Removing stuck seat
 

Like the title suggests, I need to remove my passenger seat but the rail is stuck in the full back position. I'm fairly certain that something fell into the rail (don't ask me how, I'm baffled) and it is now jammed in place with only about 1" of travel from being in the fully back position.

Usually removing the seats is very simple and straight forward. However, with the rear mounting points covered by the seat itself I'm at a bit of a loss for how to move forward.

Does anybody know of a way to still remove the seat that DOESN'T involve completely destroying the seat in the process?

I'm taking a couple days off from work this week and would like to pull the dash/carpet so I can strip/clean everything and replace some old wiring. The dash can be done with the seat in place, but the carpet can't.

Thanks!

If there is absolutely no way to get the seat working again... From underneath find where the rear seat bolts are located.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...34f5bfdb15.jpg

Drill an ~3/4 inch access hole, then drill out the seat bolts.

When you are done, paint the bare metal exposed by drilling the access hole with primer, let dry, and cover with a rubber body hole plug:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ec3328529e.jpg

Man, that sucks!

You may want to pull the center console out, that may give you a little more room to work. You MAY be able to get a wrench under there and work on it. The bolts are relatively flat how they go in so a combination wrench may be able to get in there.

May also want to undo the 2 front bolts and that may let you lift the front of the assembly up a bit. You may be able to see in there and find out why it's jammed or something.

Also the seat itself is bolted to the rails with 2 12mm bolts, don't know if you can get to any of those.

I would exhaust all options for either getting to the rear bolts or fixing the rails enough to get them to move forward before drilling into the car, but that is a good last case scenario. Even if you have to destroy the rails or something, you can always buy another set of rails.

Dale

Thanks Dale, yeah I may try to get the bolts from the seat to the rail undone. I picked up a set of indexing/elbow wrenches hoping to make use of them, maybe it'll work/help for undoing the seat from the rails :)

The seat rail has a dimple pressed in it to act as a rear seat rail stop.

Problem is that dimples are rounded so if some fat f#ck sat in the passenger seat and rode it to the end of the rail the seat will get stuck on the dimple due to their massive inertia.

Put said fat f#ck back in the seat and make them fix it by pulling the lever and humping their upper body forward.

I know these things because I am a fat f#ck.

I wish that it were an easy fix like that!! I would have been the only fat fuck sitting shotgun, and unfortunately I didn't slam it back :(

The seat does have some play in the rail, but only about one inch, which isn't enough to expose the bolts mounting the rail to the frame.

*If* I'm able to get this sorted out I'll post updates and photos as a guide for future hapless owners. If I'm not... I'll post updates admitting defeat, right before I go out and buy some cutting tools to sort it out once and forever. :rofl:

If you have to go the thermonuclear option, I think you can do this -

- Unbolt the seat belt bolt, I think you can get to that even with the seat where it is.
- Unbolt the 2 front bolts
- Bend the seat rail up and force it up
- Get under there with an angle grinder and go sick

I would probably put towels/blankets/etc. down EVERYWHERE since there will be sparks like mad. Once all is done and the seat is out, find a good used passenger seat slider/rail and bolt the seat on.

Dale

Yep if it comes to it I'd definitely be sacrificing the rail before the floor!

If you unbolt the seat that'll let you remove one half of the rail, should give you good access to fix the other rail in situ.

These two suggestions, in combination, are friggin' brilliant!! I think I'll end up just unbolting the seatbelt anchor (it's exposed), unbolting the front of the rail, then leveraging the seat upwards to expose the mounting bolts that connect the seat to the rail. I intend to replace the drivers seat with an aftermarket one, so I *should* be able to just use the rail from the drivers seat to replace the passenger one if I'm unable to salvage it. Ideally cutting the rail (and potentially setting the carpet on fire) won't be required if I can mange to separate the seat from the rail.

Thanks!!

Hi - I recently discovered my driver seat is stuck about 1/2" too far back for me to drive optimally. Did you find the source of your seat being stuck, and if so, would you have gone about the fix a different way with what you discovered?

Related: Is it natural to feel like I am "perched" in an FD? This is my first one, and I feel very high up. The gauges seem to point downward at my chest/belly, and I only have about 1" between my head and the roof. I am 6 ft tall, somewhat gumby-ish torso length. I doubt the seat can be lowered...?

Sounds like you are just more Corvette sized/shaped than FD RX-7 sized/shaped. Recline will be your respite.

I'm 5 foot so I feel properly sunk down in/embraced by the FD.

What is "natural" size/shape?

In the '90s in Japan I think it was the 5 foot not the 6 foot.

Hey Jarod,

I never did end up getting this sorted, I went into the weeds with the Miata and wasn't able to prioritize time for getting the seat out. I have a feeling I'm going to end up cutting the rail out though..

I'm 6'1" so I definitely know what you mean regarding the roof clearance, though I don't recall ever noticing an issue with the gauges seemingly being poorly oriented. :dunno:

I was always curious how this got sorted... if it did.
Bump the thread eventually when you do, I'd be interested to see the result.

Will do :)