9 replies to this topic

[gsms]

I noticed a very loud rattling noise when driving, and after looking at it with a friend we saw that the backbox was about to fall off. We discovered it was most likely the engine mounts that had been worn down. When i press the throttle, we noticed the whole engine rocked FAR too much.

Does anyone know how to solve this problem? Or has anyone else had their backbox break before?

Any help appreciated. Cheers. Guido.

[Pooky]

Crikey! I wouldn't have thought that an exhaust could just break off without you hitting a bump hard. :erm:

I changed mine recently and it took a bit of work to get the bugger off!

[Jammy]

Sounds like the bushs on the engine mount that goes to the side of the head, above the clutch. Mine was really bad, engine kept rocking, broke free of other mouths, ruined my exhaust manifold and firewall.

[MINI7]

I have a stabliser missing and the engine tends to vibrate and mive quite abit, it aint gonna fall out though

[Sprocket]

Replace the Engine tie bar bushes with uprated poly urethane ones,I'd be suprised if the original rubber ones had ever been changed and will look very squashed. The tie bar is located at the left of the engine connecting the block to the bulkhead just below the clutch master cylinder. There is also another one located underneath the engine and is also on the left connecting the gearbox to the subframe at the front. 8 bushes in total are required. Thats if yours has the lower tie bar, some don't. Use a bit of washing up liquid to ease the new bushes home.

[Sprocket]

I got these from mini spares and they are black and are not rock hard either, harder than the rubber though cheep as chips :grin:

http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=38362

[philster]

The ones i've got are the yellow deflex jobbies, a bit harder than rubber but last a lot longer, the red ones they do are really hard and can be a little harsh for road use.

[gsms]

Wow thanks a lot for all the replies everyone, and for the link to the minispares one. Very much appreciated!

...I'm gonna order 8 of these things now!

Thanks a lot. Guido.

[Dan]

I completely disagree with falk about this, poly bushes are absolutely the best thing for the engine stabiliser. The engine really doesn't need to move at all, it would be best if all it's vibration was fully attenuated as this is the best way to improve the life of the crank bearings, and a moving engine is pretty bad for all the things attached to it as well (like the car for instace). Poly is not good for many of the suspension points people use it for (tie rods especially) but for the engine steady bar it's ideal. The best one is the one piece Superflex one which needs to be fitted using a vice. That's basically what Rover switched to for the last five years or so of production. Since I have fited one I have been able to completely do away with the ultimate engine steady I was using before and ahve never had any problems in 5 years with engine rock. I'm pretty sure it would be fine without the bottom steady as well but that remains in place using normal two-piece poly bushes.

Oh and by the way, poly is just a cheap chemical. It's naturally pretty colourless and it gets dyed loads of colours. The colour has no relation to the shore hardness whatsoever so to say 'get the red ones they're better' is nonsense.