21 replies to this topic

[Scoop77]

Good god, just wasted ruddy ages remounting the engine. Read somewhere that the best mounts to get were the originals but how I wish I'd bought the ones with the captive nuts.
Then it struck me, why hasn't someone in 55 years not thought to make the holes in the subframe and the mount at least an inch or more further apart so you can drop the bolts in easier?

[coopdog]

They are harder to fit any way :L

Much safer fitting the bolts downwards so if the nuts ever come off the bolts stay in

[Scoop77]

How can it be harder when you just have to line them up and put the bolts in?
That is how I put three of them in but the one to the rear of the rad was just impossible so I had to put the nut engine side.

[MIGLIACARS]

Feeling ur pain bro

[Alex_B]

The mounts with captive nuts are harder to fit as it means the bolt has to be perfectly aligned to the nut instead of dropping the bolt through then fitting the nut which is easier.

[Scoop77]

Well, I haven't used them but I lined the holes up tonight with a Philips screwdriver in seconds. I always put copper grease on the face of the engine mount that meets the subframe which makes it easier.

[Cooperman]

You most definitely do not want the mounts with the captive nuts.

They are a metric thread and are still hard to line up. But if not lined up perfectly the bolts go in cross-threaded and then the only thing to do is to angle grind the heads off, lift the engine (again), remove the mount and fit another one (like many others, been there, done that!)..

The best thing to do is to weld two 5/16" UNF nuts onto the mount, open up the sub-frame holes to 10 mm diameter and use a larger flat washer under the head of the bolts. It makes life so easy when you do this.

[Scoop77]

You most definitely do not want the mounts with the captive nuts.
They are a metric thread and are still hard to line up. But if not lined up perfectly the bolts go in cross-threaded and then the only thing to do is to angle grind the heads off, lift the engine (again), remove the mount and fit another one (like many others, been there, done that!)..
The best thing to do is to weld two 5/16" UNF nuts onto the mount, open up the sub-frame holes to 10 mm diameter and use a larger flat washer under the head of the bolts. It makes life so easy when you do this.

No replacement for experience. Thanks Pete.
Any thoughts on my variation in design?

[mini93]

Never had a problem with captive nut engine mounts, just need the usual prying/jumping on the engine to get it down low enough.

[adam_93rio]

Those captive nut ones are terrible to use, the way to line the holes up easily is to put a screwdriver in and move the mount a bit til it lines up properly. You can't really do this with the captive ones for risk of damaging the thread, which is really difficult to not damage when putting the bolt in anyway.
Surely taking the radiator off is a lot easier than farting about for ages trying to get the bolt through?
Mine have been through the opposite way before and with locking nuts never came loose

I don't understand why it matters that they are a metric thread though?

[Cooperman]

 

You most definitely do not want the mounts with the captive nuts.
They are a metric thread and are still hard to line up. But if not lined up perfectly the bolts go in cross-threaded and then the only thing to do is to angle grind the heads off, lift the engine (again), remove the mount and fit another one (like many others, been there, done that!)..
The best thing to do is to weld two 5/16" UNF nuts onto the mount, open up the sub-frame holes to 10 mm diameter and use a larger flat washer under the head of the bolts. It makes life so easy when you do this.

No replacement for experience. Thanks Pete.
Any thoughts on my variation in design?

 

I always put the nuts on the inside (engine side). It's easier and in 53 years of working on Minis I've never had any problems, and that includes some very serious motor sport. I now always weld the nuts to the mounts using a MIG welder.

But there are so many people who have had the cross-thread issue with the Riv-Nut version.

Opening up the holes in the sub-frame to 3/16" or 10 mm works well in helping to line up the bolts.

[Scoop77]

Those captive nut ones are terrible to use, the way to line the holes up easily is to put a screwdriver in and move the mount a bit til it lines up properly. You can't really do this with the captive ones for risk of damaging the thread, which is really difficult to not damage when putting the bolt in anyway.
Surely taking the radiator off is a lot easier than farting about for ages trying to get the bolt through?
Mine have been through the opposite way before and with locking nuts never came loose
I don't understand why it matters that they are a metric thread though?

The rad was out when I was doing this. You need hands the size of a five year old for that one!

[Cooperman]

I don't understand why it matters that they are a metric thread though?

 

It doesn't matter, Adam, it's just that in terms of best engineering practice it is good to keep what were Imperial threads as Imperial threads and the spanner sizes as original.  

Having said that I do have a few metric threads on my 'S', namely with the Riv-Nuts and socket head screws holding the additional instrument panels in place and the ones used to fit the lamp steady straps. Both are M4, but are for additional to original.

But of course, the Rover idiots mixed threads, most noticeably on the braking system with 3/8" UNF at one end and M10 Fine at the other (you couldn't make it up!).

[adam_93rio]

Those captive nut ones are terrible to use, the way to line the holes up easily is to put a screwdriver in and move the mount a bit til it lines up properly. You can't really do this with the captive ones for risk of damaging the thread, which is really difficult to not damage when putting the bolt in anyway.
Surely taking the radiator off is a lot easier than farting about for ages trying to get the bolt through?
Mine have been through the opposite way before and with locking nuts never came loose
I don't understand why it matters that they are a metric thread though?

The rad was out when I was doing this. You need hands the size of a five year old for that one!

Or long fingers ;)
I just went out and looked at mine and I've still got the bolts through from the bottom, so it was always just a case of putting the nut on, for which I normally put the but in the ring end of a spanner with a bit of insulation tape on so it doesn't fall out

[Carlos W]

 

I don't understand why it matters that they are a metric thread though?

 

It doesn't matter, Adam, it's just that in terms of best engineering practice it is good to keep what were Imperial threads as Imperial threads and the spanner sizes as original.  

Having said that I do have a few metric threads on my 'S', namely with the Riv-Nuts and socket head screws holding the additional instrument panels in place and the ones used to fit the lamp steady straps. Both are M4, but are for additional to original.

But of course, the Rover idiots mixed threads, most noticeably on the braking system with 3/8" UNF at one end and M10 Fine at the other (you couldn't make it up!).

 

It just screams disaster waiting to happen