How To: Seat Removal. (Recaro install). And my interior
11-22-13, 01:46 PM
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How To: Seat Removal. (Recaro install). And my interior
Howdy folks. I apologize in advance for the shitty cell phone pics, but this thread was long overdue.
I wanted to do a quick write up on how to remove/install OEM seats. I searched but couldn't find anything, it's even easier than you'd imagine.
There are 5 bolts holding the seats in place. You'll need a flathead screwdriver and a 14mm socket for this job.
First, move the seat all the way back. At the front of each rail you'll see a plastic trim piece covering the front bolt. Use the screwdriver to remove these, you can pry them off from the top side (rear end) easily. They're fairly robust. Remove the two bolts.
Now move the seat all the way forward. next to the transmission tunnel you'll see a small piece of carpet that's velcroed covering another 14 mm bolt. I find this easiest to remove next. Lastly the two bolts at the end of the rail. Be sure to keep all the bolts and trim pieces - most secondhand seats don't come with the mounting hardware.
IMPORTANT! - lean the seat backwards, you can position it so that the bottom of the steering wheel holds the seat bottom up by sliding the seat backwards or forwards. Look under the seat and you'll find the wire for the seatbelt sensor. I found it very easy to unclip this if you remove it first from the mount on the seat - you simply squeeze the tabs together with your fingers (they don't offer much resistance) and push the clip up and out - leaving you free to separate the two halves. I found it easiest to use a medium flathead and push the tab in while wiggling the two halves apart. It's a bit of a PITA, but it's straightforward.
Removing the seat is a bit of a pain, you have to just keep fiddling and rotating it until you manage to get it out the door - be careful of your sill plates (especially if you have nice clean ones like me). Be sure to cover them with a drop cloth to protect them.
Installation is reverse of....well, you know. Installing the OEM Recaros is fairly easier - they're shorter, so despite having a fixed back, they're easier to get into the car than the old ones were to remove. I put the headrest in first and push it all the way to the roof, then there was plenty of room for the rail to cross the door sill without touching. Be sure to hook up the seatbelt sensor again. There are two prongs that stick down from the rails - they're right behind the front bolts (they were on the USDM seats also) so slot those in their holes first. Now slide the seat all the way back and then forward. It is important to ensure that the holes all line up perfectly. Some seats get dinged in shipping and although it might not be visually apparent, you may have a crooked rail. Thread all four of the bolts and tighten them from worst aligned to most. The prongs will keep everything crucial in line. Lastly insert the bolt number five (the third one we removed) and tighten. Voila - mission accomplished.
Like I said, it's simple, but I couldn't find a write up.
Now - on to my interior. Genuine Al Cantara shift boot and ebrake book in charcoal with red contrast stitching from Red Line Goods, feel great and look even better now that they're broken in. Hand recovered shift **** in black with red contrast stitching courtesy of Goodfella here on the forums, his guy does amazing work and this leather is incredible. Nardi steering wheel with Flying M airbag - also from Goodfella. This is the single best investment I made, it makes the steering feel so much more organic and again the feel of the hand stitched leather is to die for. I wouldn't drive an FD without one of these wheels. Nice because they're OEM. Lastly my new Recaro driver's seat - I needed one for the headroom and when this one came along with 12,000miles on it, I couldn't say no. It's in perfect shape and isn't at all faded despite how it looks in the photo. I have the tilt rail and together they bought me an inch and a half of headroom. Thanks so very much to Bryan of RX7 Boutique - absolutely perfect transaction. I forgot to photograph the dual gauge pod from Rotary Performance, but that's nothing you guys haven't seen before and it's pouring rain now.
I wanted to do a quick write up on how to remove/install OEM seats. I searched but couldn't find anything, it's even easier than you'd imagine.
There are 5 bolts holding the seats in place. You'll need a flathead screwdriver and a 14mm socket for this job.
First, move the seat all the way back. At the front of each rail you'll see a plastic trim piece covering the front bolt. Use the screwdriver to remove these, you can pry them off from the top side (rear end) easily. They're fairly robust. Remove the two bolts.
Now move the seat all the way forward. next to the transmission tunnel you'll see a small piece of carpet that's velcroed covering another 14 mm bolt. I find this easiest to remove next. Lastly the two bolts at the end of the rail. Be sure to keep all the bolts and trim pieces - most secondhand seats don't come with the mounting hardware.
IMPORTANT! - lean the seat backwards, you can position it so that the bottom of the steering wheel holds the seat bottom up by sliding the seat backwards or forwards. Look under the seat and you'll find the wire for the seatbelt sensor. I found it very easy to unclip this if you remove it first from the mount on the seat - you simply squeeze the tabs together with your fingers (they don't offer much resistance) and push the clip up and out - leaving you free to separate the two halves. I found it easiest to use a medium flathead and push the tab in while wiggling the two halves apart. It's a bit of a PITA, but it's straightforward.
Removing the seat is a bit of a pain, you have to just keep fiddling and rotating it until you manage to get it out the door - be careful of your sill plates (especially if you have nice clean ones like me). Be sure to cover them with a drop cloth to protect them.
Installation is reverse of....well, you know. Installing the OEM Recaros is fairly easier - they're shorter, so despite having a fixed back, they're easier to get into the car than the old ones were to remove. I put the headrest in first and push it all the way to the roof, then there was plenty of room for the rail to cross the door sill without touching. Be sure to hook up the seatbelt sensor again. There are two prongs that stick down from the rails - they're right behind the front bolts (they were on the USDM seats also) so slot those in their holes first. Now slide the seat all the way back and then forward. It is important to ensure that the holes all line up perfectly. Some seats get dinged in shipping and although it might not be visually apparent, you may have a crooked rail. Thread all four of the bolts and tighten them from worst aligned to most. The prongs will keep everything crucial in line. Lastly insert the bolt number five (the third one we removed) and tighten. Voila - mission accomplished.
Like I said, it's simple, but I couldn't find a write up.
Now - on to my interior. Genuine Al Cantara shift boot and ebrake book in charcoal with red contrast stitching from Red Line Goods, feel great and look even better now that they're broken in. Hand recovered shift **** in black with red contrast stitching courtesy of Goodfella here on the forums, his guy does amazing work and this leather is incredible. Nardi steering wheel with Flying M airbag - also from Goodfella. This is the single best investment I made, it makes the steering feel so much more organic and again the feel of the hand stitched leather is to die for. I wouldn't drive an FD without one of these wheels. Nice because they're OEM. Lastly my new Recaro driver's seat - I needed one for the headroom and when this one came along with 12,000miles on it, I couldn't say no. It's in perfect shape and isn't at all faded despite how it looks in the photo. I have the tilt rail and together they bought me an inch and a half of headroom. Thanks so very much to Bryan of RX7 Boutique - absolutely perfect transaction. I forgot to photograph the dual gauge pod from Rotary Performance, but that's nothing you guys haven't seen before and it's pouring rain now.
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