Turning onto its side

[ttwlr]

Just wondering if and how you tip your car onto its side with out causing any damage.
And can it be done with the engine still present ?

[MarkyB]

Get a couple of mates to help, have an extra Wheatabix for breakfast.
Get the petrol out, remove the battery.
If you are lifting the passenger side it may be worth draining the oil otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Jack it up as high as you can with a trolley jack then all 3 of you start lifting, many hands make light work
It's heaviest at 45 degrees, after that it gets lighter until it can be held on the balance point with one hand.
After that point you the effort goes into letting it down gently, you should go round the other side and support it and make sure it is going to land softly on your chosen surface.
I've used an old mattress and second hand tyres (less wheels) successfully in the past. Several layers of old carpet may be sufficient.

[beero]

I did mine without the engine, gearbox and wings and it took 3 of us but only 2 to tip it back. You want something under the wheels, blocks of wood/old tyres because it will sit on the sills and wings when it goes over. I wouldn't fancy doing it with engine in place in case the engine mounts seperate.[frame][/frame]

[qwerty165]

You could alternatively buy or make a roll over yourself though it depends how good your welding is.
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Despite the fact the engine is out in my car this rollover would easily take the weight of an engine and gearbox as well.
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As you can see there is not too much to this home made rollover.

[ttwlr]

Now that I like, but I'm new at welding and doubt my Clark 100E would do that

[bjbrownie]

Quick tip- when rolling the car on its side,put some thick cardboard under the side you're rolling it onto, that way you can 'shuffle' the car one end at a time into position in your garage, gives you a bit more workspace by the car and an area to work on other bits when you're waiting for paint to dry. [frame][/frame]Use that workspace!!

[rogerowen]

You could alternatively buy or make a roll over yourself though it depends how good your welding is.
[frame][/frame]
Despite the fact the engine is out in my car this rollover would easily take the weight of an engine and gearbox as well.
[frame][/frame]
[frame][/frame]
[frame][/frame]
As you can see there is not too much to this home made rollover.

Fantastic rig! Is it just the front indexing plate that holds the car in position? Do you raise the car up on jacks to mount it to the cross bars? Is the whole weight of car supported by just the centre rods? Are the centre blocks solid with a hole for the rod, or in two halves and clamped? Sorry, so many questions - I'd love to build one!

[qwerty165]

The car has to be raised onto axle stands with a jack and then when level the stands are put in place and bolted onto the car. The car is supported onto the stands by using the pins for the bumper which are fastened on the swiveling plate, the plate is then bolted through the solid metal block on the stand so enabling the car to roll. I hope this information is of some use.

[laneychief]

Sorry to re open old thread....


With regards to rolling, I'm planning on taking the engine out, can I do it with the gearbox left in?


Also, what fluids do I have to drain? I'm planning on taking the fuel tank out completely but do I need to drain brake fluid?

I'll take the washer tank out as well....

Errrm, anything else I need to do to prepare to roll??

Cheers!

[rogerowen]

Think I'd be tempted to drain gearbox and differential - just to be safe. ( I once propped an MG Midget axle upright and got a pool of oil on the floor - obviously from an upper part of an oil seal). For the hydraulic fluid - I'd be inclined to block the breather hole in the resevoir cap (maybe put a few layers of cling film under the cap?). However - there's always the possibility that an air pocket might develop during the tilt, would be a good idea to do a quick bleed of the system once the car is back on terra firma. Don't forget to take battery out too. You'll surely get the health & safety 'branch' telling you it's too dangerous of course! Worth having as many extra pairs of hands to assist as you can muster. Then once it's rolled - bacon butties all round

[laneychief]

Ok, that's great!

I'll be starting a restoration thread soon enough!

[katy]

I'm planning on taking the engine out, can I do it with the gearbox left in?

You can, but, why not pull the engine and gearbox as a unit? Probably easier than supporting the front of the gearbox while the engine is out. Also saves having to line up the gearbox to the engine when re-installing the engine.

[TFM150K]

Although your thread does not spell it out, I assume that some welding is involved in this exercise. If so, be aware that it is sensible to cover all glass (particularly, but not exclusively that underneath the weld) cos welding spatter will melt glass and then you will have the extra cost (and hassle) of replacing it. If you are using anything flammable (like a mattress) to roll the car on, check after every session that it's not smouldering!

PM sent re roller....

[laneychief]

Nice one.


Will do, yes welding is involved. Will cover the glass!!


Ok, gearbox and engine are coming out together!!

[MarkyB]

Drain the gearbox first then, the prop is all that seals the oil in as you will find when you tilt the box

[laneychief]

Excellent! Will do!

[rogerowen]

Although your thread does not spell it out, I assume that some welding is involved in this exercise. If so, be aware that it is sensible to cover all glass (particularly, but not exclusively that underneath the weld) cos welding spatter will melt glass and then you will have the extra cost (and hassle) of replacing it. If you are using anything flammable (like a mattress) to roll the car on, check after every session that it's not smouldering!

PM sent re roller....

Excellent tips there. Weld spatter sticks to porcelain too - my favourite white tea mug got a right splattering once! Underseal can 'woof' as well as any Waxoil in box sections. Weld in short bursts and up your visor every now and again to check for smoke. I always keep a fire extinguisher close by too

Good luck with the project - looking forward to a blog and piccies too please

[katy]

Besides weld spatter, flecks from grinding will also mark the glass, just like sand blasting. So be wary of that also.

[TFM150K]

In fact, if it is a major jobbie, it would probably pay to remove the glass, headlining and ALL the interior fittings - and cover the speedo and owt else with a glass face!

[rogerowen]

Besides weld spatter, flecks from grinding will also mark the glass, just like sand blasting. So be wary of that also.

Nice new profile picture! My 2 springers approve