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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Engine mounts 1275

I have had a very frustrating day. We have tried to instal the engine today and have run into a major issue.

As you can see from the two photos, the distance between the engine mount brackets that mount to the chassis are is 2.5 cm bigger than the actual gap in the chassis. No amount of brute force has got us anywhere near to getting the wretched things in. We have removed the steering column and the cross-member brake pipe to make life a bit less cluttered, but we still can't get the engine into place.

What are we doing wrong, or is the heritage shell out of spec?

Here is the left side of the engine bay looking from the front of the car, other post is the right side.
Dominic Clancy

opps, here's the cleft side

Dominic Clancy

and now the right. we also removed the shock absorber this side to be able to work without restrictions

Dominic Clancy

I also had to attack the gearbox tunnel with a bottle jack to get the gearbox in.... the tunnel was about 2 cm too narrow to take the gearbox support bracket!
Dominic Clancy

You may have the mounting brackets on the wrong sides of the engine. I did this when I was trying to reinstall my engine last year and hit a similar problem to you. Swap them side for side and try again.
graeme jackson

yep - what Graeme said, the mount towers are handed.
David Smith

Here's the 'easy-fit' method.

With the lefthand engine mount completely removed and the Righthand mount and bracket attached to the bodyshell, lower the engine into position on the righthand mount and loosely fit the nuts.

With the engine still suspended (obviously) push the engine to the right - which also lifts it slightly - and rotate the lefthand mount into position...



Dave O'Neill2

My way of doing this is as follows:
Looking at the car from the front, bolt the left hand engine mount to the chassis but leave the bolts slightly loose. leave the mount on the right hand side off for the moment. Put the engine in and connect the left hand mount to the front plate but only screw a nut on a couple of threads leave off the spring washer for now. Lift the engine gently so you can fit the right hand mount to the engine plate. Gently lower the engine so the mount alines with the 3 fixing points in the chassis. It may need a bit of pulling and pushing until it all lines up. Tighten up all the bolts.
Bob Beaumont

What Dave ???

NO CRAYONS !!!! ....obviously your the product of a bad kindergarten teacher.....Hahaha

But you are dead on correct...thats how I do it

I also leave all the hardware loose and hanging, then clench it all up when the engine is in place.

X3... "hey benny, mounts on the wrong side of the river"

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I searched the archives and tried all the solutions suggested.

The mounting bracket half mounted approach doesn't have enough space to make it work, as the body and / or shock absorber body get in the way.

If I swap the brackets from one side to the other the V for the engine to sit into becomes an A because if the way the brackets are shaped, but will try it and see.

It all has to come out again because the gearbox selectors have jammed in first gear............

Dominic Clancy

Search the archives. There is a way of 'fixing' the gearbox without dismantling it.

You can get it out of first by just removing the side panel, with the 'box in the car. There is also a mod to stop it happening again. It is also done through the side opening. I haven't tried doing it with the 'box in-situ, although it's probably possible.
Dave O'Neill2

Hey Dom,

Hang in there, you have to do it or have seen it done at least once... then its fairly simple the next and following times

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Or try these bad boys from Tom Colby at Speedwell Sprite, mine should be on their way as we speak.

brian s

are your brackets 'up' the right way. . .isn't there a scalloped cut out which should face the top ?
P Bentley

Brian, they look pretty smart! Do they put the engine in exactly the same place? And how much would they set me back?!

I'm guessing they might transmit a bit of vibration though.
john payne

Wow...

NOW thats the kind of porn I can look at all day and never get tired of

I like that!!!

im also wanting to know what the vibration will be like

Please fill us in on the details once there installed

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I think if there was a huge chunk of rubber uber its foot, that would correct any vibrations thur the chassis

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

OK, the scallops were facing down, so the mounts are the wrong side according to the advice here. The gearbox is out and is stuck in SECOND gear, not first!
Dominic Clancy

Well post arrived and I have to say yhey look even better in real life. As for the vibration, I don't really think that will be a problem, after all it's not a BMW, it's British steam powered cart spring technology with 135BHP, but once it''s back together I will let you know just how it good or bad it is.

Brian
brian s

Thanks brian,

Im looking forward to your experiance,

any basic idea of an estimate for when your planning to install them ?

Any chance you can post a web link for those bad boys

Thanks

Prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I say 'thanks for the Chinese engine mounts'. As Speedwell Sprite comment they let the engine sit lower than the originals and that lets me fit my HIF44 under the bonnet! Those Speedwell mounts look great but if I fitted them I would soon have a badly dented bonnet.
Chris Hasluck

Hi Prop,

here is the link, hope it works:-

http://www.speedwellengineering.com/engine/speedwell-competition-engine-mounts/

I hope to be doing it in the next few weeks, if I dont have to go off to work again.

Brian
brian s

D#mn jobs,

They sure know how to suck the life out of a good time, money and chicks should be free for all people, not just for rockstars on the M - tv

prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 01/05/2014 and 06/05/2014

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