dowel in the rail, and prevents the seat from sliding fully off.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-18880-1588715663.1.png)

To completely remove the seat, pull the adjuster handle up (or if it's already broken off, you'll just have to push up on the piece of steel that it attaches to) slide the seat forward until it hits the stop, back off slightly, and then push up on the spring steel tab so it doesn't catch the stop, while also pulling up on the adjuster, then, with your 3rd arm, you can push the seat forward and completely off the rails.

The loop handle and anything that was attached to it are Gone, I even have some 24" Screwdrivers that I pushed up inside of the tracks hoping to depress something, but so far nothing...…..

[lierofox]

The loop handle and anything that was attached to it are Gone, I even have some 24" Screwdrivers that I pushed up inside of the tracks hoping to depress something, but so far nothing...…..

Hmm, well, here's a better picture of what the rails look like, including a bottom view of what the adjuster rail looks like when it's missing the handle. (Right rail.)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i.imgur.com-18880-1588722368.1.jpg)

That black piece of steel pivots at the back end of the rail, and the 3 teeth in the center area are what fits into the openings in the lower rails to set the seat position, even if the handle is missing the black steel piece should still be there. That part needs to be pulled up (it should be under light spring tension) that'll retract the 3 teeth from the openings and allow the seat to slide forward. Is there anything like that on your seats?

Keep in mind too that if the seat hasn't moved in years, the rails could be SEVERELY gunked up and not want to move.

(And I actually have a broken handle on the passenger seat in my 914, so later this afternoon I can probably take a picture/video of it while the seat is installed.)

[sb914]

Try sitting in the seat while pushing the “tab”
Lunge forward and back. Mine we’re stuck and this worked for me.
It’s hard to move by hand.

[lierofox]

Just went out to my car and grabbed a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgQsjDJyEGQ

Doesn't matter how many times I hear it, but boy oh boy do I hate the sound of my own voice! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[scallyk9]

On one of my 914s, I had the same when I first took delivery of the car. The handle on mine was also broken but that wasn't the problem which was plain and simple corrosion of the rail itself where it "sleeves" the seat mount rail. I sprayed it with PB Blaster and let it sit, then rocked it, pushed from the rear with a board for leverage and towels for protection, and finally sat in it an pushed. Lots of grunting but it finally gave way.

[bkrantz]

Try sitting in the seat while pushing the “tab”
Lunge forward and back. Mine we’re stuck and this worked for me.
It’s hard to move by hand.

Same for me. Mine had solidified grease and gunk so that the seat sliders barely moved.

[Conceivedready61]

First,,,,,Thank You to Everyone that responded to my plea for help!!! Being frustrated with the seat removal, but still wanting to make progress on stripping the interior I decided to pull carpet...... The guy I bought this from had just installed a new carpet kit, but it was a cheaper variety and I intended to replace it anyways, So I start trying to pull carpet, What The Hell,,,,,, He had glued the carpet down, but not with the good and proper Glue, No, He used Construction Adhesive, that Super Thick crap that you use a Caulking Gun with, I'm not kidding, I ended up using a dead blow hammer and a putty knife, and a Big Wood Chisel... Sooooo, I got to thinkin, No He wouldn't have??? Those seats were really stuck, not budging an inch... So I got out my Bore Scope for my Rifle that connects to my iPad, and slid it down the middle of the seat track. Guess what, if you drill out the attachment point for the arm on the slider lock, your seat moves all over the place, so all you have to do is Gob on some of that Good old Construction adhesive and put the seat in the position you want and Presto!!!! That Sucker stays where you put it!! So with a combination of copious amounts of liquid wrench, and jamming a 2 foot long screwdriver in all four sliders multiple dozens of times, you can eventually get your Friggen Seats off the sliders!!! The rest is all gonna be Easy, Right???

[mepstein]

Sucks but sort of typical for PO (prior owner) repairs. Bondo, fiberglass, expanding spray foam, street signs, plywood floors, etc. The list goes on and on.

[bkrantz]

Sucks but sort of typical for PO (prior owner) repairs. Bondo, fiberglass, expanding spray foam, street signs, plywood floors, etc. The list goes on and on.

And my experience, if a car reveals one bozo repair it will have more.