Removing the Front Seats

[Mckipper]

[PTK]

The front seats slide out of the rails. Slide back and lift up out of the rail in the back first. Then slide forward and out of the rail in the front. Need to remove the cotter pin at the rear of the rails. This pin holds the seat in the rail during normal sliding forward/backward. The back of the rear seats slides up and out. Need to tilt the back forward to have clearence. Assuming you have the split rear seats.

It's a good idea to interchange the pilot copilot seats every year or so to keep them wearing evenly on the rails.

[jetdriven]

On the inside rail of eadh seat is a large cotter pin put horizontally through a hole in the seat rail.  You wil find one at the front and rear of the seat rail.  Remove those, slide the seat all the way back lift the back of the seat a half inch and its free.  Now slide th seat far forward and off the front of the rail, lift, and remove.  I altered mine somewhat, I used 1/8" x 1/2" clevis pins with small cotter pins retaining them.  The small cotter pins are easier to work with.

h\Photo shows the front pin location. Viewpoint is sitting in passenger front seat looking down.  Pilot side similar.

[PTK]

How did you get that pic so fast Byron?! You must live at the airport!

[jetdriven]

I take a lot of technical pictures and save them. You wouldnt believe how much referring to them later, helps.

[PTK]

That's an excellent idea! Did you get my email re the oil analysis from PPM? What do you think? 

[Mckipper]

fantastic responce, and so fast !!! Guess what they say about us Mooney drivers is true !!

[jetdriven]

Quote: allsmiles

That's an excellent idea! Did you get my email re the oil analysis from PPM? What do you think? 

[PTK]

Quote: Mckipper

fantastic responce, and so fast !!! Guess what they say about us Mooney drivers is true !!

[PTK]

Quote: jetdriven

yes i think i will give them a try. I dont need the commentary for the 18$ it costs.  Thanks, Peter.

[Mckipper]

What DO they say about us?!

That we like to fly,  fast .....

[PTK]

Quote: Mckipper

What DO they say about us?!

That we like to fly,  fast .....

[jetdriven]

A Bonanza will beat up pretty easily on an M20J. By the time I arrive, though, the Bonanza guy is just finished filling up..   Apples to apples, give the Bonanza an Ovation and see how that goes...

[PTK]

Quote: jetdriven

A Bonanza will beat up pretty easily on an M20J. By the time I arrive, though, the Bonanza guy is just finished filling up..   Apples to apples, give the Bonanza an Ovation and see how that goes...

[Piloto]

If you have the articulated seats set them all the way forward before trying to remove them. This will give you more clearance at the back of the rail. Besides the rear cotter pin there is another one up front. Make sure that both are in place when reinstalling the seats.

José

 

[Antoni Deighton]

Quote: allsmiles

That's right!

The Bonanza does have a higher useful load but this can be misleading because the it also has a very narrow CG range! This means that the Mooney can carry an occasional four passenger payload farther than the Bo! The Mooney covers more distance in less time using less fuel.

[carusoam]

Thanks guys, I feel better about my Ovation now...

In line with the topic... The Ovation has a special clip holding the seat from exiting the rails.  Byron's design seems to be the off-the-shelf winner.

 

-a-

[Mckipper]

Job done, quick and relatively painless.  (some scraped knuckles, but she always makes me bleed on these small repair jobs)

 

[DaV8or]

Since we're on the subject of front seats and this thread seems to have crept around a bit, question for you J drivers; When your front seats are pushed all the way back with the stops installed, how close does the back of the front seat get to the rear seat? I think that one of the changes they made from the F to the J is drilling an extra hole or two to allow greater ease of getting to the pilot's seat. Wondering if this is true.

[Mckipper]

Since I spent a fair amount of time today with the seats, I can confidently say that at the floor level there is about 5 inches between the frame and the back seat, and at seat level about 2 inches between the back seat squab and the back of the front seat.  Both seats go back the same distance.

1981 "J"

 

[DaV8or]

Quote: Mckipper

Since I spent a fair amount of time today with the seats, I can confidently say that at the floor level there is about 5 inches between the frame and the back seat, and at seat level about 2 inches between the back seat squab and the back of the front seat.  Both seats go back the same distance.

1981 "J"

 

[Echo]

I had my co-pilot seat ALL THE BACK and I could not get that M*#$er @#$&*% off the rail.  What am I missing?

[hammdo]

You have to push the seat full forward (sometimes that also means the cushion needs to be 'crushed' against the nose gear plastic over), raise the front up enough to get over the rail then, slide it back -- making sure nothing is in the rail to prevent seat movement (cotter pins et.al.)

-Don

[Ragsf15e]

11 hours ago, Echo said:

I had my co-pilot seat ALL THE BACK and I could not get that M*#$er @#$&*% off the rail.  What am I missing?

Tilt seat back forward, compress bottom against the back seat hard.  Fwiw I had mine out day before yesterday.  I slid it forward first, pushed hard forward and popped the front off the rail.   Keep it very straight. Slide it straight back, tilt the seat forward and push back until the back pops off. When done just right it comes off real easy.

Edited January 28, 2024 by Ragsf15e

[Tim-37419]

If your seats are also vertically adjustable, fiddle with that as well. I think I make mine higher when taking them out.