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MG TD TF 1500 - Seat bolt removal

I want to remove my TF seats so I can install my new carpeting. One of the bolts holding down the seat rail to the floor at the front is seized in its "T nut" or captive nut in the floor board. I have soaked it with penetrant, but the T nut rotates in the wood.
Anyone have a tip for removal shy of drilling out the bolt?

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

I guess heating the nut cherry red with a torch is out...

You could cut the end off the t nut with tin snips or an angle or di grinder or cut off wheel. Alternatively, you could cut the head of the bolt off with a grinder.


D. Sander

Pry out the t-nut and bolt from the floorboard with a small screwdriver or chisel, or hit the bolt from underneath until the t-nut nails pop out. Then separate them at your leisure.
Tom
t lange

Crawl under the car and drill the bolt out of the T-nut with an electric drill. You will have to ruin the nut and the bolt but these are easily found at the hardware store. However the wood will no longer hold a T-nut so you will have to resort to a standard bolt/nut/washer. (I just installed new floors and found T-nuts to be a real pain, especially in ply wood!)
Good luck,
Ed
efh Haskell

If you are wanting to save the floor board, go underneith the car, drill two 1/4 inch holes about a 1/4 inch deep directly across from one another and grab the nut with a pair of narrow nose vice grips. Hold those vice grips across the jaws with another one close to the nut and hopefully the bolt will break loose without further damage to the wood. PJ
Paul J

Thanks guys
The winner was.....Paul J. I drilled slightly around the T nut and was able to grasp it with a vise grip.
That and PB blaster, off it came. Now I have all the old carpet out and will get ready to install the new. Big job!
My old carpet had a nice leather gaitor for the handbrake. New set does not, and it appears that many of you do not have handbrake gaitors. I'm thinking of having it sewn into the new carpet piece. What is the concensus on handbrake gaitors??

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

Depends how your lever and mechanism look. If the chrome is great, the cad plated parts clean,and the brass adjuster nuts polished, you don't want a boot. If not, Moss lists a leather one for about $35. The old ones snapped on underneath, not sure about the current version. Smaps nice as at some point you may need to adjust the cables, etc.
George Butz

I made one up from a leather coat purchased at Value Village...got a hand brake gaitor as well....

gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

This thread was discussed between 02/07/2011 and 16/07/2011

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