Rear seat attach

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

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cessna170bdriver
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Rear seat attach

Post by cessna170bdriver »

I had the interior out of 98C for annual inspection (the first one I’ve participated in since the rebuild), and upon reinstalling the rear seat bottom, I find that there’s about 3/8 to 1/2 inch gap between the seat frame attach point and the fuselage bracket on the right side. I have the other three bolts started, and those line up pretty well. The screw in the photo and a 3/16” long spacer is the hardware that came out. Would it be worthwhile to try to tweak the seat frame a bit, (I think it would be quite the challenge to move that attach point without affecting the relative fit of the other three), or just reinstall this screw and the spacer?

(Note: with a little effort I can get the frame attach point to align vertically and longitudinally with the hole in the bracket; it’s just the lateral space I’m concerned about.)
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Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
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dogone
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by dogone »

I have the same trouble occasionaly . I just put the difficult bolt in first and then the others fit. I know mine was stretched between the front and back holes till I bent the back arm in a bit.
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n2582d
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by n2582d »

I found my seat back frame bowed in. Used some steel U channel and wood blocks to straighten it out.
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hilltop170
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by hilltop170 »

Miles
In order for my rear seat to fit, I always had to put the two side bolts in first, then the front center then the rear, sometimes having to tweak the aft arm.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
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ghostflyer
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by ghostflyer »

This one area that I get very angry about . Seats that have been removed from the aircraft and people sitting on them on the hangar floor. It doesn’t matter if it’s the front seats or the back seats .they are not designed to sit on concrete. If seats have been removed from a aircraft in my workshop they are placed on a rack and covered in plastic sheeting. [funny story following]. My seat and interior panel racks were being used by a out fit next door . [we all work together]. They had a Cessna 310 in their hangar for work. There was a massive argument over costs with the owner [it ended up physical. ]. I had all his interior plus one rear seat on my racks. Next thing the 310 owner is scooping up all his bits and pieces from the hangar floor throws it into the aircraft and pushes the 310 out of the hangar with some help from his friends. They takeoff ,no books ,no maintenance release, nothing . Totally illegal. I had his interior and the one seat until recently [dumped in the rubbish] ,I sent him letters and tried to phone him, he would answer and hang up . That was 3 years ago. The books and paper work for that aircraft , my friend next door now has them at home as he has retired .what happened to the 310 ???
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KG
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by KG »

hilltop170 wrote:Miles
In order for my rear seat to fit, I always had to put the two side bolts in first, then the front center then the rear, sometimes having to tweak the aft arm.
This is the way I've done it, including the tweak. For the tweak, no amount of pushing or pulling would get the aft arm in the right place but a little bump with a rubber mallet did the trick.
53 170B
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by cessna170bdriver »

hilltop170 wrote:Miles
In order for my rear seat to fit, I always had to put the two side bolts in first, then the front center then the rear, sometimes having to tweak the aft arm.
Before the rebuild I don’t think I ever got the back seat in without help, and it was always the fore/aft alignment center rear I had trouble with. Side to side alignment was easy, but it’s awfully difficult to stretch or shrink a steel tube lengthwise :mrgreen:. Now, with a minimum of fuss, I can get all the bolts in; it’s just that the right side attach point won’t pull up to the bracket. The prescribed AN3-11A bolt doesn’t even reach the anchor nut.
Miles

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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Miles, your very reputable overhaul shop was satisfied with a spacer. Do you have to think anymore about it? :wink:
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by cessna170bdriver »

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Miles, your very reputable overhaul shop was satisfied with a spacer. Do you have to think anymore about it? :wink:
True, except that when I put the 3/16” long spacer spacer that came out, back in, the screw runs out of threads before the seat attach point pulls up to the spacer. In other words, the spacer is just along for the ride between the seat frame and fuselage bracket, which leaves all the load on the bolt in a bending mode, which I’m pretty sure isn’t the way to go. A guy here on the airport gave me a 1/2” spacer that I’m putting in now.
Miles

“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
hilltop170
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by hilltop170 »

Miles
If it’s just the length of the bolt and spacer that’s in question, I would get the correct length bolt and spacer that allows the bolt to tighten snug against the spacer and call it good. My 195 rear seat has the same condition/resolution.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
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170C
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by 170C »

Its time to get out that bigger hammer Miles :mrgreen: Cessna didn't do us any favor with the anchoring of our rear seats and by not putting rear seat belt anchors in rather than attaching them to the seat itself. Those seat back angle adjustment arms (?) sure want to find a rear window to scratch or break :evil:
OLE POKEY
170C
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2012-2018
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by cessna170bdriver »

hilltop170 wrote:Miles
If it’s just the length of the bolt and spacer that’s in question, I would get the correct length bolt and spacer that allows the bolt to tighten snug against the spacer and call it good. My 195 rear seat has the same condition/resolution.
That’s what I ended up doing. A friend here on the airport gave me a 1/2” spacer out of his hardware collection, and I had to add a thin washer to allow the joint to tighten up before the bolt ran out of threads. The challenge was that I could either see the screw or put a tool on it, but not both at the same time. It took me about an hour to spring the seat into exactly the right position and start the screw by the Braille method.
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170C wrote:Its time to get out that bigger hammer Miles :mrgreen: Cessna didn't do us any favor with the anchoring of our rear seats and by not putting rear seat belt anchors in rather than attaching them to the seat itself. Those seat back angle adjustment arms (?) sure want to find a rear window to scratch or break :evil:
I replaced the hinge bolts with pull pins so the seat back can be installed/removed separately, making the installation way easier than trying to wrestle the whole seat into place at once. Side note: The seat back adjust pins don’t fit like they used to either. I had to wedge them into place, making the seat back no longer movable without tools. Not really an issue now that I have a baggage door.
Miles

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hilltop170
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by hilltop170 »

Miles
Instead of screws, I use hex head bolts and a 3/8” socket on a 1/4” ratchet to tighten and remove them. Much easier than screws.
Richard Pulley
2014-2016 TIC170A Past President
1951 170A, N1715D, s/n 20158, O-300D
Owned from 1973 to 1984.
Bought again in 2006 after 22 years.
It's not for sale!
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gfeher
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by gfeher »

I second what Richard just said. I also use hex head bolts, and it makes it a lot easier when using a 1/4 drive ratchet.
Gene Feher
Argyle (1C3), NY
'52 170B N2315D s/n 20467 C-145-2
Experimental J3 Cub Copy N7GW O-200
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170C
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Re: Rear seat attach

Post by 170C »

I think my back seats have always had a bolt rather than a screw. I have seen the modification to make the seat and back come apart with the pins you mentioned Miles. I just haven't made that mod yet.
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