Rear Seat Removal?

Topic: Rear Seat Removal? (Read 2582 times) previous topic - next topic

Rear Seat Removal?

September 11, 2005, 06:45:34 PM

Hello everyone,
Anybody got any suggestions on how to remove the rear seat in an '84 Cougar after you've stripped out the inside of the Torx-head bolt on one side and will likely do it to the other side if you try a little harder. I know these are the anchors for the rear seat belts, but holy cow, what did they use to put those things in with? Am I going to just have to drill them out? I would really like to take this rear seat out because the car itself is headed to the s yard soon and the seats are too nice to throw away. I really have no idea from this point how to get those bolts out. Like I said, one bolt is just rounded off inside and the other one feels just as tight and before I strip it I've just let it sit. I lost the back seat of an '87 T-bird Sport last year for the same reason, and it also was too nice to be junked. Thanks for any suggestions.

Fordman3

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #1 – September 11, 2005, 08:04:06 PM

Drilling is about your only option at this point. You could try heat but will likely burn the car.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #2 – September 11, 2005, 08:10:28 PM

i concure...i tried breaker bars, heat, impact...etc. i didnt bother trying through those grade8s....i had to let go of some mint seats as well...

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #3 – September 11, 2005, 08:17:51 PM

If you have help you can do it. Have someone else get under the car and very, very carefully heat up the bolts with a blow torch or acetylene torches, while you start cranking on the bolts inside the car. You have to work very quickly, and only use enough heat to break the bolts loose. Keep some buckets of water handy in case some of the insulation starts to burn. It should only take about 10-30 seconds of heat on each bolt before they break loose. I've done this quite a few times....never failed me once. Just, uh, watch yourself around the fuel lines there.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #4 – September 11, 2005, 08:25:56 PM

Your best bet is to get a reverse drill bit. You probably won't even have to drill the bolt all the way through. just drill a hole into the center. Once you get into the bolt a bit, lean the drill until the bit digs into the side of the hole you drilled. It should jump a little bit, but that will give it an impact reaction on the bolt, hopefully breaking it free.

Also, those bolts are made of a fairly hard steel, with pretty wide heads. If you have room, I'm sure you could jog them right out with a hammer.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #5 – September 12, 2005, 02:01:32 AM

oh I got this one. Chisel. Works like a charm on lug nuts. I oughta get around to posting those pics....justy chisel off the head of the bolt.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #6 – September 13, 2005, 08:36:29 PM

i did the same very thing yesterday. i used my saw-zaw, and cut the bracket off. i can try and re-weld it back together, but i still have the problem with the bolt coming out. i got the other side out just fine though.

ill try the torch method this weekend maybe.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #7 – September 14, 2005, 06:48:02 PM

the best way that I know of is to get under the car and clean out the threads of the bolts before you ever try to take them out. Then I used an impact on them, but most of the time it is just the fact that the threads are full of gunk and that is why they are such a pain to remove. Also get some PB blaster and put that on there. Hope this helps. Also maybe you could use some vise-grips on it.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #8 – September 14, 2005, 08:20:10 PM

Yup---reverse drill bit aka "easy outs" as the mechanics call them. I would consider PK blaster or liquid wrench and soak the thing overnight as well. I have taken out my rear seat and recall--yes it takes quite a turn (used a 1/2" ratchet with torx mounted socket).

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #9 – September 15, 2005, 01:35:56 PM

I have had luck taking a grinder and grinding a flat edge on 2 sides of the bolt. You can then put an adjustable wrench or small pipe wrench on it. this works pretty good when dealing with larger bolts because you have lots of steel to work with.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #10 – September 15, 2005, 02:39:30 PM

What ever you do - clean up the threads on the bottom of the bolt and get some heat on it before you try anything.

When I changed the seats in my sisters t-bird with the ones from my parts cougar I twisted off a torx socket with the johnson bar and pipe extension. The socket on an impact wrench wouldn't touch it. Heated the around the bottom of the bolt and then put the impact wrench on it and it barely came out.

Make sure to wet down the insulation under the seat first and have some near by in a spray bottle in case anything catches up under the car.

Re: Rear Seat Removal?

Reply #11 – September 15, 2005, 02:51:06 PM

when I said use the chisel,.... I ment through the body of the screw not the head(screw botl same thing) I had to do that to get my rims off.