Engine Mounts

[Bob_Spidell]

The engine mounts on my BJ8--whose engine I am overhauling--had the rubber part separating from their metal backing. This didn't surprise me, as they have 25+ years and 120K+ miles on them. However, I got under the BN2 the other day and noticed its mounts were separating as well, and these only have a few years and a few hundred miles on them. Apparently--like most rubber or rubber/metal parts from contemporary suppliers--they are crap. Anyone know a source for quality, durable engine mounts for Big Healeys?

 

[Keoke]

Check with Healey Surgeons.

Some can be too hard.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Thanks, Keoke. I will.

 

[Bugeyze]

I have the same problem, under 1000 miles and the LH side is separating, purchased from a UK "SPECIALIST" supplier!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

From Andy on the email list: "Any repro mounts made in India or Indonesia will come apart as the heat and humidity there rust the steel plates before they getvulcanised and the bond is very poor."

Sounds plausible to me ... I suspect all suppliers get their parts from the same sources by and large.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

From Andy on the email list: "Any repro mounts made in India or Indonesia will come apart as the heat and humidity there rust the steel plates before they getvulcanised and the bond is very poor."

Sounds plausible to me ... I suspect all suppliers get their parts from the same sources by and large.

Maybe it's time someone should redesign the mount to accept USA made rubber from American manufacturers?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Maybe it's time someone should redesign the mount to accept USA made rubber from American manufacturers?

I doubt the market is large enough for an American company to make a go at this; and the markup for rudimentary parts like this can't be much. It amazes me that Denis Welch is apparently able to sustain a viable business re-manufacturing LBC parts, but most of their stuff is high-value--like cams, heads, etc.--and the markup is likely much greater. If they saw a large enough need for decent engine mounts they might be able to pull it off (given that you wouldn't pay to ship just engine mounts from England, so you'd probably have them throw in a cam and lifters, and an alloy head, and some forged pistons, and headers, etc.).

 

[obrienwm]

You can easily rebond rubber directly to clean steel yourself with curable urethane mixes. See www.theepoxysource.com for small "DoubleBubble" packages with the perfect amount for little jobs like this.
Unlike epoxy, cured urethane is tough, flexible over wide temp ranges. I fixed my my MG TF rear axle rebound rubbers permanently with this, mouse hole in tonneau + wide variety of household fixes. Stuff is so handy & relatively cheap, I buy extra as XMAS gifts. Nice people to deal with also in NC.

 

[Keoke]

obrienwm:
This solution sounds doable,However in this case the joint is in very high loaded sheer which may cause it to fail again later, good to try though.

 

[blueskies]

Until quality of the mounts improves, it might make sense to reuse old mounts for restorations, if they remain serviceable. Old mounts often remain in good condition after decades of use.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

I doubt the market is large enough for an American company to make a go at this; and the markup for rudimentary parts like this can't be much. It amazes me that Denis Welch is apparently able to sustain a viable business re-manufacturing LBC parts, but most of their stuff is high-value--like cams, heads, etc.--and the markup is likely much greater. If they saw a large enough need for decent engine mounts they might be able to pull it off (given that you wouldn't pay to ship just engine mounts from England, so you'd probably have them throw in a cam and lifters, and an alloy head, and some forged pistons, and headers, etc.).

What do their race cars use for motor mounts? I wouldn't think they would use the stock mount given the problems with it.

 

[Deleted member 19315]

I would think that it would be possible to find an alternative that can be adapted to fit without too much trouble if this is a real problem. In my experience oil soaking is the biggest destroyer of rubber parts ?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

obrienwm:
This solution sounds doable,However in this case the joint is in very high loaded sheer which may cause it to fail again later, good to try though.

Yep. I'm not a materials scientist--and I haven't stayed in a Holiday Inn in months--but I suspect the issue with bonding rubber to metal is you can probably get a good bond with a lot of adhesives, but the rubber bonded is a very thin layer, and that layer just peels off (even if you scuff both surfaces well).

 

[obrienwm]

Would you like free sam;le ? Can mail you one.....

 

[RAC68]

Hi All,

When redoing my Healey back in the mid 1980s, I was suspicious of the condition of many of its rubber-bonded parts (i.e. motor mounts, transmission mount, rear rubber rebound bumpers, exhaust mounts) but, after a close examination, only needed to replace the smaller exhaust and transmission mounts and just refinished and reused the rest. Since the internet was not as vibrant at that time, finding information and capitalizing on the experiences of others was not an available option. As a result, it was not long before the rubber in the new exhaust hangers began to separate but the original motor mounts and rear rubber rebounds remained good to date.

As a result of the many failures of the newly acquired parts, I began to modify, rather then replace, the separating/separated hangers and mechanically reinforced their re-glued rubber components. This approach seems to have worked to maintain positive rubber connection although it did reduce original flexibility to a small extent that did not seem to hinder its function or transmit any vibration. The approach taken to mechanically reinforce the rubber attachment of the part was dependent upon the direction and expected extent of needed flexing and simply consisted of setting a screw through the metal mount and into the rubber and secured with glue. Although this approach seems simplistic and I can't say that the re-glue would not have held on its own, the repaired parts have not failed in the past 20 years.

Although I would like to state the glue used, however, I have not found my documentation and, sorry to say, just do not remember. I believe Obrienwm's post is a good lead for acquiring an appropriate adhesive.

Ray(64BJ8P1)




Although there are many parts that

 

[bob hughes]

I have the same problem, under 1000 miles and the LH side is separating, purchased from a UK "SPECIALIST" supplier!

Ok, so what did the supplier say to that?
I did not renew the large engine mounts, but I did renew the small oblong rebound ones (after a bit of modification - they all come for one side only and need modifying to suit the other). Not the same as you but I have had no problems with those units.



Bob

 

[John Turney]

Hi All,

When redoing my Healey back in the mid 1980s, I was suspicious of the condition of many of its rubber-bonded parts (i.e. motor mounts, transmission mount, rear rubber rebound bumpers, exhaust mounts) but, after a close examination, only needed to replace the smaller exhaust and transmission mounts and just refinished and reused the rest. Since the internet was not as vibrant at that time, finding information and capitalizing on the experiences of others was not an available option. As a result, it was not long before the rubber in the new exhaust hangers began to separate but the original motor mounts and rear rubber rebounds remained good to date.

...

Ray(64BJ8P1)

I reinforced my exhaust hangers by putting a loop of stainless steel lock wire around them to keep the rubber/steel joints in compression. They have been good for roughly 16 years.

 

[John Turney]

Urethanes do make excellent adhesives. Gorilla Glue is one such, although it foams when setting. There are others that don't.

 

[Keoke]

the rubber bonded is a very thin layer, and that layer just peels off

NO BOB:
This fault usually fails in shear, it is just like you would take a knife and cut through the rubber it is just not smooth.
In this case one moveable part attached to the engine is tending to slide past the fixed part attached to the frame causing a shearing of the rubber.The rubber does not usually peel off of the fixed part.

 

[steveg]

I reinforced my exhaust hangers with sheet metal screws through the metal into the rubber. In addition I changed the rear hanger to be in compression rather than in tension: