QuestionJim,
1973 Triumph Spitfire 1500
Can the frt. engine mounts be changed out with the engine in the car? If so any tips on this.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Richard Ferris
AnswerRichard,
Yes, the mounts can be changed with the engine in the car. The simplest method is to:
a) disconnect the battery. Lucas gets jealous of mechanical work.... don't want any electrical fires, eh? :-)
b) locate a piece of wood.. 2x6 approx 6" long.
c) Use a jack and the piece of wood to gently jack up on the oil pan. The key word is "gently"!!! The jack that comes with the car is fine, otherwise any other floor jack will work.
The key is to remove the weight of the engine from the mount. You don't need to lift the engine more than 1/2" or so, assuming the existing mounts have sagged/broken.
As you fit the new mounts, be mentally prepared to jack up some more on the engine if the mount bolt holes don't line up. Again, the key word is to be gentle.. no need to dent the oil pan or bend anything by lifting too far/too hard.
From experience, remove the two lower bolts, then undo the nut that holds the mount to the front engine plate bracket. Replace the mount, attaching it first by the nut on the engine plate bracket, then fit the two bolts into the frame mount.
*** Don't tighten anything down until ALL the bolts are in place****
If nothing is wrong.. it should be about 10 minutes per side. Or less, if the car cooperates. Soaking the nuts and bolts with a penetrating oil (WD-40, etc) for a few nights beforehand will help speed the job.
Oh yes.. I'm a firm believer in using "anti-seize" compound on all the nuts and bolts. It makes life easier a few years down the road when you need to replace the mounts (or any other parts) again.
Once it's all together and tightened (and think about replacing the nyloc nuts with fresh ones.. it's cheap insurance!).....
d) reconnect the battery.
e) let the fun commence.
Cheers,
Jim
