7 replies to this topic

[VELOCUAZ]

Hello
Need advice on best type engine mounts to suit rally / hill climb car, not sure if solid is best way to go. Also best rear subframe mods
Many Thanks

[nicklouse]

Never bothered with solid engine mounts.

Two rather different things rally and hillclimb both really needing different mods.

[rww]

Standard rubber engine mounts are perfectly satisfactory for all competition race engines. Additional engine and gearbox steady bars, two upper and two lower, are solid spherical joint ended mounts.

 

The rear subframe should be bolted direct to the body shell without rubber mountings. 

[VELOCUAZ]

Thank you for advise, car is LHD so difficult to fit 2 top stabilizers !

[nicklouse]

Thank you for advise, car is LHD so difficult to fit 2 top stabilizers !

I would still be looking at fitting one on the drivers side as the upper mounts do the most amount of work. The lower ones do more to hold the engine in place rather than stopping the torque reaction.

[Cooperman]

I have never solid-mounted a rear sub-frame in over 50 years of building rally Minis and it is quite unnecessary.

The most important thing is to ensure the accurate settings of the rear suspension, well, all the suspension really.

Do not use solid engine mounts for a rally car, but do weld 5/16" nuts to the mounts to enable quicker engine removal and replacement. DO NOT use the mounts with built-in Riv-Nuts as they are a real pain especially if a bolt gets cross-threaded and jams in the Riv-Nut.

Open out the engine mounting bolt holes in the front sub-frame to around 10mm to make it easier to re-fit the engine mounting bolts. Put hem in with a bit of Loctite as they are going in upwards. It is vital to put the bolts in from the outside to permit rapid engine removal which a rally car needs. Use large penny washers under these bolt heads.

Also, mount the brake servo using flexible steel braided hoses to enable it to be swung away to get the engine in & out.

Weld nuts onto the front sub-frame for the sump guard bolts. In fact I use two bolts on the front and these are welded onto the sub-frame to enable quick location of the sump guard.

Fit an oil cooler as with a sump guard and the low gearing of a rally car the oil will get very hot if you don't. I use a 13-row Mocal unit mounted behind the front grille.

PM me for more info on rally car prep, but I can't help too much with hill-climb specifications as rally & hill-climb cars are quite different. 'Nicklouse' is the hill-climb specialist here.

[nicklouse]

Just to make sure we are talking about the same type of hillclimb as the UK version is a little different to to one found on mainland Europe.
Some UK hillclimb.


As you will see grip is more important than rallying or circuit as there is not the room for sliding the car around corners.

[VELOCUAZ]

WoW great driving, here its more like a rally stage, they close the road and can be up to 7 km long, events start in villages and you drive your cars to the start behind police escort,
https://m.youtube.co...h?v=Y7H2SOZH0ag
Link for you to see some action, sorry no minis !!