Engine mount question

[Elfit]

I would like to shift the engine up a bit on the mounts.

I replaced them 2 years ago ( what a pig of a job!) with these 51.65mm mounts from South wales propshafts.

My question is: are the top and bottom bolts independent of each other. By that I mean if the top nut is kept fully tightened can I loosen the bottom nut and shift the engine/mount upwards without the top one moving?

The reason is that the top is at the bottom of the slot giving maximum lift but the bottom bolt is at the bottom giving least lift. If I can keep the tops as they are and just lift the mounts in the bottom it will save some of the hassle.

I hope this makes sense. I think the answer is "yes" ~I know that I should remember having only done it a couple of years ago but I've a memory like a sieve.

Cheers
Tim

[phillpot]

Elfit said:

My question is: are the top and bottom bolts independent of each other.

Yes they are , if sliding them up the slots doesn't work you may have to make a big fat washer to go between mounting and chassis or engine bracket?
If you make them with a slot rather than a hole you can be slide them in in far easier than completely undoing the mounting

[glenrobbo]

Hi Tim,
As Mike says, they are independent.
I fitted shim washers on mine, I bought 4 off M10 washers 38mm x 2.5mm thick, sort of square with rounded corners. Got them from the corner DIY shop.
I hacksawed slots to meet the centre holes so they just slid in without having to fully undo the nuts.
With 2 shims on each new mount, I have had far fewer ground clearance issues.
My engine mounts from Burton's were 50mm, so you may only need 1 shim per mount.
HTH,
Glen

[Elfit]

Many thanks

I'm slowly loosing the will to live...........
Undoing the bottom nut on the drivers side is near to impossible. Last time I did it the ARB was off which gave an extra mm or so of room.
I know some people have drilled a hole in driver's footwell.
Others have taken car to local garage.

At present the last option looks attractive. At my hourly rate of 5p/hour and theirs at £50 the local garage looks like the cheaper solution.......

Yes I have some shims. Ken ( Clarenceboddiger) sent me some when I last did it.

I hate engine mounts.

Tim

[phillpot]

think when I did mine it was top nut off and unbolt bracket from engine,(might of had ex manifold off?) with that lot out the way i got a spanner on the bottom nut and turned the mounting with an oil filter chain wrench, rather than tweak the nut half a flat at a time.

Can you not leave bottom nut alone and just go for some spacers between top of mounting and engine bracket?

[mep12345]

Mike is correct above, even with engine out I could only get a spanner on the bottom nut to crack it and then hold it while I turned the mount (this was only last week and I was swearing profusely). Even a ratchet spanner would not work as there is not enough clearance to operate the ratchet mechanism unless you approach the nut from the front having first removed the anti-roll bar (this is the approach I finally took having no engine in the car but even this is not easy when the engine is in).

Mark

[glenrobbo]

The only tool I could get to loosen that nut was a 17 mm flex- head ratchet ring spanner.
Just enough range of movement to get one "click" at a time.
It's a bit easier with the wheel off, but still a PITA.
I didn't have to remove the anti-roll bar (mine's an S1).

Phillpot's method sounds good.

[french dave]

Hi,changed mine a few months ago as engine sat on anti roll bar.new to tvrs so shocked at lack of access!struggled - arms/hands battered but managed it mainly used 1/2 moon shaped ratchet ring spanner and through stud socket.not easy but very satisfying when done.dave

[ketvrin]

Elfit said:

Many thanks

I'm slowly loosing the will to live...........
Undoing the bottom nut on the drivers side is near to impossible. Last time I did it the ARB was off which gave an extra mm or so of room.
I know some people have drilled a hole in driver's footwell.
Others have taken car to local garage.

At present the last option looks attractive. At my hourly rate of 5p/hour and theirs at £50 the local garage looks like the cheaper solution.......

Yes I have some shims. Ken ( Clarenceboddiger) sent me some when I last did it.

I hate engine mounts.

Tim

I never did drill the footwell Tim but vowed I would If I ever had to do the job again... Did you use locknuts or lockwashers last time and did you shorten the studs? I guess you are not removing the altogether... I have a 17 ratchet and a couple of ring spanners with different offset I used but even then it was a pita. Keep at it mate
K .