Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

[shioner2001]

I am redoing the interior on my 87 Four Winns Horizon 170. I have already built all new seat bottoms for the bow seating, but absolutely can not figure out how to get the bow seat backs removed from the boat. All I can figure out is that the seat backs were installed BEFORE the top and bottom halves of the hull were assembled and to get them off they will have to be completely destroyed and possibly have to cut through the glass around the mounts. It seems that there is no way they are "snapped on," as they put up way more resistance than they would if that was the case. I don't know if there is some boating industry standard that I am not aware of, but I just absolutely can not figure this one out.

On another note, my homemade adjustable height jump seats and homemade dog house upper-half lid are coming together nicely! Hope to have it all finished up in a couple of days, pics to follow!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

some have a clip that you have to push up on them to get off. some are thru bolted, and you have to be a contortionist, to get to the nut.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

Some also use screws that are located under the round buttons in the upholstery,pop the button off and there is the screw head.

 

[shioner2001]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

I'll try some more to push these up to see if I can unseat them. There are no snap on bolt covers hiding any fasteners on this one, but I think that's how I am going to reinstall them when I get to that point.

Anything else I may be missing? The way the space under the seat is, there's no way to fish your hand up there to get to the back side either. Whatever is done has to be done from the front, which is what led me to believe they were installed before the boat was assembled.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

The seat backs on my Wellcraft are held in with what I am calling a "nylon drive anchor". One end is threaded and screwed into the wood back of the seat. The other end , about 1" long has barbs or ridges with a slightly larger diameter than the holes drilled in the fiberglass so that you can push them on . They hold like crazy....and unfortunately I could not seem to get any out withouth the barbs breaking off. I think over time the nylon hardens so the barbs dont flex at all. Fortunately the one I needed to replace was because the wood was rotted so it fell off for me. Definitely does not seem like they were meant to be taken off but with the right leverage they would probably give eventually.

 

[dvan1901]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

Could be what they call a Christmas tree plug too. It is a plug that has a series of ribs in it and you push it in and the ribs catch. Kind of hard to pull off.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

Could be what they call a Christmas tree plug too. It is a plug that has a series of ribs in it and you push it in and the ribs catch. Kind of hard to pull off.

Exactly what he said (although nylon drive anchor sounds so much more technical)

 

[shioner2001]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

That's where my concern lies. If I KNEW that's what was holding them on, then I'd pry away. Knowing my luck, it's a stainless bolt or something and whatever breaks probably wouldn't be what was supposed to break. The bad part is that the only reason I want them off is so that I can have them covered to match the rest of the interior (which needed replacing from a structural standpoint). So I have to tear one up just to get it off when it is still serviceable as a cushion. Every other covered surface was so rotted underneath that it would have been easy to break away the wood to reveal what was underneath. I may just leave these be and take the boat to the upholsterer after this season and let him have his way with them. Damn boats.

 

[INJUN]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

I haven't had the dis-pleasure of this situation, but, try something slim, like a metal tape measure between the seat back and the fbglass to locate the attachements. Then maybe try a hack saw blade to cut through (trying not to mar the fbglass by flexing more into the seat).
My2 cents, if the nylon tree is the culprit.

 

[shioner2001]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

Damn.

The seat back that is attached in front of the glove box/cooler and has fastners visible through the glovebox is indeed a steel bolt with a nut visible. I'm sure the rest of them are done the same way. That's no bueno. I can easily reach through the glovebox to undo that one, but the rest leave me kinda flustered. I like the idea of a hack saw blade, but that's a long road to get through those bolts without marring up the glass. Guess it's time to sit in the boat and put on my thinking cap. Or wait until the end of the season and deal with blues that don't exactly match in the meantime. I think I'll try the latter, I have plenty more nautical issues to keep me busy.

Damn.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bow seat back removal?? Stuck...please help!

Slide a stiff putty knife between the seat and the hull and work it around the perimiter. You will quickly find the fasteners. Pry outward a little so you can see what type of fastener it is. My bet is that you pull out at the bottom of the cushion to release it, then lift up to release the top. It would be insane design if the seats were installed before the hull was assembled. That just doesn't make good assembly line sense.