544DRS

I am sweating profusely.

I've been trying to tighten the bolts that hold the front seats down on my '83 944. It's hard!

My 10mm socket's walls are rubbing against the metal seat track. Don't tell me that Porsche has a special seat bolt tool!

If you can help me stop sweating, I'll think you're cool!

Thanks,

Nick

Calmchaos

The bolts for my seat were allen socket head bolts. So I just used an allen key and it was easy!

Good luck with yours though. Lol.

Wipeout

I think I had to use a 1/4" drive socket to get at mine, Nick. It sucks majorly.

I didn't even want to take my seat out, but I dropped something between the torque tube carrier and the seat. That sorta forced my hand.

KuHL 951

Mine were allen head cap screws also. A hexhead would be hard to get at. If you can back them out I would use the allen head cap screws. They are very easy to remove.

yellowline

Yep, 1/4 drive 10mm socket will do it for an 83. Preferably deep or with an extension, 1/4 sockets are small.

Be careful not to strip the captive nut threads. Spending $10 on the right tools is a smarter decision.

J Berk

indeed they are allen head on my '91 but I remember using the 1/4" drive on the '84....and don't feel bad. I sweat just thinking about it!

V2Rocket

deep thin-wall 10mm socket does the trick.

schwank

Yep... welcome to the 944. Hope you budgeted for lots of tools Nick. If you ever get to timing belt or anything, I do have a set of Arnnworx tools that I would be happy to let a local borrow.

My 87 definitely has hex cap screws. Well, had, until I went to race seats.

544DRS

Thanks again for all the help, guys. I'll get the thin-walled 10mm socket. Absolutely do not want to do more harm than good.

Eric, thanks for the offer. I'll need to take you up on it. My belts were changed 9,000 miles ago, but that was also three years ago, and I know the odometer has issues. The only other assurance I have that the belts were done 9,000 miles ago is that the car's tags had been expired almost 2.5 years when I bought it. Hope to meet up with you and the other PDX 944 guys soon!

Nick

Wipeout

Belt changing party! I gotta do mine soon, too...I know Eric and I have been talking about doing that.

Jfrahm

If they are loose I'd spin them out and use loctite on them, or better yet some high-grade socket head cap screws and good washers. Hard to put enough torque on them to keep them tight without stripping out the insert unless you use threadlocker.

I just had the seat out of my 968 to fix the seat switch, glad I did too as the tracks were sticky and I found two mashed-up and bent coins in the tracks, a good way to strip the seat adjusting gears is to get crap in there. I have one of those Skil power ratchets that makes getting the seat bolts out a breeze.

I put the front bolts in finger tight, run the seat forward, put the back bolts in, torque them, then run the seat back and torque the front bolts. Use quality hardware or the seat will come off in a crash (ow!)

-Joel.

wesmc3

I second the replacing with good allen heads. get a allen socket, 1/4" if possible. I also use a wobble when doing the fronts, it'll go so quick and easy you'll hate that you had to fight the POs 10mm hex caps.

nh7cy

I used the 10mm screwdriver bits and the adapter that came with my ratchet set, it's a tight fit but it works. I like the idea of using allen head bolts.

For some reason the girlfriends ratchet set can get in there perfectly and she has the same tools. Strange..

Tom R.

get yourself 8 allen head screws from home depot - grade 8.

get yourself a allen adapter that fits into the allens you just bought at home depot for about $6

Get yourslef a hack saw, and an allen head. put the allen in a vice and cut half the short side of the allen off, file and make it look nice.

Then start the job all over again. the cutting of the allen is optional.

the $12 you spend on parts will save you $50 in frustration.

i put the two fronts in and dont fully tighten the bolts, then i slide the seat forward and fiddle with the rears, get them good and tight, then tighten the front. YMMV

544DRS

Thanks again, guys. I'm putting the carpet back into my 944 today and, therefore, will be using allen bolts to hold my seats to the floor!

Nick