Quick tip:
Cleaning my rear fender with the seat off yesterday the rag caught the c clip in the nut and pulled it off dropping the nut to the ground. After a lot of frustration and contortion into positions that the body is not supposed to go I figured out that I can just put a long tie wrap (zip tie) through it and feed it up through the fender to hold it in place while i snap the c clip back on.

 

thats how I did mine as well...maybe 2 zip ties!

 

OP has got the right name.

 

On my 2000 Heritage Springer, I went to the hardware store, and bought two janb nuts (they are thinner). Screwed them down snug, and now when the seat is off there are no worries. Plenty of thread to hold the seat down.

 

Always used weed eater line. Put line in from top, slipped on nut and knotted, pulled up into position. Done.

 

I used fishing line

 

? i'm confused. not sure how that would work since the hold down nut doesn't have any external threads. how about a pic?