Seat latch fix

[JPaganel]

I have the 1980 stepped seat with the dual hook spring loaded latch.

The latch would slide sideways, and this resulted in a lost spring. (For the 26th time, thanks XSChris for replacement)

Apparently, the problem is that the hole in the side plate got hogged out and the little crimps in the latch bar would not keep it in place any more.

I fixed this with a 5/16 spacer from Ace Hardware. I had to cut it down to size, which more or less meant cutting it in half. Dremel works, watch for burns.

Latch is now solid and properly operational.

 

[amc49]

You should come to my house; a man after my own heart. If people knew how many $800-$1000 fixes I have done using Ace Hardware parts at up to $25 cost to fix things (mainly on cars but bikes cannot escape).

Dremel rules. I've got like 4 of them, and the 3X bigger version like tool and die grinders 3 more of them too. From back in my head porting days.

On cars I hardly ever buy the molded formed specialty hoses for cooling systems, I use bulk straight hose and get around them trying to force you to buy the expensive hose by making the ends different sizes; I solder up Home Depot copper pieces to make adapters to change the hose sizes. That change alone nets me $100 a car on the two Ford Focus cars I have. They have 9 cooling system hoses on each car.

I break apart computerized door latches never meant to come apart to regrease them and rebuild at $150 each one in my pocket and 4 done on each car along with window regulators ($75) that used to break one every year until I repaired them to never break again. Cost maybe $5 each part to fix. That's like $1800 in my pocket. Ford and their crap plastic parts. Ace Hardware stuff used all over the cars. I've renewed the hood and trunk latches too. Just fixed a $300 throttle body using Ace hardware parts and $10 fix, works like new.

 

[Lemonysword]

I have the 1980 stepped seat with the dual hook spring loaded latch.

The latch would slide sideways, and this resulted in a lost spring. (For the 26th time, thanks XSChris for replacement)

Apparently, the problem is that the hole in the side plate got hogged out and the little crimps in the latch bar would not keep it in place any more.

I fixed this with a 5/16 spacer from Ace Hardware. I had to cut it down to size, which more or less meant cutting it in half. Dremel works, watch for burns.

Latch is now solid and properly operational.

Old thread, but when the spring comes out would it prevent the seat from coming off?

My bike has an issue where once I unlock the seat, the right side comes up but the latch on the left stays put and I cannot get it to release. I'm wondering if maybe my spring came unhooked or something. It's still in there, I'm just not sure how it's supposed to be properly oriented

 

[avemachina]

I've got the same problem; I just chalked it up to the steel part that grabs it on the frame getting deformed. Usually I reach in and manually push the seat hook on the right side in (which moves the left one too) and pull up. If anyone's got a fix, I'd love to hear it.

 

[Lemonysword]

I've got the same problem; I just chalked it up to the steel part that grabs it on the frame getting deformed. Usually I reach in and manually push the seat hook on the right side in (which moves the left one too) and pull up. If anyone's got a fix, I'd love to hear it.

I was able to get it off the bike by sort of pushing forward from the back. I think it just hit the latch and released it.

The lever on the seat still seems to be functional but i think the spring may be incorrectly set

 

[JPaganel]

Old thread, but when the spring comes out would it prevent the seat from coming off?

My bike has an issue where once I unlock the seat, the right side comes up but the latch on the left stays put and I cannot get it to release. I'm wondering if maybe my spring came unhooked or something. It's still in there, I'm just not sure how it's supposed to be properly oriented

I only vaguely remember this, but I think it did get harder to release. Because the bar was loose on one end, the lever wasn't pushing it quite right.

 

[JPaganel]

I've got the same problem; I just chalked it up to the steel part that grabs it on the frame getting deformed. Usually I reach in and manually push the seat hook on the right side in (which moves the left one too) and pull up. If anyone's got a fix, I'd love to hear it.

Hard to say what it is without seeing it.