Inspection Pit...

Thelostcountry

Going building myself an inspection Pit Lads. Any pointers for me:)

going to use 6" blocks.


Depth 6'

Width 3' 4" ??

Length 12'


Never did one before hope i don't hit a water table:D

my3cents

Built one years ago and one tip is to put a deep lip around the edge so you can put heavy timbers across it when not in use because its easy enough to fall down open inspection pit. Also make sure you have adequate ventilation so you don't gas yourself or have an explosion. Petrol vapor can build up in a pit (heavier than air so it collects there) and explode when a light is switched on.

Toyotafanboi

I think these are against planning laws now for all the reasons mentioned already and more.

Risk of injury/ death is huge between falling/ drowning/ gasing etc.

Tip; spend the same money on a lift unless headroom is an issue.
Line it after you dig but before you block it up so the water table won't be an issue.
Try and think of a clever ventilation or extraction system

sogood

Agree with all of the above and you might want to extend the length a little to allow for steps/stairs, for access. Assuming you are building/digging an actual pit, you will need to ensure that the sides are properly shored up, to prevent any collapse. The earth around the pit can exert a lot of pressure on the sides.

I have very often thought of doing the same, getting too old for rolling around on the ground under cars!

Best of luck with it and do keep us posted.

dhog4n

If you think water might be an issue, you could put a sump pump in a recess at the bottom of the pit. If you set it up on a float switch, it will automatically pump out any water and it will not use any power at all the rest of the time.

I'd be keen on sorting out the ventilation first though and I would also want to use a gas detector. It will alarm long before you are aware of the gases or they build up to dangerous levels.

Thelostcountry

Thanks for all the replies guys.


Head room is an issue,so lift is not an option.


In relation to ventilation,would a 4" wavin piped out side be ok? Petrol Cars will be over pit once in a blue moon.


Gas Detector great idea!!

dieselbug

I built one years ago, still have it but used very little now. It's handy sometimes for heavier stuff or tracking.

Very difficult to seal. I lined it with heavy polyetene but the water still came in.

I ended up digging a very deep drain (had to be deeper than the pit floor) just outside the wall of the workshop. I put in a drainage pipe and a couple of feet of drainage stones and ran it into a soakaway. That's over 20 years back and not one drop of water since.

I made an angle iron frame which I set into the concrete workshop floor and the timber covers sit on this flush with workshop floor. Also a couple of fluresent lights set in to the sidewalls and a couple of sockets.

Six ft deep is too much imo you'l end up standing on a box trying to work. I'l measure it tomorrow and post the dimensions.

Slideways

We had a pit at home since before I could walk.

It was made in pure limestone so water ingress was never an issue. The old man got pissed off kangoing so its only about 5' deep which is not enough. And Im a shortarse.
Its always easier to stand on a platform of some sorts than stoop under a car for ages.

Defintely make a deep frame out of angle iron before hand and make recesses in the walls of the pit for lights. It will save them from getting smashed from dropped items.

Another very good idea is to make the pit T shaped with a removable sections. That way you can drive a fwd car over the T. Jack and support it and then remove the sections. This leaves it easy for removing gearboxes/subframes etc

cletus

Thelostcountry wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys.


Head room is an issue,so lift is not an option.


In relation to ventilation,would a 4" wavin piped out side be ok? Petrol Cars will be over pit once in a blue moon.


Gas Detector great idea!!

You'd want some sort of active air transfer, even with the wavin poor, there is no impetus for the denser gas to vent itself

dooroy

If you do decide to go ahead with it don't skimp on the dimensions . Many moons ago I used to work summers in a friends garage and it had 2 pits . I dont know the dimensions exactly but I'd say about 36" wide , about 5' 9'' deep and I'd say one of them was about 18 foot long with concrete steps at one end . Both had a 'lip' in the floor so that you could pace 3" thick planks across it if not in use .
It was always considered unsafe if the car was covering the pit completely - there should be a clear space at one end at least with the car in place that you can exit the pit.
As regards depth its easier in my opinion ( and from experience ) to raise yourself up ; working crouched even a little is very tiring .
Over the years I have been helping out some friends on occasion , who had their own pit ; but they were generally a waste of time - one I found you couldn't turn around in ( too narrow) and another where I found it easier to work on my knees ( too low obviously :mad:) . Another guy had a pit which had to be emptied of water each time before use . After a while he got fed up and stopped using it altogether .
A good pit is fine for working and of course very solid for heavier vehicles etc , If possible you should try to go and see a few before you start - although they are very rare now I think .

mayota

5'4" deep and 3'3" wide here works well.

ianobrien

The one at home is a perfect height. I sit on a milkcrate and it's the perfect height for working on cars. I can reach half way up the engine block while sitting down.

That being said, if somebody is in the pit we use the buddy system in that every few minutes the "buddy" comes to check if the person in the pit is alright. We never apply the handbrake or leave the car in gear so that the person under the car can push it out if needed.

Noccy_Mondy

Are pits starting to become a thing of the past? The vast vast majority of garages I've been in only have lifts

Noccy_Mondy

Car garages that is, a big coach is hardly going to be hoisted up by a lift!

gctest50

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

a big coach is hardly going to be hoisted up by a lift!

yip - wireless n' portable even

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEzXOkqN30E

http://koni.stertil.co.uk/en/products/wireless_mobile_column_lifts/st1100_10000kg-

.

Noccy_Mondy

gctest50 wrote:

yip - wireless n' portable even

I know it's possible alright, just that a pit would be more common in dealing with coach repairs.

Slideways

Coaches and trucks. Those portable lifts are ok but no good for doing brakes, springs etc

They are also a pain in the arse of you need to be able to access the cab frequently during the work you are doing

gctest50

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

I know it's possible alright, just that a pit would be more common in dealing with coach repairs.

they'll just eventually "insure" pits out of existence and be left with

Slideways wrote: »

.............
They [lifts] are also a pain in the arse of you need to be able to access the can frequently during the work you are doing