Digging a pit

[Mary Fisher]

We don't do our own repairs now, being old, arthritic and better off - and not having kept up with modern mechanics - we have servicing and repairs mostly done professionally.

In the past, from almost fifty years ago to about ten yers ago, we did do everything on our vehicles. The pit was absolutely invaluable. But circumstances change.

You only need a jack for that, not a pit nor ramp.

We used the pit for more major operations such as engine/gearbox removal and replacement, clutch repairs, other things which were more easily reached from underneath than on top. Remember, we're talking older cars here.

It's an individual choice, we never thought about it until we moved into this house which had a small pit in the garage. a neighbour, a professional mechanic who did stuff for himself at home, asked if he could use our pit. We were so impressed with the accessibility and ease he could work that we began to use the pit ourselves.

er? They still have to be picked up ... If you mean that they dropped into the pit from above - well you keep the pit covered when not in it.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

That's true. But some people DO use 'wonderful paraphernalia'. They're the stupid ones.

Mary

>

[Mary Fisher]

Not necessarily. It's because they are forced to. Not all legislation is for sensible reasons.

DIYers are unlikely to be able to afford the sophisticated equipment - nor the space demanded - which the pros have.

Mary

[:::Jerry::::]

That is the point, there is NO legislation forcing workshops not to use pits, they do so because it is safer to use hoists etc. Many workshops have spent money removing pits due to the safety concerns that surround their use and even presents in the workshop.

But they can afford to use ramps and axle stands, which (in the case of axle stands) they need anyway to work safely in a 'wheels free' situation.

Putting it bluntly, pits in domestic (DIY) garages are not much more that an ego trip - totally un-needed...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's also a PITA having to climb in and out of them, if it's your job.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Well, I'm old and arthritic too ;-) but still look after the old car. The everyday one gets pro attention - if you can call it that - but just to keep the book stamped. If anything, there's less to do on it at service time than older cars.

A decent trolley jack and axle stands. This makes lifting the car easy and safe. And once lifted you can get access underneath for most things you're likely to need.

Of course they can have their uses, but like I said, most domestic ones are too short - for real convenience they need to be longer than the car - otherwise you have to move it back and forth for things like exhausts.

Did you have a decent trolley jack and axle stands? Ramps the car could be driven up onto?

That's the other real pain. Providing a strong level flush covering. Most use old chunks of wood which get filthy and put splinters in your hands when removing. I've often wondered about a way of providing some form of decent cover. But then anything one piece that was strong enough couldn't be lifted...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

As I said, I know one place with walk in pits. It does MOTs, so must conform to modern regs. But I'd guess these would cost more to build than to install a lift.

You'd be surprised how many serious DIY car restorers etc have lifts in their workshop. They can be bought quite cheaply secondhand.

[Mary Fisher]

We gave away our 'old' car, replacing it with a scooter for local journeys. We only need the car for its carrying capacity and towing.

Quite.

Oh come on! Most of the time you only need to do one thing at a time. Things don't usually go wrong all at once. and you're still lying on your back and having to get up to get to tools.

If you're installing a pit - as the OP suggested, you make it to your own spec. I think you're finding problems where none exist.

Yes, but you're still on your back and it's not easy to access the top of the engine from the ground when the car's lifted. With a pit you can get both under and over with ease.

What sort of DIYer are you? It's not difficult at all.

We're not talking about 'most' here - are do you include yourself in that category?

It doesn't have to be one piece, just snug fitting. That doesn't mean cabinet built but it's within the capability of most DIYers I'd have thought. If it isn't they shouldn't be doing things for themselves.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Do you mean a hoist? We have one and it's been invaluable for lifting heavy components. But I'd be surprised if a vehicle could be lifted high enough in most domestic workshops for the worker to stand underneath it.

Mary

[Lurch]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 21:15:42 +0100, Mike Mitchell strung together this:

I usually think of IMM when someone mentions clueless. I think of Alicia Silverstone often!

[Lurch]

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 17:30:17 +0100, "Mary Fisher" strung together this:

FFS, Mrs IMM is back.

[Mary Fisher]

I agree that it's a pain to climb out of them. I've just been talking to Spouse about this matter, comparing a pit with a bath. He said he'd always fancied a sunken bath. I prefer a conventional one for the ease of getting out. He admitted that he preferred a bed on legs to one on the ground (which we sometimes have to use in special circumstances).

But some things aren't easy. At the moment he's making concrete fill-ins outside our drive because anti-social motorists drive over it to park on the pavement, thus forming ruts which prevent our moving our caravan and trailers in and out easily. He admits to creaking when he gets up from mixing the compo and after floating. But there's no way he could do that with any kind of ramp.

Mary

[Mike Mitchell]

Vehicles can easily rock or slip off axle stands. I wouldn't trust them at all.

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

You mean you've got an old Rover and you haven't given any thought to a pit? This is exactly why I would want one, because I want to get old cars again, as I used to have in my youth. I bet if you had a pit right now, you'd be tempted to remove the sleepers and have a butchers. Rover is begging to be inspected from underneath!

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

There is a difference between a repair *business* and just having an inspection pit in one's garage. If they were that dangerous, the Government, especially Nanny Blair's, would force them to be filled in. Call it burying bad news.

MM

[:::Jerry::::]

Not if they are used correctly, you must be one clueless idiot if you can't use axle stands correctly.

So you can't in fact do any maintenance on vehicles, what ever you say you do, otherwise how do you check things like brakes without jacking up, supporting and removing the vehicles wheels...

You're a worthless idiot who's advice on this matter should be confined to the waist bin - if not the kill file. You utter plank ! :~(

[:::Jerry::::]

You are IMM and I claim my 5 quid...

[Mike Mitchell]

Would you prefer working underneath a car from a pit or crawling under it if it was propped up on axle stands? I know which method I would prefer! Also, how you can possibly come to the conclusion that wanting a pit is part of an ego trip? That sounds like a ridiculous argument to me.

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

You and Jerry seem to like confusing a professional repair or restoration business with just an ordinary pit in a domestic garage for the purposes of inspecting underneath a private car occasionally. Such sophistry is interesting, but rather reduces your argument. Of course I would like a hoist, but as someone said, they are much too big and expensive to consider for domestic use. A pit on the other hand can be constructed for very little outlay indeed, plus some hard work.

MM

[Mike Mitchell]

What you do is drive the car over, leaving about a foot of space, then climb down into the pit using the ladder provided. Once in the pit you can push the car backwards or forwards as required. Obviously this is only applicable on level ground. However, I don't think I have ever seen a pit that was built on a slope.

MM