Paul H Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Found a website www.mech-mate.co.uk which sells fibre glass inserts for service pits - The site doesnt give prices so guess they are not cheap - Ive made an enquiry and waiting on prices - Anybody had any experience with these pits ? or any advice with alternatives, lifts etc appreciated My garage is 6 meters by 3 metres and 2.45 metres high (all internal dimensions) , brick construction, concrete floor & power Thanks in advance Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 like many hoists or pits they can be always just the wrong height needs to be standing or laying any other height makes varifocals useless Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waynebaby Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Paul, I've often fancied a pit in my garage. but because one of the garage walls is also a gable wall of the house I'd have to position it so far away from that wall to meet the building regs that it isn't practical. I haven't looked into it for a while, but I think the issue with cable walls and pits is making sure you don't undermine the foundations of the house! Not a problem if you're dealing with a stand alone garage. Wayne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted December 17, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 46 minutes ago, Waynebaby said: Paul, I've often fancied a pit in my garage. but because one of the garage walls is also a gable wall of the house I'd have to position it so far away from that wall to meet the building regs that it isn't practical. I haven't looked into it for a while, but I think the issue with cable walls and pits is making sure you don't undermine the foundations of the house! Not a problem if you're dealing with a stand alone garage. Wayne. Hi Wayne - My garage is stand alone Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I have a pit in my garage - it was there when I bought the house! The pit, I mean, in the garage. Its deep, so that I stand with my shoulders at floor level. The only thing I use it for is for oil changes. Never found it useful for anything else. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I looked into those mech-mate pit liners when I was having the garage built at my last place. The architect put me in touch with the structural engineer to get his opinion, which basically came down to: - The liner is too flimsy to provide any structure - You still have to dig a bigger hole and line it with concrete - pouring the concrete around the liner is no easier than pouring it round a custom shape in plywood - The only benefit is water-proofing but that's not guaranteed with GRP and the additive to make the concrete impervious costs a lot less That garage got a much larger, deeper pit formed as the engineer suggested. It never seeped so much as a drop of water (this is in east anglia where the water table is at ground level). Then I moved. The architect and structural engineer for the new garage said "you're on a hill - your pit only needs a plastic liner outside brick walls". Unlike John, I find the pit very useful for any bottom-of-car work, whether it be oil changes, rear suspension, routing fuel pipes, handbrake cable... or welding up the floor pans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirate Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I have a pit in my garage, was already there when we bought the house, it's lined with engineering brick, we live on top of a hill Pit is damp but doesn't hold water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daverclasper Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 I've always fancied a pit, as handy for quite a few jobs (apart from oil changes which I find easy with the car at rest anyway). Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted December 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 Received the pit quote This is the smallest pit they do and looks ok for my Vitesse - TSSC has 5% discount Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 Have a pit in my free standing garage which I find very useful, dug when it was doubled in width. At the time all they said was an imaginary fourty five degree line from the bottom of the wall foundations had to pass below the bottom of the pit. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 That 45deg line ensures that the pit doesn't undermine the foundations. The other factor that my first pit was designed to cope with was that, when the ground water level is high, the pit can act like a boat and try to float away. The floor will hold it down but, to avoid stress cracks in the floor, the pit needs to be heavy enough to not be buoyant. Not a problem if you're on a hill but anywhere near a flood plain it needs to be considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted December 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 2 hours ago, NonMember said: That 45deg line ensures that the pit doesn't undermine the foundations. The other factor that my first pit was designed to cope with was that, when the ground water level is high, the pit can act like a boat and try to float away. The floor will hold it down but, to avoid stress cracks in the floor, the pit needs to be heavy enough to not be buoyant. Not a problem if you're on a hill but anywhere near a flood plain it needs to be considered. Hi Rob just checked and my detached garage passes the 45 degree rule and we don’t have a high water table issue so placed an order with www.mech-mate.co.uk for a pit liner . Chosen the smallest they do which is 2.1 metres long . The depth is 1.3 metres and the principle is a sliding seat . Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyman Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 4 hours ago, NonMember said: That 45deg line ensures that the pit doesn't undermine the foundations. The other factor that my first pit was designed to cope with was that, when the ground water level is high, the pit can act like a boat and try to float away. The floor will hold it down but, to avoid stress cracks in the floor, the pit needs to be heavy enough to not be buoyant. Not a problem if you're on a hill but anywhere near a flood plain it needs to be considered. I cant get this picture out of my head of you floating down the street with a Triumph on your head during heavy rain............ Sorry, i think i need to get out more Very good point though. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 Just as show and tell, here's my pit. Brick built with a stone surround. It won't float away! I fitted the ladder earlier this year, as previously I had to lower one into it to get down. Cardboard on the floor, as a hundred (?) years of oil changes have left the base soaked in the stuff, and boots or shoes need very careful cleaning before going back indoors! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Caswell Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 Don't walk across a flooded garage when the pit boards have floated away.....Got the T shirt for that one!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyman Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 3 minutes ago, Ben Caswell said: Don't walk across a flooded garage when the pit boards have floated away.....Got the T shirt for that one!!!! Sorry, i could not help but laugh as i did the same as an apprentice.............. And there was a rat swimming around as well as me!! Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 All the factory pits were lit at night so intruders didnt fall into them , I would have used different rules !!! Then there were the other places night shifters got a napp One night I found one of my test drivers asleep in the cab with the truck running on a jack Happy days wot?! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 Mine used to flood so I had a large plastic tank in it and used to float about under the car like Gollum on his raft. It was very therapeutic. However.. if you're installing a pit... don't dig TOO deep.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 recorded that as was on the other night, i remember back in the 50s hiding behind dads sofa too scared to go to bed after watching the original series Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damson Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 On 18/12/2018 at 10:33, Paul H said: Received the pit quote This is the smallest pit they do and looks ok for my Vitesse - TSSC has 5% discount Paul Looks like a cold water tank? Derek 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted February 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 It would hold 2300 litres of water Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 My son keeps his homebrew beer in his pit. In bottles, not a pit full! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted February 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 Purchased the mech mate pit and had the hole cut today , next job is to back fill . Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulfc Posted February 9, 2019 Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 Paul, Pit envy🤢! Can I ask was the cut and excavation straight forward and how long did it take? Will you back fill with concrete or some other material? Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul H Posted February 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 I had 2 ground workers to do the hole . 6 hrs later it was finished , the concrete was 100mm as were the planings . I made up templates for the pit so they were able shape the hole . The back filling will be done by myself and a neighbour, I will chicken wire the hole add damp proof membrane then back fill with concrete . The base is the first job getting the pit level with the garage floor securing the pit so it doesn’t float up . Before any concreting I will be adding the lighting as there are recesses for 3 bulkhead lights , switch and fire extinguisher . The pit is a sit down one as it is 1.3 metres deep and I have to make a seat base which slides along the lower ledge . The next ledge takes a tool tray . You can buy these as extras though they were expensive so making my own . The skip was a 6yrd and was about 2/3 thirds full . Paul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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