2005 260DA Rear seat back

[skibum]

Hello everyone,

The curved back on the rear seat on my 260 Sundancer seems to have come loose. If you grab the top of it (just to the right of the transom door as you enter), it moves fore & aft a couple of inches. I don't remember it being like this before, and I don't recall having anything happen to it the last few times out.

I looked up from inside of the transom locker and there is a small hole right where the attachment point seems to be. It looks like there is a small stud coming out of the bottom of the seat back(the size and threads look like a #8 machine screw) that lines up perfectly with the hole. I did not see any evidence of a fastener (like a nut) being missing. If I have someone push down on the seat back, some threads of this stud protrude below the hole, but definately not enough for a washer and nut.

Am I looking in the wrong place for the fastener? Has anyone ever removed the seat back and have some advice on how I can fix mine? The seat back itself appears to be fine. Either the fasteners came loose, or there may be some internal wood bracing that got damaged.

The part is shown on page 16 of the 2005 260DA parts manual. It is item #12, which has 2 descriptions under it. What is does the abbreviation "BLSTR" mean? Here are the 2 part numbers:

1778370 260DA 05,BLSTR,AFT​

1778371 260DA 05,BLSTR SKN,AFT
​

I'm just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Dave S]

Michael

BLSTR stands for Bolster. In looking at my 2006 parts manual it appears that they use a part number for the seat and another for the vinyl seat covering. I will be at my boat today and have a look at mine but it almost sounds to me like you may have to remove the seat back to figure out what is wrong. Also, dont forget that when you raise the engine hatch there is a large opening on the starboard side of the hatch that allows you to see the back of the seat as well. In fact there may be attaching points both in there and in the lazarette. One thing that always bothered me about the rear seat back is how high up it fits off the rear. I always thought that if someone stepped on that or pushed to hard it could break. Do you think that might have happened to you?

At any rate, I will post back on here this evening or tomorrow morning on what I find.

Dave

 

[skibum]

Michael

BLSTR stands for Bolster. In looking at my 2006 parts manual it appears that they use a part number for the seat and another for the vinyl seat covering. I will be at my boat today and have a look at mine but it almost sounds to me like you may have to remove the seat back to figure out what is wrong. Also, dont forget that when you raise the engine hatch there is a large opening on the starboard side of the hatch that allows you to see the back of the seat as well. In fact there may be attaching points both in there and in the lazarette. One thing that always bothered me about the rear seat back is how high up it fits off the rear. I always thought that if someone stepped on that or pushed to hard it could break. Do you think that might have happened to you?

At any rate, I will post back on here this evening or tomorrow morning on what I find.

Dave

I really appreciate the help, Dave.

I did not look at it from the starboard side, just up in the port side of the transom locker (is that the "lazarette"?).

My guess is that the bolster has some sort of structural material in it, possibly wood. I dont't think that is what broke. It feels more like the fastener pulled out of it. I did not notice this the last time I had the boat out. It may have happened when they were tying the boat to the dock at the marina after splashing her, but I'm certain that they would have told me about it if something had happened. So... chalk it up to "unknown event".

I'm really hoping that it turns out to be just a stripped fastener.

Michael

 

[boatmailster]

Hello everyone,

The curved back on the rear seat on my 260 Sundancer seems to have come loose. If you grab the top of it (just to the right of the transom door as you enter), it moves fore & aft a couple of inches. I don't remember it being like this before, and I don't recall having anything happen to it the last few times out.

I looked up from inside of the transom locker and there is a small hole right where the attachment point seems to be. It looks like there is a small stud coming out of the bottom of the seat back(the size and threads look like a #8 machine screw) that lines up perfectly with the hole. I did not see any evidence of a fastener (like a nut) being missing. If I have someone push down on the seat back, some threads of this stud protrude below the hole, but definately not enough for a washer and nut.

Am I looking in the wrong place for the fastener? Has anyone ever removed the seat back and have some advice on how I can fix mine? The seat back itself appears to be fine. Either the fasteners came loose, or there may be some internal wood bracing that got damaged.

The part is shown on page 16 of the 2005 260DA parts manual. It is item #12, which has 2 descriptions under it. What is does the abbreviation "BLSTR" mean? Here are the 2 part numbers:

1778370 260DA 05,BLSTR,AFT​

1778371 260DA 05,BLSTR SKN,AFT
​

I'm just looking for a good starting point.

