11 replies to this topic

[Big_Adam]

evening all,

ok got some poly bushes and i already know i'm going to have troubly fitting them. wait. i have read the guide in the FAQ section my problem is i only have 1 metal spacer. there should be one in the engine already but i know there isn't so what am i going to do for a spacer. can i use a load (and i do mean alot) of washers the same size packed in to make a spacer??

cheers for the help.

[pikey7]

engine steady bushes? you mean the tube inside the bush?

[TOMMO0302]

Hi,

I just replaced mine and thought i would go for the poly's as well, ended up having to cut them in half to get them in! As for the metal spacers, you can buy them for about £1.50, i got mine from dsnclassics.co.uk.

evening all,

ok got some poly bushes and i already know i'm going to have troubly fitting them. wait. i have read the guide in the FAQ section my problem is i only have 1 metal spacer. there should be one in the engine already but i know there isn't so what am i going to do for a spacer. can i use a load (and i do mean alot) of washers the same size packed in to make a spacer??

cheers for the help.

[Big_Adam]

ah don't worrie now, going to get another made at college. just spin somthing on the lathe or ask Dav my old teacher if he'll do it.
so i used the one tube i had on the break clutch cylinder side of the top mount. now then i have to say this.

WHO THE FUDGE DESIGNED THESE THING AND WAS HE/SHE INSANE.

I mean what the hell that was so difficult to do. i was spraying oil on them. hitting them and the just would no go in. ended up having to force it in and round with a screw drive. AND I LOST ANOTHER PIGGIN SPANNER!!!!!

[pikey7]

the design is fine. it's just the cheap-a$$ bush suppliers who don't add tubes in their kits! (although I did...... from cheapo huddersfield too!)

[Big_Adam]

got mine from mini spares.

edit

also what stops the passenger side of the engine moving. mine seems to rock a bit....which is bad.

[TOMMO0302]

You can get ultimate engine steady's (just purchased one of those also - £20 +vat) but nothing does (stops the passenger side moving) as standard, apart from of course sub mount. I bought mine only because when trying to re-fit tie-bar on bulkhead side, the bottom part of the bracket made a little snapping noise and now there is a crack around where it is mounted to the bulkhead........i also need some advice, but don't want to hijack your thread, will start a new one now!

[pikey7]

exactly. there are 5 different positions you can have bars to stop engine movement. The standard RH side of the engine, the ultimate steady on the LH side (but get the right one for your car. sods law says most of them are different depending on engine and year), then there are 3 on the gearbox to the subframe. one is standard on later cars, and the other two are mostly for gearchange "solidity", but will help steady the engine to a certain degree too.

[Big_Adam]

i think i could do with the ultimate engine one. and replacing all the other bushes would help. mine are all nacked.

[Dan]

I assume you're talking about one piece bushes? Did you try using a vice or a press to get them in like you are supposed to? Or did you just stand there bashing it with a hammer? And who was it said he had to cut it in half? Lots of point buying a one piece bush and slicing it up!

The waterpump end of the engine in theory doesn't matter, the stabiliser is where it is because that is the end with the clutch and flywheel and so that's where most of the load gets dumped onto the engine and where the reaction needs to be controlled. I've ditched my ultimate engine steady since fitting the Superflex bushes in both ends of the standard upper and lower stabilisers (one piece at the top) and it's as solid as it'll ever need to be. Just the very faintest trace of movement if you really try to yank the engine about by the rocker cover.

So Tommo, guessing what your question will be......

Yes you need to repair the standard stabiliser bar, the flywheel end is more important and an ultimate steady on its own isn't enough.

[Big_Adam]

I assume you're talking about one piece bushes? Did you try using a vice or a press to get them in like you are supposed to? Or did you just stand there bashing it with a hammer? And who was it said he had to cut it in half? Lots of point buying a one piece bush and slicing it up!
<<snip>>

i'm dim not stupide. their two peice ones with the metal bit in the middle. if i got 1 peace ones i would have used a vice. anywho that was TOMMO0302.

get that bit of metal made tommorw. see if i can have it in silver steel stop it rusting up so damn fast might have to pay for that tho even if i do it myself.

[TOMMO0302]

yeah it was me that said i HAD to cut them in half, and obviously i did'nt buy one pieces just to cut them in half......couldnt get them in with a vice or any other means including boiling them etc. Im sure when you work with Mini's all the time you don't need to 'bodge' anything at all Dan, £100's worth of specialised tools always help as well, but i did and most importantly i was'nt telling anyone else to do this....just said thats what i ended up doing!

No, my question was'nt going to be do i have to get that fixed.....i know it will need welding and would be quite safe without doing so, but will probably need the engine steady to at least get it to a garage and obviously it won't do any harm having when all fixed. Its the bottom half of the mount as opposed to the tie bar itself anyhow.