Not a 928, but when I took the engine out of my C4 Corvette, I dropped the entire powertrain from underneath. For installation, I used a hydraulic table and a transmission jack to support it. It went back in very easily with one other person helping me watch the alignments. No complicated cradle needed. I plan to do the 928 the same way.....

 

Here's my car, on my lift, at my shop, some assessment operations.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u6CcHvdGXwk

 

I need to build a chassis dolly.




Anybody have the dimension they used to build it? Too lazy to measure myself. :-)

 

Kevin, if you are too lazy to measure the damn thing you are probably too lazy to build it.

If I were you I would not build the body carriage as shown. I would build one that has the body/frame resting on four different points on the unit-frame, leaving the four lift points open so that the body can be lifted by them in the two post lift. Then I would also build it so that it can be adjusted to very much more height than that shown, perhaps more like two or three feet. I would do that because I would also be building a rotisserie to put the body on so I could work on the under side of it without laying on my back or even working over my head under a lift. I would build the rotisserie also. More details about that it you are interested.

I would build the carriage for the engine and drive train to hold that whole unit at points on the front steel crossmember and the rear aluminum cross member. Simple enough. The rest depends on your ambition in measuring all the points. Good luck, when you come across any of that.

 

So, I'm too lazy to do it and even if I was to do it the dimensions of the chassis dolly I have pictured are not the ones you would recommend. Good to know.

 

I think I remember seeing Donald B's resulting setup built in another thread.

 

I saw a wooden post version on RL and that's where I'm headed. A local has one of Don's chassis dolly versions.

 

The dolly in the pic is mine, built by Jake Myers in 2015 and modified by Ole Jorgensen. Ole's mod was the ~6" boxes at each corner, with the slotted mount to adjust for variation from car to car, and it works for '78-95. It's currently under a car at Greg's, I can get measurements if anyone cares. I've restored three cars on it, works great.

 

I think I have two of these things...they might be breeding. I don't use these to do any of the restoration work, I only use them to move the vehicles to paint and to the interior shop, if needed.

Jerry: Good thinking about not using the lifting points. It is difficult to transfer the vehicle from the dolly to a lift, because of this.

 

I had a local welder quote to build one similar and they wanted 1k cdn. Ouch. I ended up purchasing one from Jegs on eBay. I will report back once it’s received. Also I will be selling it once I’m finished this resto.

https://www.ebay.com/p/5021227639

 

Wandering through this thread again... It would seem that the critical driveline support points would be at the front crossmember and the rear crossmember. It looks like the factory marriage happens with the front control arms with the engine driveline, but popping the tie rod ends from the uprights would leave the arms hanging from the shocks and the front bushings. That would let things be a bunch narrower at the front not having to carry the brakes and spindles.

That said, for rolling the car around to and from its winter storage slot, I'd like to have a way to support the car after raising it on the lift, so the pickup points could be the forward end of the rear lower control arms (OK lift point per Porsche...) plus some similarly strong point up front, accessible with the undertrays in place. The lift pads are about 20" off the floor for storage, higher than mice have been willing to jump (so far). Big casters with brakes, gentle on my tile garage floor, easy to roll. Guessing steel ball-bearing wheels with a thin urethane "tire". Doing it with 6T stands now and a floor jack.

 

Yes, getting it off my roll around dolly will require the car body going on the lift, and careful attention to remove it.