Miata Mailing List: April 1993, Message #43
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   From: (none)
Subject: Transmission oil and jackstands
   Date: (none)

> What's the best way to put a Miata on jack stands?  The manual seems to 
> suggest putting the jack stands under the frame at the point where you
> put the scissor jack to jack up the car.  There are two problems with this:
> 1)  I already have the scissor jack there, hard to get the jack stand under
> the same point.  2) Lack of a flat surface on the underside of the frame at
> that point.  The scissor jack seems to be specially made to fit this area, 
> but the jack stand is not.  Can I put the jack stand underneath the front 
> axle/suspension parts somehow and support the car without damaging it?

I've been able to jack the car up with a trolley jack set just a bit to the
side of the jack points, and then put a jackstand just to the other side of
the jack point.  I've also raised the car using a jack at the jack point and
then used a bottle jack as a back up on a frame member (this is obviously
less safe).


> was pretty easy.  You do need an oil pump (hand pump) with some flexible 
> tubing on it to get the oil in there.  Next I would like to change the 
> manual trans. oil, but need a way to get underneath the car.  Comments 
> appreciated.

I raised the driver's side, secured it, then crawled under and removed the
tranny fill plug, then put the pump tubing into the fill hole and used a
wire loop to hold the tubing in place.  Then I pumped in the Redline until
I had used up the expected quantity.  I next lowered the car to allow any
excess oil to spill from the fill hole.  Finally raised it again and replaced
the fill plug (after cleaning it and putting some sealant on it).  Not
particularly scientific, and a bit messy but seems to have worked.

jdm

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            /        Jeff Maurer, Sr. Analyst
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