Need help with seat removal.

[oktain]

I searched and couldn't find anything definitive here.

Just purchased an '06 Sportster 150 (Yesterday actually) and I would really like to get the seats out so I can clean the mud or whatever the gunk is underneath. I got it as best as I could but I'm a clean freak like that.

I already figured out that there's darts holding them in but is there anything else? Is it just a matter of pulling up on them? I'm really worried about breaking something.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[thor7000]

The back rests slide into a metal bracket, so you need to pull on the bottom and slide up. The seat cushions will come right up except for the middle seat, same metal clip holding it down...it is also the access hatch for your fuel pump. Just make sure you want to do that because you will need approx. 27 plastic darts @ $5 each, once you pull the seat up it pretty much screws up your old darts so new ones are the only way to go.

 

[TimIHB]

I have an 05' sportster SCIC. My seats came loose after some pounding. I called Riva and asked what they typically use to re adhere them to the plastc underneath. The middle did have two front clips by the way. The mechanic said they use a beadable contact cement. I went to Lowes and purchased some 3m sprayable heavy duty contact cement. I covered both seat and boat at the contact points as instructed. it worked great and the cement was 13.00 a can. I have since experimented with heavy duty velcro and that also seems to work well. Just clean surfaces good before doing it and expect to redo it at some point in the future if you drive the boat like i do. You can do it in the evening and the boat will be ready to go the next morning.Hope this helps.

 

[oktain]

Thanks.

I just wanted to pull the bottom cushions off seeing as whoever owned the boat previously enjoyed bringing half of the sand from the beach home with him. There was actually moss growing on the edge of the vinyl where it was stapled to the seat bottom. I cleaned everything up and while I was at it cleaned up and fixed my fuel pump access panel which was so full of sand I fought for 30mins to get it off. I also realized that one seat bracket in the middle was actually digging into the cover adding to my misery when I was trying to thread the cover off. I had to trim the cover a bit since I didn't want to nail the gel coat with the file. I did manage to round the corner on the bracket off a little bit though.

All in all though, I was careful to pull up firmly but not harshly, I didn't break any darts though (surprisingly) and all ended up being re-usable. The amount of sand and grit I have cleaned out of this boat since I bought it was just un real. It looks as though whatever dirt was in the engine compartment ended up flowing into the sub-deck storage.

Hopefully this boat is worth all of the work She's hitting the water for the first time tonight at camp.

Any reason I shouldn't be leaving it in the boat house 24/7?

 

[TimIHB]

I keep mine under 2 covers or in the garage. Your seats may be different than mine. I saw the darts on my seats but it didnt look like they would last even if reattached. That's why i called the dealer and asked how they do it. He was evasive about the material brand of contact cement but not the process that they use to reattach seats that fell off or were removed to access engine components.

 

[oktain]

Cool. I never thought of Velco to hold the seats in... I'm sure I'll have them out again at some point and the Velcro would be the easy solution.

Should I be taking the boat out after every weekend? I won't be at the camp at all during the week and I don't want to find my investment sitting at the bottom of the drink.

 

[TimIHB]

The velcro worked instantly of course. If you are in fresh water it probably is ok to leave it in the water. I live on the East coast of Fla (salt water)and i would never leave it in the water here. It is too easy to launch and retrieve. I am a fanatic about keeping it clean and flushing the exhaust with fresh water after every use.

 

[oktain]

Freshwater only... I'd have to drive a couple of days to reach coast line from Ontario lol. Does the bilge pump actually work with the main power switch turned off? Just in case?

 

[MI_Badger]

I have a '96 Challenger and need to re-upholster the 3 center pads in the back row. The parts manual shows 4 screws to remove the whole seat assembly, but none actually going into the center pad. Anyone had this apart before that can give some guidance? Hate to do the contortionist thing to remove the 4 bolts only to find I didn't have to. Thx

 

[logans runner]

Freshwater only... I'd have to drive a couple of days to reach coast line from Ontario lol. Does the bilge pump actually work with the main power switch turned off? Just in case?

I know on my 2011 Challenger the auto bilge works with the main switch off. I am in Timmins and I haul mine out befor leaving camp as the water stains the hull and is a pain at the end of the season.

 

[oktain]

I have a '96 Challenger and need to re-upholster the 3 center pads in the back row. The parts manual shows 4 screws to remove the whole seat assembly, but none actually going into the center pad. Anyone had this apart before that can give some guidance? Hate to do the contortionist thing to remove the 4 bolts only to find I didn't have to. Thx

From what I've read searching for my answers you'll have to play contortionist on that model...

Search, and if you can't find it after at least 30 minutes of searching then post your own thread. I don't know about this forum but any other forum I'm on mentions thread jacking to be against the rules.

I know on my 2011 Challenger the auto bilge works with the main switch off. I am in Timmins and I haul mine out befor leaving camp as the water stains the hull and is a pain at the end of the season.

My boat's sitting in our boat house on the West Arm of Nippissing and just yesterday I noticed the white on the hull starting to yellow a bit. I'll clean it off when I take her out of the water lol. I have a few things to go through, I want to take a look at the pump next weekend.