How to fix loose threaded insert on lower seat cushion???
 

Hi all,

I was changing seat rails to stock ones with the seat belt buckle on it and when I was removing the old ones I had a tough time getting one bolt out and found the issue...the threaded insert is loose inside the bottom part of the seat (see pictures).

Does anyone have any idea on a good (safe) solution???

Thanks in advance!

Craig

It looks like the threads are in a sleeve that was inserted in the seat 'tray' and the sleeve has now come loose. You could try taking a chisel and crimping the metal enough to 'freeze' the sleeve in place. Another option is to find a bolt with a smaller diameter than those threads. I would then try to fish a new nut that fits the new bolt between the foam and the metal seat 'tray'. Then you will need to hope there will be enough resistance that you can start the new bolt and draw it up tight to secure the seat rail. The only other idea would involve pulling the seat apart and welding a nut on the inside of the seat tray that would fit a bolt you would pass through.


EDIT: Aah, I just realized the seat tray may not be metal but fiberglass. Uhg. You will probably need to work with my second suggestion somehow. Maybe you can also try to bond it with some fiberglass repair adhesive.

The seat tray is fiberglass. Aside from filling it with resin to try and re-"bond" the insert or something, I'd be inclined to buy a good seat bottom, hog ring pliers and hog rings, and swap your lower seat cover onto the good seat bottom.

My seat had the same issue. I had the foam/covers off though. On the back side there is a metal plate and the fiberglass shell has a slot cut in it to keep it from turning. My threads were messed up and someone tightened it down anyways causing the metal to spin and wreck the lip on the slot. I ran a tap through it to clean up the thread. I held a screwdriver against it to keep it from spinning. Afterwards I used some 2 part epoxy. I spun it to the side, put the epoxy down, spun it back, then lightly coated around the plate portion. It's working fine. Just be careful when tightening it down. I wouldn't worry about safety. It would have to pull a pretty good size plate through the fiberglass shell to come lose.

Here's a random pic I took when I was contemplating cutting foam on my seat. You can see the plate I'm talking about in the bottom left underneath the tape measure.

Attachment 608948

And, while you're in there, you could do this:

Attachment 608934

Just food for thought.

^^Probably a good thing Dom never had any passengers.

I always wondered if that was just a prop or if the rx7 really had mini bottles built inside the seat. Any more info on it? Looks like there would be room or the foam to sit on the top.

It was a prop.

On the Red Mazda RX-7 in the Fast and the Furious:

"The interior of the car is tricked out, and sports functional and non-functional gauges and a prop nitrous set up."

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/13278/lot/841/


In another source, Sneaky Pete's is referenced as the supplier of the components. Sneaky Pete's does actually make functional NOS systems.

To anyone with practical experience with a NOS system, however, you encounter an obvious problem with the setup ... there is no practical way to refill the bottles. No licensed nitrous seller is going to charge this as a system either.

I don't know why I'm going into all of this. I'm not even a big fan of the series. NOS systems are also not what I consider reliable horsepower enhancements. You live by the sword and die by the sword. One minute your a hero[wooosh], the next a zero [blown motor].

Thanks to everyone for your help (and fun fact about The Fast and the Furious). I'm going to try bonding it tonight or tomorrow night.

fastfalcon94 - An especially big thanks to you for the picture and for making me feel better about the safety aspect of my situation. Makes a lot of sense that they would secure it on the back with a metal plate to provide much higher resistance to pulling out in case of an accident.

The rectangular slot was now a circle and the metal fitting was stripped so I purchased a Class 10.9 bolt, nut, split washer and washer and through the washer on the bolt, put it in through the hole where the slot should have been and then the seat rail (M8 bolt is largest that would fit through the seat rail hole), then the split washer and nut. M8-1.25 is what the original thread was and I used a 25 mm long bolt (30 mm long bolt interferes with the seat rail bottom). Hope this helps for anyone else this might happen to in the future.