The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Has anyone used an engine support beam, I'm looking to get one and wondering is there one that's more suited to the Dolomite.

Do they all sit in the wing guttering, I'm not so keen on doing that, as it's newly painted.

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Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092

I am curious. I can’t see the point, what use are they? Only time I would want to lift or hold an engine, I would use a hydraulic crane lift.

My car's on a lift, so want the full benefit of it, so the beam is the perfect solution.

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Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092

only way your goner find out if its worth it is too buy one,,,but be warned it could be a cheap toffee one from china....if you got time build one

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Dolomite 1300,1980`V`reg in british racing brown(russet),3.63 diff with 21t speedo pinion,95%poly`d,HL clocks,standard wheels with SE covers wrapt in 175 70 13,mot`d 19-09-2014,been off the since 1990,(july2017) stainless steel exhaust 3-piece,(xmas2018) wooden mountney steering wheel,(june2020) new monroe shock(radial front,gas-matic rears) with -1" lower`d springs all round.

Murdo Yes having a ramp could make it useful. Without one, I would stick with crane as it can it can multi task and leave money left over for parts.

That's why I'm asking, to see if folk have tried some

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Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092

I've used one many times, a Clarke Strong-arm 500kg. This is the closest on Machine Mart now:

The job I got it for was the 20,000 mile bearing changes on my 1500HL but actually it got used a lot more than that. Turned out to be more useful than expected. On mine the rubber feet are a perfect snug fit in the channel around the engine bay though the metal gets very close to the wing. On paint as pristine as yours a 2mm thick shim of rubber in the channel first would lift the metal safely clear. It looks in the above picture like the rubber is now round and broader which might not work so well.

Ah, here it is on the left on fleabay:

The fixed length beam would stick out well past the wings on a Dolomite, telescopic doesn't get bumped into.

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1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.

That's a great help!!

Which engine lifting lug did you fix it to - the Sprint has one on the back and on the front.

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Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092

Whichever. I used the front for getting at the sump or steering rack & rear for changing a gearbox mount.

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1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.

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Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092

I have one now and have owned a couple of others before. The first one I ever saw (must have been back in the early 80s) was made from a lump of 3"x3" timber with holes drilled in it at strategic points and a lump of studding through it, bent into a hook at the bottom! But it worked! Everything i've had since was just refinement.

They are great when putting clutches in FWD cars!

But all mine have been home made by me or others, purely on cost grounds! If as I do, you live next door to a steel stockholder and can weld, it's a no brainer!

So far, in a long time and much abuse, i've not damaged any paintwork. If you make the gutter feet wide enough it spreads the load sufficiently to avoid problems.

Steve

PS I would advise the fixed lenth bar with adjustable feet, the telescopic might not go narrow enough for classics like the Sprint and is less flexible in use as there is less latitude in the central position. My 2 pennorth from 30 odd years of using them!

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.

I had a similar experience on a cheap ebay knock-off version. very handy when you're messing around with mounts etc. As long as you're careful and don't smack it into things getting it into position it works wonders.

Steve

I have the same one as Tinweevil, its a great piece of kit and can be used for a whole host of jobs.

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Vindicator Sprint, Honda Fireblade RRX 919cc, re-powered by AB Performance. Quick.
1995 Trusty Peugeot 306 XND, no turbine, 242K miles young.
1997 Trusty Peugeot 306 GLX TD, 90K miles and soon to ride again..
Alfa Romeo 147 1.9 JTD 150 Ti Lusso , no longer smoking.
Various other transient runners for selling.

When I had the local garage replace a section of the offside front wing on my 1850 which included the front mounting point for the front subframe, an engine support beam was used for them to be able to drop the front subframe leaving the engine/transmission in situ. The job was done on a 2 post ramp so it was an essential piece of kit.

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Toledo Man

West Yorkshire Area Organiser & forum moderator
Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month at 8.00pm at The Old Brickworks, Wakefield Road, Drighlington, Bradford, BD11 1EA
****Meetings are currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic****
1972 Dolomite 1850 auto (NYE 751L - Waiting for me to give it some love)
2008 Citroën C4 Grand Picasso 2.0 HDi Exclusive (MA08 WCL - gone to pastures new...)
1995 BMW E36 318i (M265 PNC - Project Bimmer, the 2nd car)
1991 Toyota Celica GT (J481 ONB - the current project car)
Former stable of SAY 414M (1974 Toledo), GRH 244D (1966 1300fwd), CDB 324L (1973 1500fwd), GGN 573J (1971 1500fwd), DCP 625S (1977 Dolomite 1300) & LCG 367N (1975 Dolomite Sprint) plus 5 Acclaims and that's just the Triumphs!

Check my blog at http://triumphtoledo.blogspot.com
My YouTube Channel with a bit of Dolomite content.

"There is only one way to avoid criticsm: Do nothing, say nothing and BE nothing." Aristotle

I'm just waiting for it to arrive.

I did received one, but it was the wrong one and wouldn't work. The one I ordered is NA now which they claim they never knew about, so I've ordered a Sealey instead, would should work according to all the measurements.

_________________
Murdo DA

RNK 957W, Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092