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MG MGB Technical - Oil pan on cross member

If one thing doesn't lead to another...
I was under the car removing the exhaust manifold from the downpipe and noticed the oil pan sitting on the cross member. This can't be normal??? Does this mean I need new engine mounts, or is there something else in my future? The car is a 72 B roadster and the mounts look fine from what I can see. No cracks or swelling, but they could be shifted and I just can see from the top. Should I replace the trans mounts as well I noticed the front to back rod bushing is all swollen and needs replacement soon.
Cleve

just finished building my car with all new rubbers etc and have the same problem as Cleve. Help !!!
tony

While I have never seen a cracked or swelled motor mount, with either type of MGB motor mount, that would cause the engine to lay on the cross member I guess there is a first time for everything. On a rectangular motor mount car the normal sign of a swelled motor mount would be that the bolts holding the mount to the body are partially covered by the softening rubber of the mount. Not necessarily on the top bolts but on the bolts down the side. If bolts are completely visible, another question might be if the spacer is under the one motor mount. Again, do not believe the lack of a spacer would cause your problem but might want to check. Believe it is on the left side only and goes between the motor mount and the body. Just another piece of metal about the same thickness as metal backing of the motor mount. If you have checked the mounts and spacer already the other 2 that come to mind might be the square rubber mounts between the cross member and the body or the front engine plate if your engine may have been swapped with a later model car that originally had round rubber mounts. The front engine plate is different depending on what type of mounts you have in your car.

HTH

Fred
Fred Wright

Obviously not normal. Check that all the engine mount parts are there using Moss or a shop manual. I don't think the spacer (packing shim) would cause what you're seeing. Maybe the bolts aren't in or in the wrong place etc. On my 65 when I pulled the engine I found one of the rubber blocks was coming unbonded from the metal. Of course all were replaced.

The transmission buffer pads are easy enough to change. The mounts to the crossmember are another issue. I've found the gearbox rubber components get more oil and are usually in worse shape than engine ones.

You're likely going to have to jack the engine up to repair things. Be careful and watch you hands.
Robert McCoy

G'day. How about the rubber pads between the cross member and the front chassis rails. If they are worn then the cross member would move up.

Tony
Tony Oliver

what gap is correct - between the cross member and the oil pan?
tony

packing shims made by removing the rubber from old engine mounting blocks did the job on my car. A look at various cars at the local mg shop showed that the usual gap between the oil pan and the cross member is about a quarter of an inch - with variations either way,
tony

There are always discrepencies in after market replacements, as in deed there were when the cars were first manufactured. Even on the assembly line adjustments were necessary to compensate for manufacturing "tolerancies". If the cross member pads haven't collapsed (unlikely), the engine mounts rubbers may have "sheared" from the backing, or simply got tired! Put in new mounts and if this doesn't restore a reasonable clearance put shims between the backinf and the chassis mount.
Allan Reeling

This thread was discussed between 12/06/2009 and 21/06/2009

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