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.

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.

Gerard wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 9:41 am 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.

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

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.

tamtrucks wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 10:48 am 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

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

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.

tinweevil wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 12:59 pm
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.

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.

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

tinweevil wrote: ↑Fri May 29, 2020 3:10 pm Whichever. I used the front for getting at the sump or steering rack & rear for changing a gearbox mount.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Toledo Man wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:58 am 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.

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.