Engine Mount - Disintegrated

[[email protected]_ 0]

Winter 'to do' list just got bigger

The mount is 18 months old with just under 3000 miles on it. It is so toasted that if you touch it it just crumbles. There is no heat shield on the car. I suppose it got lost or did it ever have one?.

Now what to do? - replace with the same or invest in the SJ upgrade?

Edited October 30, 2008 by gtookey

[Guest bharper]

I would probably put a stock one back on, proper heat shield, and add the link to the back of the engine to the rear frame to help the motor from trying to pickup under acceleration.

[giorgio67 98 1 Vehicles]

Looking the inclination of the rubber mounting it will be good to check also the gearbox mounting bushes to see if they are still good.

They are prone to fail under braking/acceleration and they will cause the engine mounts to be weak.

Cheers

[[email protected]_ 0]

does anyone have a photograph of the heat shield? thanks.

[iainskea 29 1 Vehicles]

Hi Gavin, again - nice picture (yucky engine mount though).

I will take a picture of what I have in the way of a heat shield, all home made and works a treat. So, you could replace the existing mount with the same and make your own shield, dead easy.

Have you tried a forum seach for 'heat shield'. I remember a number of topics on this but don't have time right now. I also remember the SJ kit was expensive, so out of my ball park budget. The S2 had a service bulleting on too, with a drawing.... LEW maybe too...

Iain

[Tony K 125 2 Vehicles]

Gavin,

I actually have an NOS factory heat shield . . . and I wouldn't bother with it.

What I've had good reults with:

1) wrap mount in some kind of heat barrier tape, such as header tape or that thinner stuff that looks like nylon. Secure with bailing wire.

2) wrap in aluminum foil. Secure with bailing wire

3) make a heat shield out of a piece of aluminum from the hardware store to split the air space between the manifold and the mount. Overall area would probably be close to that of a small index card, but of different proportions. I like to bend mine to curve around about 60% of the mount. Affix to frame via one of the four bolts holding the mount bracket to the frame.

I did this to a new mount on 260H when I put the new engine in it at around 30k miles, and when I last saw the car in Miami, weeks before it shipped off to Brazil, I serviced it and during my inspection found that after 8k miles the mount was still soft and strong. And that was without the stabilizer bar! I second Brian Harper's recommendation, though!

In short: Just improvise, as anything well executed will work good. Bonus points for making it look good!

[[email protected]_ 0]

Iain - would be great to see what you fab'd up.

Tony - as always, an informative solution.

Thanks guys

Edited October 31, 2008 by gtookey

[peteyg 251 1 Vehicles]

I've fitted SJs new mounts but with his tubular manifold there's no room for a heatshield so after melting one set of polybushes, I've done similar to Tony and wrapped the mount in exhaust wrap as well as the branch of the manifold that's closest and it works a treat!

[[email protected]_ 0]

I grabbed a quick photo of the right engine mount & the right gearbox mount

I'm not sure how much of the engine mount deformation is a result of the left mount being knackered but I can clearly see the lower bushing on the gearbox mount has shifted forward.

Does the gearbox mount warrant removal and repair? or is it still OK?

[giorgio67 98 1 Vehicles]

HI,

that it's what I mean.

I don't think it will be good to keep the gearbox mounting bushes like that, I suggest to fit a new bushes (left and right) with larger washer to retain the rubber sleeve.

Take a look at this topic: topic it will be useful.

Cheers

Giorgio

Edited October 31, 2008 by ghe67

[[email protected]_ 0]

Giorgio,

Yep I figured I would have to change the gearbox bushings.

Thanks for the link, I was looking for that earlier.

Cheers Gavin.

[Guest bharper]

there might not be any problems with the tranny bushings, one of mine sticks out about the same amount on both sides. other downside is they are getting very difficult to find as a complete set, which also means read expensive. if the rubber is not shot, should just center them front to back on the bracket. If you do not have the engine brace, it is worth rigging up one. some docs on that are on the gglotus site I believe...

if you want to upgrade to a later turbo style motor mount, I believe Jeff at JAE has kits, but I think it is in at least the $600 range. I believe most of the esprit manuals show the suggested heat shield for the S1, if you can not find it in your manual, let me know and I will dig out a copy and scan it.

since water hitting the mainifold can crack it, I am thinking about a splash shield, or another way I am considering on that score is to send the manifold out and having it black ceramic coated inside and out. The black ceramic is supposed to be good to about 2000 degrees F vrs 1200-1300 to the shiney chrome looking coating. I would expect that would help protect the cast iron from taking as much of a thermal shock from water, help with reducing under the cover heat, and keep the hot exhaust gas hotter and flowing at a higher velocity, as in better scavaging. Less than $100 this side of the pond.

[[email protected]_ 0]

I pulled the left tranny mount this evening and to be honest the bushings don't seem that bad. The rubber is in good condition with no splits. The lower bushing inner collar has clearly moved forward a little. I think I will try having it re-centered, as Brian suggested, and see how it looks. Jeff at JAE also suggest this as the bushings are getting expensive.

The only place I found for the stabilizer bar / engine brace is Dave Bean. They also have an upgraded engine mount that is supposedly made from a more durable compound that looks exactly like the standard one but it's twice the price.

RD price for standard mount $28.00

Dave Bean Heavy Duty mount $59.99

Anyone had any experience with the Dave Bean mount?

Did not call JAE on a price for the mount as it's Friday and they are closed.

Brian let me check my manual and see if I have the page(s) that ref the heat shield. I have the S1/S2 shop & parts manuals but none of the service bulletins. If I don't have the page(s) I will take you up on your offer. Thanks.

Edited November 1, 2008 by gtookey

[USAndretti42 233 1 Vehicles]

Paid $38 each for a pair of engine mounts for an S2 from JAE a few weeks ago. The old ones had a "pimple" in them to locate in a hole on the brackets so they are correctly aligned as the fixing studs are eccentric to the rubber. The new ones did not have this locator. They feel a bit stiffer than the old ones in as much there is more engine vibration coming through whereas with the old ones there was very little. I suppose that should be expected as the old ones were shot i.e. the top of the mount was hardly connected to the bottom. It's not too bad but it does give a squeaky rattle from the engine cover seal where it sits on the body just behind the window at the back of the cockpit.

[[email protected]_ 0]

The bushings on the right gearbox mount were also OK. So I just had the inner collars on the lower bushings re-centered.

Top image is the right engine mount before the gearbox bushings were re-centered. Lower image is after. Quite a bit of difference.

[gtookey 73 1 Vehicles]

bump..

pulled the old mount yesterday....

just finished installing the new mount with homemade heatshield....

Edited December 27, 2008 by GavinS1