Metallifacture Car Jack project

PostPost by: Jason1 » Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:23 pm

So my car projects have stalled as of late due to work and house renovations, so to get me back into the garage I am looking for little projects.

I have a sheet metal bender, welder and piller drill so I am thinking of making jack saddles which will be a much cheaper option than a Metallifacture jack as it can be added to a scissor jack.

I have a +2 jack that I can take measurements from but not an Elan or Sprint jack. If anyone can supply the measurements in the pics I would be very grateful.

Thanks

Jason
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50/0951 1968 Wedgewood blue +2, 1990 Mini Cooper RSP
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PostPost by: trw99 » Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:22 pm

Jason, Elan (as opposed to +2) jacks can be a bit of a minefield. They were not really standardised throughout Elan production. Here's an example:

Late Sprint jacks were small scissor types in blue. They are also shown for the Series 3 in the Lotus Parts book. Yet the Elan handbook shows the Metallifacture type.

At various times the Metallifacture types were painted red, or grey. There was a small and a large version of the Metallifacture.

I have concluded that, like a lot of parts for Lotus cars at the time, it depended on what they could get from the suppliers.

Below is a photo of a late Sprint jack, unused and as it came out of the bag (thanks to Jim for the snap).

Lastly, I apologise for not having been able to answer your query directly!

Tim
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PostPost by: elanner » Sat Feb 04, 2023 1:54 am

Well, gosh darn it - I never knew that. I have one of those scissor jacks. When I purchased my Elan it had two jacks, a Metallifacture type and a scissor type. I keep the scissor jack in the car as it is neat and small and works very well. The Metallifacture, not so much.

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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Sat Feb 04, 2023 2:49 am

Mine is the red jack that you have pictured with which goes with my 1967 build S3 that is DHC weber spec and purchased in England by service man and then brought over here but anyway the numbers I did in millimeters and I hope they’re not crazy. I tried to look back at them to be sure so 1=50 mm 2=173 mm 3=142 mm 4=87 5 and 6=85 7=8 mm 8=40 9=14 and number 10 is 2 mm thick on all the metal. the rail has little sides on not 90° from the base but angled out some so the base is actually 50 mm and then the outside measurement for the top of the rail sides is 60(outside edge)so there’s about a 10 mm splay there from the bottom of the base to the edges that are expanded. My pin that keeps that base from swiveling around is 8 mm thick and is 50 mm from the base of the pin to the top of the tray rail and the reason I say this is that my pin has a rather crude glob of welding on it to the base . The pin seems to be about 40 mm long although I can’t tell because part of it is imbedded in the welding and the glob of welding is about 17 mm in diameter. The number eight that I say is 42 mm is from about what I figured that would be the center of the weld glob. Oh, and finally, the edges of the tray that go up to the raised sides has about a 45 to 50° angle on the end. And hope this does you will as no calipers used here Gordon.
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PostPost by: Gordon Sauer » Sat Feb 04, 2023 2:51 am

Gosh, all that and I overlooked that mine is just like your gray Jack although mine is painted red so it has the two raised to sides not just one raised side as in the red one you picture. Gordon.
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PostPost by: Jason1 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 9:02 am

Thanks Gordon that’s great.
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PostPost by: mark030358 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 9:14 am

Can confirm my Sprint has the exact same scissor jack.

cheers
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PostPost by: richardcox_lotus » Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:42 am

mark030358 wrote:Can confirm my Sprint has the exact same scissor jack.

cheers


…and mine (a Feb 72 car) has the grey metallifacture one ! As you say, it’s a minefield.

Regards
Richard
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PostPost by: trw99 » Sat Feb 04, 2023 4:30 pm

Sorry to keep hijacking your thread, Jason. But the other part that accompanies the jack, of course, is the knock off hammer.

Now I believe that Lotus always supplied a hammer, shaped as in the photo, which is made of Babbitt. For those (like me!) that had not come across babbitt before it is, and I quote "usually made of a composition of tin, copper, and or lead, and is used as a "soft blow" hammer. Because the alloy is soft but heavy, it transfers a good amount of force without scratching/marring the workpiece surface."

Most parts books have a drawing of this hammer. I dare say someone is going to pop up and claim theirs came with a Thor hammer from the factory and, if that is so, I would guess the factory had run out of babbitt hammers at that particular time and had to use Thor as a substitute.

The photo shows the hammer that came with my Sprint. A PO has added lightness by cutting down the handle somewhat.

Tim
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PostPost by: wobblyweb » Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:13 am

My 73 Sprint has a grey Mettalfacture jack (also with added lightness of not having a ratchet handle :D ) and the Babbit hammer.

Were these in a bag when new and did they just lie loose in the boot or fastened in some way?
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PostPost by: TBG » Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:22 am

Mine were in the spare wheel. D
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PostPost by: trw99 » Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:57 pm

In the late Sprint they were in a poly bag (of some sort), per the photo.

In theory the jack could be placed between the spare and the boot back wall, with the tool roll and hammer in the void between the petrol tank and off side rear wing (UK car), under the millboard cover. In practice I suspect most dealers just chucked the lot into the back of the boot and let the new owner sort out where they put it all!

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PostPost by: richardcox_lotus » Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:12 pm

trw99 wrote:In the late Sprint they were in a poly bag (of some sort), per the photo.

In theory the jack could be placed between the spare and the boot back wall, with the tool roll and hammer in the void between the petrol tank and off side rear wing (UK car), under the millboard cover. In practice I suspect most dealers just chucked the lot into the back of the boot and let the new owner sort out where they put it all!

Tim


Miles Wilkins said to me that the bag was actually the bag that contained the Champion Spark Plugs that were sent to the Factory.

Urban myth ?

With the Metallifacture jack, it’s a real struggle to get it to fit between the spare tyre and or / boot back / fuel tank / boot front ! There must be a knack which I haven’t figured out yet after 28 years…..

Regards
Richard
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