Submitted by alan.barc@veri… on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 13:17

I need to remove the right hand frame rail from my 1970 SII Coupe, for some straightening and weld repair (DPO, not me!), which I assume can be done without removal of the engine. True? If so my main concern is what needs to be supported and how, to avoid putting too much stress on the picture frame. The only advice in my Haynes Workshop Manual is "don't try this at home". Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks

Submitted by alan.barc@veri… on Thu, 04/15/2010 - 16:26

OMG, as the youger folks might say. I've been out of pocket so belated thanks. Y'all have put a black cloud over my effort to solve the problem without spending yet another arm, leg and first-born but I won't shoot the messengers. No wonder so many people give up on old Jag restorations, the pit is bottomless even for this rust free Dallas and Arizona E-Type. Maybe I should have bought a boat! Patience was never one of my virtues. Anyhow, thanks for the input

Submitted by SC38-21185J on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 20:22

Boy, that sounds like an awful lot of work to do it one rail at a time!! There is Sooooo much you have to remove....I just wonder if it's worth putting fresh, newly painted frame rails into an old, greasy engine compartment.

Alan, odds are good that the interior of those tubes are pretty rusty by now (maybe so, maybe no), so you really need to give some serious thought to pulling the engine, changing them both out, refreshing the firewall and bushings, etc. And if perchance you have a clutch, now's a good time to change it out. (yeah, I know...easy for me to say)

I bought a left-side frame rail many decades ago from Martin Robey; I think it was $750. Wish I had done both while I was at it...but I was poor (like today :-)

Submitted by cburk@kiva.net on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 20:10

Check into getting new rails for the reasons cited. EFab (or something similar) offers new rails out of the UK via a US distributor. (I think he's in CA.)

Regarding your other Q, a friend of mine has removed his rails without removing the engine - one at a time. Go for it (but with new rails).

Cliff

Submitted by MikeEck@optonl… on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 19:43

The general consensus is that Reynolds 531 tubing can't be welded without destroying its properties. The original frames were brazed by heating the entire assembly in an oven. New frames are available.