Has anyone done this to an HST?

[skidoo29]

I am looking to move my front seats over to give me the driver more room, but the seats sit on two little pads,

Has anyone ever moved their seats? how are the pads held down?
what's underneath them , and I would also like to know how much room I have between the floor and the hull so if I start drilling , I won't be kicking myself after.

warren

[Capt.Insane-o]

Are you making it center steer? My seats were right together, so I'm not sure what you mean by moving them over. The pads are plywood glassed to the floor which is glassed to the tunnel roofs. Someone drilled through the boat I have at one time or another:( .

[skidoo29]

I am actually just looking to move the drivers seat over a couple of inches, there is about three inches inbetween right now.
I was pretty sure that they were glassed to the floor, but how much depth do I actually have between the top fo the pad and when I start hitiing something I really shouldn't be.

[Capt.Insane-o]

I could'nt keep my passenger seat in, all my freinds kept ending up in the back seat. :D The HST is a race boat with 4 seats put in it. A compromise at best. I'm putting me back in the center and low.

[skidoo29]

Thanks Capt!
So if I keep the seats where they are I only have about 1 inch to drill?
I don't like how they were held in there so I was going to put in stainless threaded inserts and then screw in to them. it doesn't leave me much room for error.
did you pull your floor out to get you lower in the middle? because I know that there is more room in the center of the boat.
do you have any suggestions on what I should do to hold the seats in properly. the seats are out right now that is why I am exploring all my alternatives.

[Capt.Insane-o]

to cut the pads out and put in some blind insert in like they did originally then glass new ones back down. That is the only way, everything else pulls out. :eek: Tried it all. :cool:

[skidoo29]

so just so I understand , pull those pads out, glass new pads in and fasten the seat properly to the new pads,
man , thats ****ty! I was hoping there would be something easier, but I might as well do it right the first time, at least that way I can move the seat over like I want to!

thanks again Capt

warren

[WATERWINGS]

Whats the best way to remove glassed in pads?

I glassed in two when I put a new floor and stringers in my vector, thats when I had two seats, now I am center steer and with the new seat I just bought, I will be to high up.

Removing these pads will put me back down about where I was with the other seat.

[Capt.Insane-o]

:D :D at west marine. Drill holes in the new pads, put them in through the back side and glass the new pads back down.

[LaveyT]

if ya dont mind leaving the original glassed in pads in the boat you could take some 3/8 aluminum plate and mount the seats to the plates.then mount the Plates to the pads where you want them.This may or may not work depending on if the pads would then stick out from below? Good luck,Dave

[EXSTREAM EH!]

Warren Hi Brent says ur a big guy like me. I moved my seats to give me more elbow room. Your seats should have been bolted to the boxes. BUt you NEVER know what somebody else has done to an old boat. Mine had three screws and one bolt in one seat and two screws in the other! Plus lots of rotted plywood. NO FUN when the seat comes out when u punch it. Do your seats have two layers of ply and a fibreglass bucket? can u get to the bottom of the seat base box? After I rebuilt my seats I moved them over on the base and drilled new holes and put 5/8" bolts in em I used big fender washers and nylock nuts. then I drilled the seat cushions bases to clear the bolt heads and used velcro to hold them in. these babys are strong now! EXSTREAM EH! Gone:D

[mxz]

There are no seat boxes on the HST, just a square piece of plywood glassed to the floor so the seats basically sit on the floor. Seats were srewed into this, no room to use bolts.

ps
You coming up to Crystal lake the end of the month?

[EXSTREAM EH!]

Easy Way If the pads are solid just fill the holes with resin and install blind inserts then you can use bolts from the top down in to the inserts. Measure the hight of the pads and use tape to mark that depth on your drill bit that way you don't go to deep. Mark has a good piece on the inserts on
Hydrostream.org tec section
Hard way Use a cut off wheel in a grinder and cut out the pads and install stainless T-nuts from the bottom use epoxy to help hold them. Glass the pads back in and use bolts to hold the seats. In both cases the seats should be located first mark every thing and then drill. Use epoxy on the inserts to and try to find stainless stuff. and when you put it all togather use ant-seze compound on the threds.

I will be at the opener with my old Stream

EXSTREAM EH! Gone

[novalves]

I'm just finishing the over the winter (01-02 winter) restore/ design change project on my 88-HST. In the fall of 01 I threw in a couple of seats so I could try some ideas before I made my permanent changes.

I used epoxy (as I do on every non machine screw) and stainless # 14 pan heads with fender washers. That held well enough to crack the seat backs. And my pads looked more like mulch than wood.

As I expected it Was far too much wetted surface at low speeds, too little lift at mid speeds (40-80) and when trimmed in from the necessary mid speed over trimming.
It seemed to pivot over an air bubble and run tail high like my hydro does.

I was told that the earlier HSTs had a weak spot at the front edge of the floor?
On my boat this area seemed to change section rather abruptly (stress riser) and so the project began.

[skidoo29]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Extreme! good to se you on here, glad you are coming to the opener, I will be there even if my boat isn't ready!

warren

[EXSTREAM EH!]

Warren I was up to Crystal about two or three weeks ago. You still had ICE! But not as much as I had at my place. The whole lake was still covered. And I had snow on my road some spots were a foot deep! I am starting to think I should bring my snowmobile insted of the boat:D Any way bring your ride even if it's not done. We can always use a bait bucket for seats.:o Let me know if I can help with ur seat project (parts ect). See you at the opener. Brent can leave my rig at your place like last year?
EXSTREAM EH! Gone:D

[mxz]

Last of the ice went out about 2 weeks ago!
No problem parking at our place.
Even if Warren's boat isn't completely done I imagine he will bring it up that weekend.