How to get the most out of a jack?
 

There have been alot of threads covering jacking up the 911, but I haven't come across the answer to this. I have a craftsman floor jack which raises to about 20-21in. or so. With the hockey puck I use in the center(for protection against damaging the engine)I get maybe another 1/2 in or so of rise. If I want to get the car up to use a 6-ton jackstand which raises to over 26 in., how do I do it? I have thought about putting the jack on some 2x12's after the car is up on the standard jackstands but don't really know how safe this is. Considering that the jackstands go under the torsion bars and those start off a ways from the floor, there are times I would like to get the car up in the air a bit more. How do you guys do it?

There are a few answers to this problem:

- Jack the car up from underneath the engine.
- Place two 4x6s under the jack
- Place a block of wood between the jack and the bottom of the engine.
- Get a high-lift jack (used commonly for SUVs)

-Wayne

Along those same lines, and referring to Wayne's book, it says you can place the jack on the bottom of the engine to lift the car.

I noticed that after the car has sat for about two weeks with out being started that there is oil all along the bottom of the engine where the two parts meet. The drain valves are not leaking but I think their is a leak on the left side (when facing the rear of the car).

I have been afraid to jack the car from the bottom of the engine for fear that there is a leak there and its strength is not what it is supposed to be.

Or am I mistaking where the oil came from and it just dripped its way down the engine and is wet there as thats where if fell to the garage floor?

Thanks

Other floor jack questions:

1. To do the brakes, O2 sensor, and oil return tubes, do I need the jack pad? I was thinking I would lift under the engine and put it on jack stands, or can that damage the engine?

2. What is the min clearance needed for a floor jack to work with the 911? Was going to Sears this weekend but now might check out Harbor Freight or Auto Quest instead.

3. Anyone have experience with Craftsman vs. Companion?
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PDACPA - not so funny you ask that. Over the weekend my car has gone from a few drips to enough oil to start following the garage floor slope. A look this morning and the oil comes from the same place you describe. Does anyone know if this can still come from the oil return tubes (seriously leaking now) or is this telling indicator of more serious doom and gloom ahead?

Got to get this rectified soon, my German Shepherd keeps pulling out the cardboard drip catch and ripping it to shreads when I'm not looking. :(

Mine started showing up after a much needed oil change. I guess the old oil was so gunky that it clogged the leaks! Maybe Wayne can chime in on it for us.

The question wasn't so much where to put the jack, rather how to get the car up higher to accomodate a larger jackstand.
Wayne, do you put the jack on the wood blocks, or the wood on the jack between it and the engine? We are talking about 6-8" here so I want to make sure all is stable.

The engine is a perfectly sane place to jack. Leaks do not change this, except to make it more slippery. The jackpoint I use is the lip or ridge in the center of the case casting to the rear (rear of the car) of the sump plate.

As you get to the higher angles, you will increase the risk of the jack slipping. I would put the lumber on top of the jack, but I'd be pretty careful not to give it a chance to slip off. Here, it is really nice to have at least one jack pad. They are really nice to have.

I'm in the "don't use the engine to lift the car" camp. I think Roland chimed in on this a while back as well.

I use a jack pad (Pelican sells it) and jack up one side of the car at a time. To get it really high, I jack it up as high as I can, put it on the jack stands, then place a block of wood (e.g. 4x4) between the jack and the jack pad, then jack away again. Or I go borrow my neighbor's big floor jack.