Thanks,
Michael

appears that part of stud broke off (with nut still attached to it)
stud is actually a machine screw mounted inside bolster using "t-nut"
to replace it you will need to take bolster of the boat, remove staples and vinyl (they call is skin "BLSTR SKN"), replace broken bolt and reassemble all back
you can try to repair it using SHORT self-taping screw to screw it down from inside transom locker

 

[Dave S]

I took a look at the seat back and here is what I found on mine. There are several things that seem to hold the seat in place. First of all, the seat back itself fits over the top of the rear decking so it is shaped liked an upside down "L". There are three bolts comming thru the transom right in the center of the seat back that are visible in the Lazarette. They are secured with nylock nuts and the bolts are flush with the ends of each nut. Were yours tight? Next, I looked up toward the tops of the Lazarette and saw the bolt you described. (It's in the center of the picture below........those bolts with nuts on them are for the Lazarette hinges). Mine has no nut on it either and it will move as I attempt to move the seat back. I saw another hole that did not appear to have anything else in it.

Next I raised my engine hatch and this is what I saw on the opening under that large cutout on the starboard side. It looks like there is a plastic fitting of sorts in that cutout. This is right where the seat back corner is located.

Then I also examined the seat from inside and found the bottom of the seatback is secured with a number of screws right under the base of the seatback.

Getting back to the fact the seatback has an upside down "L" profile which allows the seatback to rest on the decking, I would think there may be some fittings under the lip of the seat back that is designed to fit into openings in the decking similar to what you are seeing in the second photo. Then the three studs with the nylock nuts that come thru the Lazarette secure the seat back. And the screws on the bottom hold everything else in place. If its the upper part of the seat that is moving back and forth then maybe a fastner that drops into the holes in the decking broke. If I am right about all of this, there are probably a couple of things you could do at this point. You could remove the seat back and that ought to tell you for sure what the problem is. Or, I would think you could drill holes from the underside of the Lazarette and put screws directly into the bolster backing where its sits on the decking. If it were me, I would opt to remove the bolster first to have a look at it. I may still elect to put the screws in if in fact the mounting is the way I described it but I would reserve that call until I could get a better look at it. You might also want to call Sea Rays 800 number just to confirm how the seat back is made and installed before you take it off.

Hope this helps and when you do fix it please post back here and tell us what you found..

Dave

 

[estebanj]

I have a 2007 260 and took my rear seat back off the other day. First remove 6-8 screws on the bottom. Take off the cushions and you will see them. Then just pull up on the seat back. It has 6-8 "studs" that hold it in place against the transom.

Esteban

 

[Dave S]

I have a 2007 260 and took my rear seat back off the other day. First remove 6-8 screws on the bottom. Take off the cushions and you will see them. Then just pull up on the seat back. It has 6-8 "studs" that hold it in place against the transom.

Esteban

Esteban................what are those bolts with the nylock nuts for that you can see in the Lazarette? They dont hold the seat back on?

Dave

 

[estebanj]

Hi Dave. I don't see the bolts with nylock nuts which you are referring to.

 

[skibum]

Thanks guys! Ya'll are the best.

I didn't see the nylock bolts either, but I was really only looking at the upper left side as I wiggled the bolster to see if there was something obvious. We noticed it around 11PM Monday night as we were covering up the boat. It was a very cusrory examination. I seem to recall finding a SS screw wandering around at some point during the past few weeks. Maybe it was one of the ones behind the cushion holding the bottom of the bolster.

I haven't been to the boat since, but will most likely be out on it all weekend. I should have a chance to take a look at some point. I probably won't be able to report back until sometime Monday.

Esteban, I'm taking the small tool kit. What do you think I would need (other than the screwdriver) if I have to tighten up or replace one of those studs? Could you tell what kind of "structural" material they used inside of the bolster? I assume that the studs stick up into it. I sure hope that isn't what broke on mine.

Michael

 

[estebanj]

I can't tell you what holds the stud into the seatback. I didn't look into it b/c I was only doing a quick removal/reinstall to check what was behind.

When you do the removal, if you can take pics and post them for future benefit.

Esteban