Sprint engine mount options?

[tony g]

After missing out on the e bay auction for the uprated engine mounts (anyone here buy them?) I need to get some repro ones by the look of things. Any difference between the ones Rimmer sells and MEV ? Are there any out there that are worth having?

Cheers

Tony

[tony g]

No thought on engines mounts except for me ?

Tony

[mahony]

I am running rimmers engine mounts which are ok after four years, if there uprated won't that transmit more noise and vibration on a road car ? , maybe uprated mounts are ok for track cars not to sure for a road car

[tony g]

I can put up with more noise and vibes more than mounts sliding apart like a custard slice
4 years on rimmers sounds longer than I have heard on here. Is the height of the engine unchanged- as in the starter is nice and clear of the chassis?

Tony

[mahony]

Engine height is fine, no clearance issues with the starter either

[tony g]

Mmm that's given me food for thought now re the rimmers ones. I may have a go at fitting "cotton reel" types like old fords etc and if not successful revert to pattern ones from rimmers.

So who outbid me on the uprated ones on ebay then?

Tony

[Flyfisherman]

Tong

I purchase a set from RB and after 4 months one started to sag and peeled away from the metal backing - phoned them regarding this issue, typical reply from them "We have not heard of any problems with them" they never do have any problems with their products, all there after is your money - customer service is rubbish especially the office staff. The problems that I have had with RB products - engine mounts that were rubbish, GAS shocks that would not fit, gaskets -holes that are in the wrong place - half a hole out, they just don't seemed bothered that they are selling rubbish.

Next set came from TDF and the rubber compound was different on each mount - one soft one and hard one - the soft one you could squeeze the rubber together by hand, returned them personally and supplied with another set these were too hard and could not compress enough to fit between the subframe mounts.

Next set for Mevspares - well what a load of rubbish - overall height of the mounts different, warped faces on the mounts etc - these went back.

Set purchased of Ebay - second hand.

Now using one mount for the set purchased of Ebay and one from the TDF set and everything if fine.

So be very careful where you purchase mounts from.

Regards
Paul

[trackerjack]

Err I have a set of near new ones and thought they were worthless.

New originals were rubbish to start with what kind of engineer specifies floppy mounts and then tries to cure it with an almost solid bar attached to the ex manifold!!!

There are some superb designs on Dolomite and some real spectacular rubbish ones.

I must have a clearout soon.

[gmsclassics]

I am pretty sure my last set came from Rimmers and have been no problem. I have only ever had one issue with a faulty product from them and their customer service around solving the issue was first class. That aside...

My race car presents an extreme test for engine mounts - dropping the clutch at 5-6000rpm and engaging approx 200bhp when stationery produce a huge twisting force on the engine that the standard mounts were never designed to cope with. It is made worse in a way with the almost solid link at the front, as already pointed out, which can allow the rear of the engine to move around, putting more strain on the gearbox mount as well.

I now utilise an additional, almost solid mount at the rear of the head (so 4 in total). A flat aluminium plate is attached to existing bolts (but 1/4in longer and loctited) on the back of the head. This extends to the rear of the nearside suspension turret where I have mounted an engine mount from a Lotus 7 that allows a large bolt to screw in. Careful drilling of the hole in the plate, plus washers / shims makes for an engine brace similar in give / flexibility to the front. Others have expressed concerns that both mounts are in effect on the head and this could cause movement of the head relative to the block and strain on the head gasket. I am sure it is not ideal, but it has not proved to be an issue in practice, although I do regular checks on head torque.

This setup does cause more noise / vibration to be transmitted into the shell. Whether it is useful in your case depends on what you are using the car for and what the real objective is in trying stop the engine rocking around. Both my other cars use standard mounts, but then I don't thrash them unduly as they are only for road use.

Geoff

[Robert 352]

Some interesting comments being made here.

I think we must all remember that these cars were conceived, designed and built some 40 years ago. So I get a little perplexed when I read comments like the present supply of engine mounts are not up to much.

What do you expect?

You must acknowledge that it is companies like Rimmers which have put a huge financial investment up to support our cars and comment such as that made here is not all that helpful, either to them or in the longer term, to us.

I have no doubt that when BL were ordering the original engine mounts in their thousands that there were some fairly rigid quality standards stipulated and that they were probably made by a company who knew exactly what to do and how to make a product which would last. Suppliers like Rimmers, will today be having to order in extremely small quantities and if they are to buy, finance that stock, store it, and then eventually sell it then the manufactured price is going to be fairly important.

