6 replies to this topic

[Shaggy33]

Is it essential to have the engine steady that mounts to top rad/thermostat housing? I am positive my old 998 never had one but the 1275 I've bought seems to...?

[Scousemouse]

I bought a steady as you described for the top rad/thermo side,the g/box to s/frame drivers side and renewed the bushes in the bog standard top drivers side with poly bushes.

Can't for the life of me think how the one your talking about fits though?? because the rad/thermo is much higher than the engine bay/wall and there seems to be the engine breather/cannister pipe in the way??

 

 

 

 

Mine is a 91 Mayfair 998

Edited by Scousemouse, 28 August 2016 - 04:19 PM.

[Stevie W]

Hi,

 

They were never fitted as standard to the thermostat end of the engine, only the clutch housing end. People fit the extra one for better engine stability but these can transmit a little extra noise into the passenger compartment! 

 

Cheers, Steve.

Edited by Stevie W, 28 August 2016 - 04:17 PM.

[Shaggy33]

Ah gotcha, cheers. Bin that then:-)

[tiger99]

All Minis after about 1976 (not sure of the exact year) have a lower steady running forward to the subframe vertically below the normal upper steady, so the torque is reacted correctly. Adding some amateur-designed aftermarket steady on the other end of the engine does no good at all and is not necessary.

 

However the early lower steadies persistently fractured their bracket in the subframe, which was too thin. When that was fixed, they persistently fractured the bracket on the bottom of the gearbox, until that was thickened. I always fit a second subframe bracket with the steady sandwiched in between to permanently cure the fracture at that end.

 

If teh upper and lower steadies are maintained in good order adding something else will only impose needless stress as the engine, already restrained in all 6 degrees of freedom, will be subject to the tolerances of the extra restraint. Not good engineering.

 

If you really do feel that you need stiffer steadies, consider making new top and bottom steadies with a rose joint at the engine end, keeping rubber at the subframe or bulkhead end. And, with the bulkhead end of the steady removed, run a bead of weld between its lower bracket and the bulkhead. You could even fit a load spreading plate. The standard spot welds have been known to fail.

[Spider]

Hi,

 

They were never fitted as standard to the thermostat end of the engine, only the clutch housing end. People fit the extra one for better engine stability but these can transmit a little extra noise into the passenger compartment! 

 

Cheers, Steve.

 

In the Aust Production, they were factory fitted from 1974 on with the introduction of the Rod Shift gearbox, though some models that had the pudding stirrer type gear shifter prior to this, also had them.

 

I'll also just say here that having tried both the upper and a lower type of steady, the upper types are streets ahead of the lower types.

[Shaggy33]

Thanks guys, helpful as ever