RyanPerrella

Thanks for the heads up Rob, i will look into that tool.

Since your hear and you would know, can i separate the S4 and later seats from the rails while the are still installed?

I think i will pull the drivers (which i need to do anyway) and see if i can disassemble the rails and if so i will just do that on the passenger side as well.

Rob M Budd

As I recall, you cannot separate the seat from the rails on the late models.

RyanPerrella

Ok well this is interesting.

I was pulling the seats in the S4 and got all 11 bolts out with no issues. The 12th bolt (passenger side front closest to the door) wouldnt budge and ive started to strip it as well.

THIS IS THE EXACT SAME BOLT THAT I AM HAVING ISSUES WITH ON THE GT!

Everything else came right out, no issues, WTF is with this last bolt? What did Porsche do to this thing!

Now i have a pair of cars with stripped allen heads and i still havent found a way to remove them!

Oh and BTW, Ive never seen more crap under a seat as i have on this S4, MY GOD! What a MESS! It looks like a landfill! There must be $5 in change scattered throughout the car too. A few cheetos, some walnuts, some wrapped bubble gum, and a half dozen beer bottle caps! DAMN! What a mess!

Mrmerlin

RP get a drill and drill the head off use a vacuum cleaner to catch the cuttings

RyanPerrella

How do i drill the head off?

Interesting to note, the bolt doesnt screw into the car itself, it screws into what i would consider a replaceable block of steel. So if i did drill it out, i woudnt have to worry about cleaning up threads, just replace the entire steel block. I am trying to think of what i can do with this new realization.

Also for drilling, i may have an issue, the seat is still in the way even moved all the way back. I have access to it up until about 8" from the top of the bolt, but then the seat starts to interfere. So if i am drilling i may not get a straight shot. I will try and take pics to more accurately show this as my description may not be clear.

Bill Ball

Drill at an angle. You should not have to drill it off completely. Drill a good potion of the head, which will weaken it and make it easier to turn it loose with a chisel and hammer. Worked for me.

SeanR

Bingo

Mrmerlin

RP you need to start taking some McGiver pills, then you can fix anything

RyanPerrella

yeah my dad is that way. He will do all kinds of crap to get something done, even if its mickey mouse. I am more exacting, but suffer in the getting it done part sometimes. Like this job. This damn bolt has slowed everything to a snails pace!

Bill Ball

I think I drilled it a bit and cut a slot with a Dremel cut-off disc so the chisel had something to work against.

Alan

Cut a slot with a dremmel & split with a cold chisel then snap the heads off - I have done this its not that hard... Or go the drilling path I have done this too - plan to drill a hole just smaller than the bolt diameter right in the allen hole and again chisel the head off - this avoids much damage to the seat rail if you wander off target a bit. To protect the seat get some tubing to go loosly around the drill shaft and use a drill bit extension - that way the drill isn't binding on the seat and you will get a straighter shot.

You just have to actually do it - it will work - just takes time & persuasion.

I sense a certain reluctance to start the project....

Alan

RyanPerrella

YES i am reluctant to start at this. For one i dont have a dremel. I need to buy one of these damn things already. I'm also not looking forward to doing this job twice as i have 2 cars that need this attention. But i know i will do one, find it to be easy then the second one will be much easier.

I need to buy a dremel with a cut off wheel, a couple chisels and who knows what else.

Off to home depot, i do have to get this crap done!

inactiveuser1

Depends how much room could try a few things as
file some flats on the outside of the head to get vise grips on instead of using the inside.Flats on the outside would allow to grab it easier.If someone is good enough could always tack weld a small allen wrench tip into it.More like an allen bit welded into where you could put a socket onto the tip of the allen on top.Just use the straight part or cut an allen wrench off so its straight and try to tack weld it in.I would cover any interior around with a blanket if welding and unhook the battery before.Filing flats 180 degrees apart on the outside if possible would allow the vise grips to grab it easier.Easy outs work as they turn left handed but most are pointed on the nose.I would get one close to the inside and grind the tip flat more like a flat bottm tap look.Best to bring an old screw that is already out to the hardware store so you could match up the right size easy out to modify.Tack weld may be the lst resort.
Mark

inactiveuser1

If all else fails tack weld may be the LAST resort.
Mark

Alan

M928 - I think the "last resort" is cutting, drilling and or grinding the head off... you need to go look at your seat bolts...

For those who haven't done it - this is a most inhospitable location to get to (esp. the front inboard seat bolts), you have seat above you and carpet below & on the tunnel at the side. The bolt itself is down inside a steel U channel with very limited (almost 0) lateral clearance. Getting yourself there requires some contortion, getting welding equip in there withoiut damage... - even using hand tools runs risks of poking the seat leather...

You can't get tools to the lateral sides of the bolt due to clearance of the channel - you can't file the longitudinal side due to the channel orientation and although you can get vice grips on the head - you cant turn them due to the channel...

Small rotary tools can cut longitudinal slots as can a very small hacksaw - drilling has issues with the seat above but is possible on an angle... dremmel rotary grinding tools work but are rather slow...

The metal is actually relatively soft... thats probably part of the problem... but helpful to these destructive removal techniques...

Alan