MM engine steady.

[RobThomas]

I noticed that this Alta engine has already pulled apart one new engine mount rubber. I saw the engine steady that BLOWNMM fitted to his supercharged motor but realised that the studs on the Alta are not in the same position and that in reality there aren't any 'ideal' places to fix it to the engine. In the end I lathed down a spare cylinderhead nut to fit in an oversized hole in the later Morris bracket so that the bracket didn't sit up against threads and bash them down. This 'sleeve' allows me to tighten the nut down with plenty of threads at the same time.
The thicker rubber bush is one from a rear spring pad (the big rectangular rubber) and trimmed to size with a Dremel. the bracket at the other end comes off of the shock mounts with an added bolt running from the wheelarch panel to help keep it in place. Not elegant but functional. The rod is hard brass drilled and tapped to UNF with spherical heim joint on the end. If there are any problems I can beef up that end but so far it seems alright.[frame][/frame]

[BLOWNMM]

Rob
I believe I can see the bracket bolted to the head only by one bolt/stud. Have you considered this bracket may rotate if sufficient force applied to it tends to compress the steady bar. This is why I fixed mine to two head studs. It is difficult to see if the other end attaches to a bracket fixed to the two 5/16" BSF threads inboard of the LHS shock. By the way I have been searching without success for NOS g'box and engine mounts with a Shore Hardness close to OEM, instead of the ones with 'rubber' like hardwood that are fitted to my car now - without success. Because your motor apparently vibrates enough to pop out windscreen rubber chrome strips, I guess this is probably because your mounts have rubber that approximates NOS. I would like to know where you got them from? Any clues?
Bob

[RobThomas]

You're 100% right on the bodged solution at the head end. I'd like to modify it to also reach something else on the head but there aren't many plausible options. I may need to pop out another head stud and substitute something longer. I asssumed the engine will be pulling the rod straight rather than pushing during acceleration so it will be reversing that will be the bigger issue (I think. Have I got the logic correct???)

The other end of the brass bar goes to a single shear (poor solution) Heim joint onto a steel angle bracket that is held by the 2 outboard shock bolts (longer BSF) and an additional 5/16 bolt that goes through the inner wing and into the steel bracket. Does that make sense? Not a pretty engineering solution but much better than the factory fit.


With regards to the rubbers, I was not impressed with the ones from the big suppliers and had a look at pouring my own. The nasty chemicals make it an no-go so I found a local crowd who would pour me some if I made the moulds and all the brackets. I started wit the Gearbox mounts by making a trough to pour 4 at once that could then be hacksawed apart. There wasn't enough interest for me to bother making any more. If it helps, the gearbox mount is also found on the Aus-export Morris Oxford, circa 1949-1952? There were some for sale on Ebay.Aus.

Hope this helps.

Rob

[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[BLOWNMM]

Thanks for the tip on the Morris Oxford mounts. When I was setting mine up I decided that the shock bolts had enough work to without placing more load on them, so decided to make a bracket secured to the two unused 5/16" bsf holes inboard of the shock. I think your logic is correct - looking at the front of the motor as it applies torque to the gearbox the back reaction would tend to rotate the motor anticlockwise placing the rod in tension. You may also notice my rose joint is bolted to the underside of the plate secured to the head.
Cheers
Bob

[BLOWNMM]

Rob
The only Oxford g'box mounts in ebay Aust. I was able to find were different. Would you send me a link to the ones you spoke of.
Bob
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from ... s&_sacat=0

[RobThomas]

IIRC they are used on the MO as engine mounts. I googled the part number a while back and some turned up on Aus Ebay as NOS parts. I'll keep looking. There were some here in Wales, about 10 miles away, that are brand new repro for £60 UK (100 Aus) on Ebat but I can't see them today.

"Sparesman", Bryan Gostling, has some NOS ones for slightly less money.


With regards to the engine mount, the early MM bodyshell doesn't have the extra 2 bolt holes in the crossmember so I've had to use the ones on the shock body plus a bolt going sideways through the wheelarch through a large load-spreading washer about 2 inches above the shock bolts. I may have a rethink if I have the time since your method seems better.

Thanks.

[BLOWNMM]

Rob
I have recently made an enquiry of Bryan Gostling where he said he had none - this was on 22 April. I have just mailed him to ask if any more have surfaced. I did some more searching and found some MM and Series E for 60 quid UK which are in Penarth. However when mousing over the image to zoom in it seems obvious that the threads are finer pitch than the original BSF - probably UNF meaning they are reproductions and no guarantee of the hardness of the 'rubber'.
Bob
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORRIS-MINOR- ... SwrXdXK2z2

[RobThomas]

Yes, Penarth, not far from here. My own ones are 5/16 UNF because of the scarcity of BSF bolts. hard to see them once they are installed.

When I last spoke to Bryan he said he had recently picked some up and that suggested to me that it wasn't worth going into production if there were still some around. Maybe I acted in haste?

I spoke to a company in the UK (Superflex?) who said they could re-rubber mine if I sent them some metal parts with the old rubber burnt out. Is that a possibility for you? They said the metal needed to be grit blasted, painted with a bonding agent and then poured with whatever shore hardness I wanted. Somewhere between A60 and A80 rings a bell.

The Morris Eight mounts are ever so slightly different on the top bolt spacing but if you are handy with a welder you can get them from the Morris Eight club in the UK. Again, repro, but they might work out.