How safe is it to hang hydro cars from omega rails for jack replacement? Any tips?

-- Blair Strehorn (wbstrehorn@sbcglobal.net), February 17, 2004

Answers

Why would you want to hang the car. Get scafolding and secure the car that way. Liftguy

-- (liftguy@aol.com), February 22, 2004.

ever heard of jack stands made specifically for landing the car during jack seal replacement ?

-- Bill (elevatorman_1@msn.com), March 02, 2004.

Scaffold?? NO. Go minimum 2 landings up and where you would be level with the sill, put a hole in the back of the hatch for an 8" I beam, if it's a big car go with a 10" I beam. Now drill a hole for a rail clevis in the beam and have a guy drop a rope down the back of the car while it is a few feet above the desired landing, you snag the rope while it is hanging and pull it under and hook the I beam. He will hold the rope and guide the I beam into the hole in the back of the hatch while you slide it out. Make sure the bolts are out of the platen plate!! and lower the piston while landing the car. You can rig off the rails to the crosshead for added safety, putting one 1/2" bolt in each of the four corners of the crosshead into the style, as a grade 5 1/2" bolt has a breaking strength of 2000lbs. Spreaders made from a 4X should be used to prevent crosshead flex depending on type.

-- Ralphy (puddlikr@yahoo.com), April 28, 2004.

Omega rail are simply guides. If you are replacing piston packing the thing to do is to land the car on schedule 80 black pipe, at least 3" od. if replacing jack and or casing, hang car from building steel in overhead, and live to work another day.

-- Phil Nato (phil2lvg@optonline.net), October 01, 2004.