Breakers yard, and an IRS

Well Plan F went down in a blaze of nothingness.
Talked with my buddy about using his lift, he said not a problem bring it over. went to buy the whole car from the breaker, and they said nope, couldn’t sell it. I’m not sure why. other than it would be too much trouble to locate the title. or they just binned the title. Ok, how about I give you $500.00 and let me take the car, and I’ll bring it back the next day minus the bits I’ve been trying to get off of it. Nope. the car can’t leave the yard.

well back at it when it stops raining,

Also grab some floor or headliner insulation, even seat pads to cushion the fall on said wheel.

headliners or trunk carpet is commonly seen on every pick a part lot being used as an impromptu blanket so your not directly on the dirt.

Use this trick on the radius arms.
http://www.rustyheaps.com/2014/05/18/trick-removing-stuck-jaguar-irs-radius-arms/

The no jack rule is baffling, but then again, for $100.00 it’s a steal, The pick a parts here charge you for every little thing.

IMG_4221 copy

I just pulled a rear swaybar off an earlier xjs, I just knocked out the v mount bolts on one side to lower it enough to get it out.

I wasn’t prepared to knock out the bolts, but there tends to be plenty of smaller bolts around on the ground. :grin: and perhaps my breaker bar was abused as a hammer :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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You’re a stubborn cuss, Mark…:slight_smile:

I think you need to think safety first - the thing will give in due time, just don’t be under it. What I can’t understand is why it doesn’t drop - when the cage is unbolted from the body, the problem is usually to prevent it from crashing down…

Frank
xj6 85 Sov Europe (UK/NZ)
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Is it ONLY the radius arms holding it on?..if so, you may need too make this tool, took me about 1hr.

No radius arm on earth can resist!..one I did would have laughed at a prybar

plate in operation
radius arm removal

radius tool dimensions

The radius arms are still attached, and I’ve it the whole area with a good dose of penetrating oil. I too don’t understand why it hasn’t hit the ground. Unless there are bolts that I’ve missed. I got the two for the radius arms, and the 4 nuts (2 on each side) that attach the cage to the mount. These bolts are perpendicular to the ground. I haven’t removed the 4 bolts that are parallel to the ground (yet) that attach the IRS mount to the sub frame / chassis. That’s gonna be my next task. I had an epiphany last night. Using a hand operated winch (come a long) with a couple of straps . Attach the straps to the hubs on either side, and have the come a long across the bonnet. Use the winch to apply a bit of tension to hopefully free the IRS from its perch. Which will also serve as a mechanism to lowering it down.

Won’t be today or tomorrow. I’m going to wait until the weather is permitting.

Well you’re giving me hope. Thanx, I’ll give it a go when the weather permits. I refuse to hang out there in the rain and muck

Hey Mark… I’ve been following your progress thinking “how would I do that without the jacks?” I’ve done probably 50 of them at this point, but never without a trolley jack. The biggest thing is supporting it in place so that you can remove those bolts that are through the frame. Maybe a few 6x6s placed under it to get close to the bottom of the IRS on each side (or hubs) and then one cut on a wedge that you could drive under it tight until it will hold it.
The only issue that you’re having is removing those bolts through the frame. With the weight on them they’ll never drive out. Sometimes even with a jack they’ll bind if the jack isn’t centered correctly.
I like your idea of the strap. That might just work…
I use a crowbar with a curved end to pop the radius arms loose. One swift kick and they’ll pop free.
Normally those yards will pick up anything heavy and forklift it to your truck.
I normally put a weight of about 400 pounds on the shipping tickets… That includes the weight of a pallet… So you’re probably looking around 350 pounds… I have the weights of the individual parts somewhere…
Good Luck today…
David
shop.EverydayXJ.com

I truly value your input, David, because I know you’ve done at least one or two :slight_smile:. You’re spot on about the bolts. I’ve tried driving them out with a punch and a hammer with absolutely no luck. I was hoping by taking the nuts off the mount where the cage attaches to and the radius arms, I was thinking that Gravity would (with a bit of help from some corrosive penetrating oil, the radial arms & IRS mounts would let go and the unit would fall off the car. I was by yesterday, and no such luck. So the come along was a thought. It’s snowing today, and frankly I have no desire to mess with it today.

Part of my wonders if it’s even worth the effort. So far, I’ve got about 10 hrs in trying to get the bugger off the car, and still nothing. then there’s the IFS and the XK engine. That I want. I know the engine is junk, the cams are severly rusted, and the oil filler cap has emulsified oil / water stuck to it. That’s never a good sign. But my Series II needs the lower end rebuilt, and I’m afraid that it may be worn beyond repair, to the ’85 engine would be a parts donor. Thinking out loud.

Anyway,
Thank you David for your words of wisdom
Mark

Around here they will loan (rent) you an engine hoist. It strikes me that an engine hoist can do the work of a jack, just from above, and not below. Therefore, can’t you borrow their engine hoist, and lift the subframe while you undo the bolts?

They won’t let me “move the car” but they do have a gantry hoist, which will prove useful if I ever get to the engine. The IRS I need for my ’85 XJ6 it needs wheel bearings and my son is currently driving it to work and school, so downtime has to be minimal. I thought about picking up the car with crane, but I figured with my luck that would be disastrous seeing that the support is based on two steel wheels stitched welded together.

