monster693

So like many of you my seat bottoms were bent and dont come all the way up. Last night I pulled both seats out so I can repair the frames. Looks like it will be fairly simple. Anybody have any pics of the repairs that you have done to yours? Have any of you added a manual lock so that you can sit in the seat in rough water and take the load off the actuator?

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

After straightimg my frame, I welded SS angle for reinforcement to the back seat frame. Also add another strut to the main frame at the top u-shaped frame member and tieing it to the bottom. Basically adding another rod like what is currently there. If you push down on the seat bottom, the u-shaped tube will shift sideways and bow up. That's were most of the problem is. Bend it back straight and reinforce it solid.
After I did my seats, I could lift the boat up by the seats and put 1000# in the bolsters. Solid as rock

Basically just push down on seat bottom frame with all the coverings removed, and see what flexes, then fix it.

monster693

Cool good advice, thanks

lslavick

monster693, I have the same problem with my '05 29. How did you remove the seats? Did you remove the bolts from the floor or from the bottom of seats? Also, do you have to remove any of the upholstery to get to the metal that needs repaired.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

Only pic I have. You can see how the top frame is bowed up wards. Thats because the seat bottom has an upward force on the actuator with the seat bottom raised, thus pushing up on that frame. The rod to the left of the actuator does very little as its angled. The top frame simple moves sideways and bows. What I did was to weld a second rod, but it was located as close to the actuator upper mount, and go straight down to the lower frame where that center cutout of the cushion is. Gotta tie it all together solid. That prevents and sideways flex and prevents the top u channel from bending. That bend in the top support is what is preventing the seat bottom from fully raising. Just straightening it back and thinking it's fixed is a waste of your time. It'll bend back 1st wave you hit.
Sorry if this is repeative of my earlier post. Figured easier to follow with a pic


I deleted the actuator posts since it seemed counterdicting of this post. With the bare frame in front of you and watching were/how forces are applied to the frame when you put weight on the seat bottom, it'll be self explanatory. Hope this helps

monster693

Islavick to remove the seat I had to pull the 4 lag bolts out of the floor then take a 1/2" socked and reach my arm through the storage doors in the gunwale and remove about 5-6 nuts. Then just unplug the wire harness and lift the seat out. Its heavy and took a buddys help. Once the seat is out you can flip it upside down and unbolt the metal frame from the upholstery. It wasnt to difficult just lots of stuff to unbolt. PM me you email or cell# and i can send you some pics tonight.

monster693

Thanks US1. I got the seats completely dissembled last night and have a better understanding of how it all works. Mine are actually bent in 2 different places. The passenger seat is like yours and bent the U-channel at the top. The drivers seat however actually bent the main part of the frame where the linkage attaches. I am going to stop at the iron shop on my way home from work and pick up some stainless L and square tubing.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

Yes, mine was bent too on the lower frame member. Thats where I welded a SS angle across the full with.. The whole frame is made from tubing way to thin IMO. No strenght

monster693

Seats are all done and back in the boat. Added a lot of reinforcement to them so hopefully they wont bend again. I ended up having to replace most of the bronze bushings. When I was disassembling the frames most of the bushings were worn so bad that when I pulled them out they cracked in half. Still would like to add some sort of lock at the front of the seat so that all the load is taken off the linkage.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

I eliminated those bronze bushings, only because of how the whole hinge system was designed, very poorly. All the pressure was on the threads of the shoulder bolts. Mine were bent, as was the hinges. I welded 3/8" thick SS plates in place of the thin metal peices Fountain used for hinges Bored those plates to accept the body of a 3/8" shoulder bolt as the pivot. The threads of the bolts just hold them in the bores. No way the shoulder bolt was going to shear then, and nothing to bend.

Course all the reinforcing just moved the new weakest point to the lag bolts bolting frame to the floor.