Anyone have a problem with their seat bottoms not coming all the way up?

Mine are starting to get pretty bad, and i need to fix them over the winter. I almost always sit when driving, and my 230 lbs sitting on the seat while pounding through rough water seems to have taken a number on the seat. The bottom only comes up to within about 2" of where it should, at the beginning of the summer it came all the way up. Same problem on the pass. side, just not as bad.

Anyone know how to fix this?

Dave,

Not sure what year boat you are working with, but give this a read... might be the ticket

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...hlight=bolster

mines a '91 27 fever. from that thread it sounds like it's bent, that's what i was afraid of. Sounds like it's coming out and getting bent back with some gussets welded in. Is that all steel under there, or do i have to find someone with a TIG?

You will probbaly find that the seat frame where the motor is monuted to is bent inwards (square tube of SS is crushed inward). Check that first ...

In short, Fountain seats are made like crap. My 29 came with the screw "spike" in the motor for the passenger seat sheared. Vinnie at Mariners helped out and got me a replacement, along with new harware. After changing the motor which required sticking my arms in the back of the seat where staples used to tack down the foam pertrude, I was bleeding like a stuck pig. Hours later, grease mixed with blood all over - I cleaned up. Everything worked fine until a plus 200 lb buddy bent the thing when I came off a wave and landed hard. If you looked at the set up, it looks like Rub Goldberg designed the thing. I mean, what a piece of $hit. That along with the engine hatch which do not come with limits or stops which make it impossible to know when you are at the end. No, you must listen for the scream, grind and ca-chunk until you stop pressing the button. Eventually this beats the snot out of the stuff and then you get to fix them. But, a seat that can't hold a 200 lb guy off a wave.... Really.... Makes you appreciate Mc Cloud seats and wonder for the hundreds of thousands of dollers we pay, why we can't at least have a decent seat.

Call Vinnie (HPFOUNTAIN) and order the whole kit./ Bring bandaids, or let Vinnie do it for you....

You can fix them. It requires removal of the bolster. Then strip it
down to the frame. You dont have to remove upholstery,it unbolts
in sections.You will find that the frame is bent where the hydraulic
cylinder attaches. You can straighten & reinforce it. There is also
some room for adjustment on the threaded rod.

His doesnt have the motor in the seat. The older Fountains use a hydraulic cylinder & a remote (trim) pump in the
engine compartment. I agree though. They certainly
could build a seat that is a little more durable.......but I
do like the way they look.

Whaaattt ???!!! A PUMP in the engine compartment!! Geeeeezzzeee!!! So it got better then? There is hope!! I mean really, not to bust on our boat leader to much here, if we can put a man on the moon...... I guess I am spoiled. I drive BMW's and maybe we should outsource the seat design to a german....... The F-in seat goes 16 different ways and always knows when to stop moving, regardless of what your doing with the button. If the boy's down around the Pemlico designed it, it would fall of the damn track if you went back to far... Or bust in the middle if you hit a pot hole.... LOL.... Sorry guys, bad day at the office I guess.... I just think the design boarders on the ridicules and absurd..

Steve...get a grip! Your passion will be your undoing!!

G-

Yea there's a hydraulic pump that operates it, it's under the rear seat.

I'm a bit over 200 lbs myself, and I have a tendency to hit the waves hard. When i bought the boat the pass. side sagged an inch or so and the drivers side was fine. pass. side is still down about an inch, drivers side is now down 2-3"

I can probably figure out the reinforcement myself, but what does HPFOUNTAIN offer?