Last night I was watching a cowboy movie where a wheel fell off the chuck wagon and they didn’t have a jack so they used a long tree branch. One guy lifted the wagon with the branch and the other put the wheel on.
You have a teenage son, the most useful of all tools. Bring him and a 8ft long 2x4 and have him hold up the IRS while you get the bolts out.

Nice one Rob!;
Thank you for thinking of my dilemma. Yes I do have a teenage son. Who’s the most uncooperative kid on the planet. I’ll give it a shot. looks like it will be tomorrow, I’ve got to drive 120 miles to work.

Mark,
any progress or have you given up the project by now? :slightly_smiling_face:
With that amazing staff, I’d either have capitulated or brought a big prybar to the place, for the employees!
And wow, 200kms to work, thats a lot!

David

Sorry, I haven’t had an opportunity to get back over there other than to try to persuade them to take the car of premise, then bring it back; or pay someone who works there to take the bits off I require. Looks like I’m going to need the engine too. It’s been bitterly cold here lately, snow, rain, and I refuse to slop around in the mud at the breakers yard. To top it off, my clapped out Series II is requiring major engine work I’m afraid. This is a whole other post.

I was hoping to get there today, but I haven’t yet. I hope it’s still there. It was last week. I have minor panic attacks when I think I haven’t been as diligent as I should be.
I really don’t understand why they can’t just sell me the car, then I sell it back to them. Doesn’t make any sense to me. Other than they have no clue were the title is. Who knows. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Thank you for checking in

Mark

There are laws designed to prevent totaled out cars from being poorly repaired and entering the used car market again. Probably why they won’t let it leave the lot.
I had a relative who made a business of repairing crashed Hondas, and he had to have a license and use correct parts and get inspections of all his repaired cars.
It may be that you are getting pinched by a fluke of that law.

I made that plate in a very short time with a 5" angle grinder…it a well worth it just for that one job.

have used it since then, and have 3 more IRS to remove

2 thin cold chisels are only a few $ from the tool shop.

If I had to drive a couple of hours, I would make this tool.

IRS can be dragged out by a strong guy harnessed up like a mule with rope

getting it loaded into your vehicle needs an assistant, weight is ~350lb

the reason I made the tool is the stuck one, I tried jack, 6ft pybar and impact chisel, and they did not work

it exerts force orders of magnitude greater than any other method (make sure the radius is as accurate as possible)

You’re not Robinson Crusoe there! My son is nearly 15, already 5’10" and built like a brick outhouse: three Jags and no interest! I would have been all over them at his age were my parents to have had the same. Too many diversions now that are more interesting? Maybe when he’s older? Paul

Probably the start of a new thread: I believe there will be much less interest, from youth, for dino-juice powered cars, for the foreseeable future.

As it likely should be.

Probably right. They’re also stuck in the middle of the change: hard to get excited about a Prius and “banger” Teslas aren’t available to play with yet. Paul

Side tracked on electric
I read that the major auto manufacturers are hedging towards electric cars. GM state that by 2023 they will have introduced 20 new totally electric cars. Though I don’t think their motivation is “Going Green” but more about saving a buck or two in not having to worry about emissions testing during development.

The truth of the mater is electricity isn’t necessarily greener then a conventional engine. Here me out. It’s obviously not the driving ,but it’s the production of the electric or hybrid vehicle that generates more pollution than a conventional powered vehicle through out it’s 160,000 mile life; AND driving the hybrid doesn’t offset the amount of pollution and planet devastation that it’s saving by running on electricity.

It’s all about manufacturing a hybrid or electric car.
When you think about the mining for the precious metals such as nickel, copper, aluminum, manganese, all needed for the production of batteries, which is mostly done by using acids and other toxic chemicals to suspend the precious metals in a fluid, which give off toxic fumes, then extracted from the fluid and melted into an end product, This process uses extremely hazardous chemicals which some processes give off deadly toxic fumes.

I know first hand,
I’ve done in an attempt to reclaim the gold, silver, and copper from electronics. (don’t recommend it huge waste of time unless you’ve got hundreds of pounds of electronic to reclaim it isn’t worth the expense or the time).

Sulfur Oxide is the big pollutant from battery production. There is more plastics used in a hybrid / electric vehicle plastics used to keep the weight down, and plastic insulate the wires. What is the base chemical of plastic, Petroleum. Then the amount of precious metals in a electric car, such as copper, nickel, platinum, gold, aluminum used in the electronics, and alloys to lighten and maintain structural rigidity, which of course are offset by the weight of batteries.

To quantify in weight (pounds) how much pollution is generated throughout the entire life cycle of a Electric / hybrid vehicle the number would be 22 pounds or 10 kilos per vehicle, compared to 2.5 pounds or 1.0 kilo generated (throughout the life cycle) of a Dino powered vehicle.

Then there’s the pollution of all of the flat battery powered vehicles on the side of the road; and the visual pollution of the horrific styling :wink:

Sorry for the side track. I’ll keep it to a minimum
cheers
Mark