Those of you who are having problems should go back and discuss it with them, in a polite and open manner for they will know that the only way they can find out which ones are not up to spec is to put them out for use, and replace them when they do fail.

Mahony does not have a problem with his mounts. Geoff has no problem with his, and he has explained that his are subject to some extremely brutal treatment. I have no problems with mine and I know from my dealings with Rimmers they would bend over backwards to resolve any issues – and I am as far away from them as anybody can be on this planet.

The real question has to be what are you really prepared to pay for some new but original mounts? I have a Lotus Elan; it has four rubber donuts in its drive train. The last time I bought a couple of spares, 40 years ago they cost less than £5.00 each. Since then it has been extremely difficult to buy anything that performs as well as the original Metalastic made couplings and many Elan owners have spent huge sums of money changing their drive shafts and doing away with their donuts altogether. Some like me have stayed with the originals.

One of the foremost suppliers of Elan parts has just commissioned the original manufacturers to make a batch of couplings to the original specs. The minimum order quantity was close to 1,000 units, and the price for one coupling delivered here to New Zealand is close to £100.00!

The choice is yours; if all us Sprint owners were to front up to somebody like Rimmers and say “Look we are prepared, each and everyone of us, to pay £100 each for an engine mount” then they in turn might be prepared to arrange the purchase and stocking of a mount that will not vary in quality.

In the meantime I suggest you be patient, be prepared to install what is available, and replace them if they fail early. But bleating like a motherless lamb on this forum is not actually going to help those who in the future read this thread and wonder what to do.

Robert

[Jon Tilson]

Good points well made Robert.
The trouble is too many of us have had indifferent quality in all aspects of the Rimmers purchasing experience.

In my own case I found a problem with box layshaft needle rollers. I had the same issue from 2 suppliers.

Rimmers replaced parts at cost only and failed to acknowledge or deal with the real problem properly.
Moss supplied me with a new replacment box in recognition of my wasted build time, and adressed the issue
in their own supply chain.

I'm afraid Rimmers have a lot to do to restore credibility before they get back on my supplier of choice list
but I'm pleased that you have done well with them. Its a start....

Jonners

[tony g]

I feel that the lack of quality parts (in all areas) is down to having parts made in China. Until suppliers (to us) stop accepting lower grade parts the problem will get worse. I tried to buy some old stock uprated Sprint ones from e bay but didn't bid enough but I am prepared to pay more for parts which last the distance. I don't expect anything at 1980's prices of course and nobody here does I suspect but if all that was available were £100 mounts that worked well for 30 years I'd buy them.
In my case with trackerjacks input I will be fitting one or 2 Ford items. Good discussion though and if there are varying opinions on parts and suppliers I think it can help others who search for parts to realise that there is nothing perfect in this world either.

Cheers

Tony

[sprint95m]

The real question has to be what are you really prepared to pay for some new but original mounts?

You have hit the nail on the head Robert!


Consider gearbox mounts for a T2000. These are advertised extensively for £15.
Chris Witor sells a direct replacement of the original (quality) but this is £40.
Which is cheaper?


The quality of replacement parts is a concern for a marques of classic car.
You have to be willing to pay more for good quality.




Ian.

[xvivalve]

Engine mounts were unavailable for a while because I understand the OE manufacturer had all their patterns and tooling stolen by metal thieves from an external compound. This was the period they were on 'back order'

The mounts supplied prior to this were OE equivalent.

It would be useful for feedback from users of exactly when their mounts that they are either happy with, or unhappy with were purchased.

Please comment if you have purchased new mounts within the last two years, or whether it was over five years ago....


As we have seen from carb mounts, exhaust bobbins and timing chain tensioners, the knowledge of how to properly stick rubber to metal appears to have been lost, and we need to know categorically if this now applies to engine mounts too.

[Jon Tilson]

As to the engine mount design that TJ was criticising I'm not for a change of the same mind,

The side mountings cannot counter torque reaction and provide insulated support as well. The gearbox mounting is not adequate on its own with the
larger mass of the 16V head and its greater height. On an 1850 it works (sort of) because the engine develops less torque and the gearbox mounting has
a greater torque resistance by putting the box higher up and therefore having more leverage,
On a Sprint the support bar therfore does the job in resisting torque movements. The ball joint and rubber shock absorber bits means it allows vertical movement and doesnt transmit vibration to the shell.

Not a bad design at all then. Similar arrangements work well on mini's and their absence blights the otherwise excellent ADO16.

Jonners