Safe working under bx

[patersom10]

Need to do some bits under my 16v tomorrow, just wanted to check correct procedure for safety. Don't want to join the list !

Plan to lift suspension to full height, put 4x axle stands under each corner of floor pan.

Is this correct, have worked on normal cars previously but unsure of the BX way.

[demag]

Is the floor pan solid? I always prefer to support on subframes but never had a Bx up on stands so can't be sure.

[Defender110]

I'd do sub frame mounts too and use a jack and blocks to get it higher than suspension max.

[Thread Bear]

I have to get them high because I am fat. You cannot have to many supports under a car, despite that they might get in the way and need moving round. Oh, for a ramp!

[Kitch]

Christ, don't put them under the floor, it's not load bearing! It'll just bend.

Jacking points at either end of the sill, or as others have said the subframe, though on the back there's only one place you can put the stands without stressing the axle out.

You're gonna need it a bit higher than just highest suspension mode too You can't get most axle stands underneath without jacking it somewhere.

[RobC]

+1 for not jacking or supporting the floor!! that would be proper foolhardy init.

This is my usual technique (available for critique from those more expert).

- car in highest position.

- raise either using the standard jack one side at a time in the special jacking point midway along the sill (exercise extreme caution especially if not on 100% level ground), or ideally with a trolley jack and a long beam of wood of at least 2in by 4in by 2ft to spread the load ('ive known bx subframes to bend slightly if jacked in the middle without a beam to spread the load) under the front subframe, then support it:

- axle stands with a wooden blocks to absorb weight under each side of the front subframe or at official jacking points easily identifiable due to the holes in the fibreglass side skirts on a 16v
- axle stands under the rear sills at the jacking points, or on the rear axle. NB if using axle stands at the rear jacking points be very careful not to end up puncturing the fuel tank when the car is lowered...

[themildbunch]

Christ, don't put them under the floor, it's not load bearing! It'll just bend.

I haven't tried it but I thought the section of floor with the grommets in just next to the front subframe mounting points was strong enough to jack on or use stands with?

I always feel apprehensive before raising and supporting my BX's - probably a good thing though!

Two large trolley jacks and a helper makes life much easier but I usually work by myself and on gravel surfaces so I've tended to jack on the front subframe with a long piece of wood after putting the car in high - not ideal, especially when you lower it as the suspension needs some pressure on the height correctors to raise... If you lower too quickly it's easy to dent or damage something underneath, like the sump!

A good solution would be a very low, heavy duty jack with a cross beam adapter... If it's stable enough you'd be raising the front evenly is the correct place:

cross beam adapter..


It's good to remember, trolley jacks raise in an arc and can easily topple cars off stands if you try raising one side at a time!

[patersom10]

Job done,

Just left it at low and used low profile jack to lift one side up then propped with axle stands on each end of sill.

Didn't need it too high I can still just about squeeze under a low lifted car.

More worryingly, have a hole in the block where impeller of the water pump sits, water pump disintegrated ! Had only done 5-6k, shame really as now need an new engine. Oh well only spent a fortune on it already

[Kitch]

Water pumps usually have a hole in there, but there's a seal on the other side so it shouldn't leak.

[Defender110]

Yes water pumps have a weep hole in the casing to show when the seals are gone, is your hole in the water pump housing or engine block as you said? can't see how you would get a hole in the engine block there.

[David]

When I go under my car I support it on concrete blocks. If I want to get underneath all of it I use 4 stacks, 2 under the front subframe & 2 under the corners of the back axle, just behind the fuel tank. To get it up I put it on highest setting, drive the front up ramps & jack the back up using the diff (although this won't work for a 2WD car).

I have found the box sections under the floors are solid enough to hold the car, But don't use the floor pans themselves.

[mat_fenwick]

Yes water pumps have a weep hole in the casing to show when the seals are gone

To be pedantic ( ), the hole is there to allow the designed seal seepage to escape, without sitting against the bearing grease seal. Although it does serve to let you know when it's failed!

The seals themselves are usually ceramic faced, and require a little leakage for lubrication. Hence you may see evidence of leakage (e.g. crusty deposits) but this does not necessarily mean the seal has failed. OEM pumps often have an evaporation chamber to catch any liquid and boil it off so no unsightly deposits are seen.

[Dollywobbler]

Always jack with the suspension in high. For a start (and this does depend on the BX) it should mean that it'll stay high enough when dropped back down to not collapse onto the jack. Those chassis-looking sections under the floor are definitely not strong enough for jacking. My old Peugeot 306 was proof of this as some tyre-fitting numpty had tried.

Be wary of using the sill reinforcement points too. You really need the car to come down nice and level onto them, so the load is shared between at least two of them. A bit of rot and they become very weak too (ask me how I know...)

[Defender110]

Always jack with the suspension in high. For a start (and this does depend on the BX) it should mean that it'll stay high enough when dropped back down to not collapse onto the jack.

Once you jack the car up and take the weight off the strut the suspension retracts to minimum anyway so starting on high won't make any difference it will still drop to the jack.

[Dollywobbler]

Nope. Can't say that's ever happened to me in my many years of BXing!