Boat seat bushing/base questions

thegipper

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
236
I'm essentially done with my 85 Starcraft FM-160 project but I'm not happy with the seat bases that came with the boat. They essentially look identical to ones I linked below but are solid plastic. The bases do not appear to be broken or worn really. The boat came with aluminum tubes (not homemade, definitely purchased) that simply slide into each base (no snap locks or V groove). The aluminum tubes is literally an aluminum tube with an OD of approximately 1.77" (approximately the hole size on the base) and an ID of 1.5". The plastic bushing (shown the picture) slides into the aluminum tube and has an ID of .75". The seats themselves have the mount with a .75" stud with a spring that slides into the ID of the bushing. The front seat/base/bushing seem ok and there is no lean. They aren't the most stable seats (likes to rock a little in all directions) but I think its the inherent nature of this, I'm assuming, older basic design. The rear seat, likes to lean to one side when you sit in it and turn. Whats weird is it likes to lean in one direction as you are spinning around. I assumed it was the mount on the seat (with the stud) so I put a new one on it. Didn't fix it. I then figured the seats are kind of old so I bought a brand new seat, installed the new mount on it that I just purchased, it's better but it still likes to lean. The base that is screwed the floor does not look like its moving at all. There is still that slop between the seat base and the aluminum tube. I'm also assuming there is some degree of play in the ID of the bushing where the seat metal post goes into it. At this point, I'm not sure what to do. I really don't have the money to buy all new seats (2 more), seat bases, seat base posts ect. Is the sloppiness of this older design just the way it is or am I missing something? At this point, I may have to just live with it. It's not "terrible" but I notice it right away. If someone was fishing in that spot for an extended period of time, it would annoy me at least. The front seat base has sloppiness in it but its equal on all sides and doesn't lean to one side. Here is what the base look like but all plastic, the hole is just round, no notches or V's with a smaller hole (drain?) at the bottom of the base like in the link http://www.iboats.com/9-in-Round-1-7...view_id.162839 This is the picture of the bushing that goes into the aluminum tube. The seat mount with (attached to the seat) metal stud, goes into this bushing. photo260632.jpg
 

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thegipper

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
236
No Title

I can't remember if I tried switching the front seat (aluminum post, seat, bushing ect) to the back seat base to see if it still does it. If it still does it, I would assume it is the base itself, possibly worn on not secured level?

Anyways, here is the boat all done. It's not a "pro rebuild" but I'm happy with it, I read a lot on here and took a lot of advise. May need to do a complete lower unit seal job this spring as I'm getting water in it and it fails a pressure test (not cool).

P.S. The console is supposed to be like that! It came from the factory with a tilt, everyone I show keeps saying "your console isn't flat", like I wouldn't have realized that but that is the way it came from SC.

photo260636.jpg

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