removing seat rail from floor

[Bruce MC9]

I need to know how the seat attachment rail is mounted to the floor in my MC-9. I have removed an 8'x8' section of floor and want to remove the C channel that the seats fasten into the floor with. The rail appears to be stainless steel and I can't get under it with a crowbar. I want to lay down new 3/4" plywood to make a new floor. Primary goal was to get rid of soft spots. Secondary goal is to have nice level floor. Is this channel welded to the steel rail below it, or is it bolted? Did I bite off more than I can chew?

[Paladin]

It's a heavy filthy job but I am extremely glad I did it!  Follow Craig's guide and it'll help you quite a bit. I think on mine I ground the wood out from under the fasteners and then cut them off. Save the rails after!

Here is a link to Craig's (Gumpy) work, mine was nearly identical including what was under. I pulled nearly 35 pounds of filth out from under the floor and now it's clean enough to eat off of plus a new, strong wood floor with insulation. I sanitized it, stripped any rust, painted it with POR-15 to protect the metal and then a lighter color in the tunnel for sighting later and re-boxed the tunnel.
I also uncovered some damage including a little unseen rust in cross members that really needed to be repaired since they support your floor that I would not have seen otherwise. I also found a hole in my air box which seems rather common and you need to fix it if you have it. I can tell you how I repaired that if you find that...I'd bet on it being there myself.


http://www.gumpydog.com/Bus/MC9_WIP/Structural/Floor_Removal/floor_removal.htm

Good luck,

Contact me offsite if you need more info, send me a pm or email.

-Dave

[c-coop]

Bruce The rail is welded on take a small41/2 inch grinder with a thin cut off wheel and cut the welds. Took all min out in about 1 hour. To remove the plywood I took a torch and cut the head off the screws then just pryed the wood up. Keep a water hose handy just in case. I would pull all the wood up you can't imagine how much crud is underneath.

[robertglines1]

sounds like the guy's covered it...makes good material to frame things out of..lots of floors are stinky smelly old odor....you get the idea..I used a carbide tipped circular saw blade set to thickness of plywood minus about a 1/16 inch and cut floor out..if you hit a screw it will make sparks but will cut screws..one blade did whole bus but was tossed afterwords. I'm talking about the under 10$ blades..if your just taking one layer out(top just cut top 3/4 inch).  if I'm totally off base on how yours was installed please disereguard.blade to cut plywood and rubber out not stainless seat anchor..other option just put plastic down and 1/2 plywood over it all..assuming the rest of floor is not rotten.Bob.

[Bruce MC9]

Thanks for the replies! I had forgotten about the resource mentioned. I read the page on floor removal and it answered a lot of questions. I don't have as much hair and gunk as what Gumpy had, but last winter I had a critter that crawled in through a hole in the bay floor and through the air distribution system. I know this because he left "evidence" in the tunnel! I am glad to be getting all of the dirt cleaned up under and in the floor! I hadn't seen the stitch welds that hold down the rails. I need to turn more lights on so that I can see what I am doing! The plywood I removed by pulling up with so much pressure that the fasteners pulled through the plywood. Now I'll try removing the bolts with a vise-grip!

[robertglines1]

smack with hammer they should break off flush..bend other way if necessary..maybe a good place to run some wires thru a plastic conduit