The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Gas tank/seat frame removal

Does the seat frame have to be removed in order to pull the gas tank? I see the hold down straps for the tank,as in the assembly manual, and wondering how to get to the nuts on the straps. Is the seat frame held down to the floorboard by 4 bolts? Thanks

The seat is bolted to part that doesn't come off the floor, not to the floor itself. You should find some 5/16 bolts at either end of the adjusters. Be careful as the bolt part is welded on and will snap right off. I've always taken out the framework, never tried to remove the tank though it. I would think that unless you have small hands, you couldnt get the nuts off the tank straps any other way.

How do you remove the seat framework, i don't see any detail on my assembly manual. I would think once you can get off the back part of the frame, where the back cushion "clips on" to the top rail, there would be access to the tank straps and nuts. I hate to remove the frame if it is not nessacary. Thanks for your help, Mike

Looks like the back frame assembly is held together with 4 bolts/nuts, at the bottom of the curve, where it attaches to the support and track.

I have always just removed the whole seat when I did the gas tank. Just makes everything much easier.

It really IS EASY.
It sure makes the job ALOT easier.
it's only 4 - 5/16'' nuts to undo the seat frame from the sliders, after you pull the back and bottom seat cushions out. The back has 3 screws @ the top tabs and the bottom simply lifts out, undo the 3 screws, pull top forward and lift out. Pull the front of the bottom cushion UP, then lift forward. The seat was designed to be lifted out SO you have storage under, it is not necessary to remove to back before the bottom.
WOW, look how much room there is under the cushion.
think about cutting (sawzall, in two sections) the front skirt panel so you could use that area for storage.

Just got a 47-51 shop manual, clears things up a bit, I have the cushions out,and the manual says to remove frame to track retaining nuts, and then raise seat frame up.That must be the 4 5/16ths nuts then, will get to it soon, know of a radiator shop that can clean it out and seal it cheap Thanks for everyone's help! Mike

Recently finished removing and cleaning the tank on my '41. Starting with the seat back, it is removed by lifting straight up. There are large flat hooks on the top of the seat back that slip through slots in a reinforcing strip on the cab body. The bottom of the seat back is held by tabs that insert into slots in the seat bottom. Once the seat back is removed the seat bottom simply lifts out. You will see that the rather clever seat adjustment is provided by 2 pins on the rails over the gas tank and matching holes in the seat bottom frame. When you lift the front edge of the seat bottom you can slide forward or back to position different holes over the fixed pins. The seat back simply follows the seat bottom because its tabs are in the seat bottom slots and its top flat hooks at the top hinge in their slots.

Back to the gas tank, there are 4 seat bottom support rails bolted to the gas tank surround. Remove these, remembering that the outer ones only have the seat positioning pins

The gas tank is held in place by two straps bolted on each end through the floor of the cab. As previously mentioned these are easily broken. Clean the threads with a wire brush and a lot of oil before trying the nuts. There is very little holding the top of these, only the flat strap. One trick is to hold the long threads portion with a pair of vice grips while loosening the nut with a box end wrench . Once the nut is backed off a ways you can re-grip the threads under the nut. The threads can be repaired with a thread chasser or die.

Bluedot38, Can you post pictures of the seat frame and adjusters in place? I need to see what I am missing on my 37. Even though mine has split seat bottoms, it could help. Thanks! Charles

Charles, I have a '50 half ton, don't think I could help ya. Sorry, Mike