Fast Marina Magazine

Just out of curiosity (because it is something I'm already doing) what are other people's preferred jacking points for trolley jacks at the front of the Marina? At the rear I just use the diff, but usually spread the load on the casting with some wood or a rubber pad. At the front, for years I've used the collection of plates that form a triangle where the tie bar mounts at the front, because they are thick metal and look like the strongest point at the front, but I've never been 100% happy with lifting on the edge of a plate. Again I used a rubber pad to protect the metal from the cup on the trolley jack, then I place axle stands under the flat part of the chassis between the tie bar mounting and the lower suspension arm mounting.

The reason I ask is because I've just spent an hour in my tiny lock-up, in cramped positions, because I'm getting new tyres for my Marina tomorrow and prefer to put the car on axle stands and take the wheels in my other modern estate car, rather than let some oik stick a trolley jack under my Marina. In the early 80s when I had my white one when I was a teen entering my early twenties, I got conned into having some new lever arms fitted when I went for an exhaust or something, and one leaked, and when I went back, the guy jacked the front of my car up on one side with his big trolley jack and the suspension dropped, and the tie bar was catching the side of the trolley jack cup and was bending. He gave me some bull about not being able to tell if the shocker was leaking or not because it was covered in sh*t, (which was because it was leaking) and then I just wanted him to drop my car down and get the hell out of there. Another time, but I can't remember who it was, somebody jacked the car up using the sump, putting the jack cup on the steel plate between the sump pan and the auto transmission, so the weight of the car was effectively being carried on the engine mounts. It isn't like there's a nice cross member on the front of Marinas to jack off. I'm sure plenty of Marinas and Itals go to tyre fitters and get jacked up without incident, but i've had that many old cars with wavy subframes and dented outriggers that I personally don't trust them.

hi mick I normally jack up the front underneath the front tie bar mount the triangular mount or the chassis cross rail on the frontrain on the rear underneath the shock absorber bottom plate mount or under middle of axle and using axle stands as well cheers baz

Same here Baz.

I'll carry on doing what I'm doing then, but still don't trust tyre fitters with trolley jacks!

Does anyone have pictures of the points where you lifted the car?

okeh wrote: Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:21 am Does anyone have pictures of the points where you lifted the car?

Mines still up on axle stands I can take photos and post later

Okay so I asked the question at first, now I'm providing the photos!

The back end is easy. I never had any worries there. I lift on the diff casing and support on axle stands, just inboard of the leaf springs. Though the diff casing is probably indestructible, I do use a rubber pad or piece of wood just to spread the pressure points created by those castlelated claws they insist on putting on trolley jack lifting cups.

The front is where I wondered if there was a better way, but it seems Barry and club chairman Chris do the same as me.
Some of the pictures are a bit blurred 'cos I was at the front of the car cramped up, not seeing the screen on my camera properly because of the position I was in and the lack of light!

Where the suspension tie bar is anchored there are a collection of plates that form a triangular box, which also have the towing or lashing eyelets. They are pretty thick plate, but the lowest edge that a trolley jack cup catches is vertical rather than a flat section, that would spread the load better, or at least that's how I think of it. Still, I've been using these points to lift the two Marinas I've ever owned (I don't talk about the short term 'S' reg Mk2 I had for a month in 1987) so in the early 80s when the under floor jacking point on my white Mk1 looked a bit too suspect to use, I got myself a hefty scissor jack and carried that in the boot. And lifted off these same points I now use with a trolley jack. The cups on my jack(s) are pretty compact but again I've got some thick rubber (getting a bit worn now) I put in the cup to protect the car's metal as much as possible. You can see where the lifting process has taken the black underbody coating off the lowest point of the plate and revealed the green paint, but that's the worst that's happened. I place axle stands under the chassis just ahead of the lower suspension arm pivot point. Things would be so much easier if the Marina had a nice front cross member like a Cortina 3/4/5 or an HB or HC Viva, but unfortunately, it doesn't.

Thank you soooo much for the pictures, especially those under the front. My B's have a cross member, and that simplifies things greatly.

I usually use the chassis rail where it meets the factory jacking point. On my 25k mile saloon I use the original factory jacking points. On my J reg I will probably use the roof. If I try jacking the underside it's where the jack will end up...