Gear change **Edited to Engine Mountings**

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:53 pm

Jack up the car adn put a lever under the tyre and levering it up. there should be no play at all, it they are knackered there will be a decernable clunk.

You should be able to rotate the toe links a bit, but they should take quite a bit of force and be smooth no grinding or lumps.

cla5h · Post by **cla5h** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:20 pm

Didn't find any play in balljoints, and toe-links also seem to rotate OK.

Yesterday got to end of road, and there was an almighty clunking from behind me, followed by rattling metal noise.
Kept going - happened when I lifted off at speed. If I lifted off and changed up ever so gently, then all seemed OK, although there was more vibration than usual.

Removed trays, and what looks like a lower engine mounting bracket has started to cut a groove in the rear edge of the undertray (just ahead of where it joins to the diffuser tray.)
Pretty sure this wasn't there when I had the trays off the other day, and when I tried to put the trays back the height between where they join definitely isn't usual.

So, only cunclusion I can come up with for why engine parts are now rubbing on the trays is that the engine is dropping. Anyone ever experienced this?
If I grab the engine from above I can pull it back a good couple of cms - does this seem more than normal?

Car is due a service anyway, so I've just booked it into Jude's. Dan wasn't aware of this occuring on other cars.

Someone please tell me my engine isn't about to fall out. Also, any thoughts on driving it to Newc. - best to get AA?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:26 pm

My money would be on the driver side hydro mount loosing its filling

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:30 pm

I have just been out to my car and tried to move the engine and it does not move at all , its very solid . I recently changed my LH engine mount as I noticed it had dropped what looked like 1cm ,the old mount was gubbed.

Can you wiggle the engine and see where the play is ?

cla5h · Post by **cla5h** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:38 pm

Alan, when I pull the engine toward the back of the car, I can see movement in the RH mounting. When I release the engine, it slips back into place.
Rich, is this what you'd expect to see based on your theory?

What's involved in replacing mountings? As I said it's due service anyway, so I won't be attempting anything myself.

I've got use of another car until I get it repaired, but driveable to Dan's?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:51 pm

Probably yes.

Mounting is not complicated but access sucks and the bolts might be 'king tight.

Dunno about driving it. The mount is a big cone shaped rubber thing when it's full, bit tricky to see in situ. It's filled with oil so there might be a puddle.

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:57 pm

Heres a pic without the clam fitted. The nuts that hold the actual mount on look like they could be interesting . Check its all tight just in case . I am also not sure about driving it ,if you can get the AA to do it why risk it. I am not sure what loads are going on in other places with the mount gubbed.

cla5h · Post by **cla5h** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:08 pm

Cheers guys. That looks like the baby that has a fair bit of wiggle in it.

I'll have a look at the mounting to see if it's shot its load, but looks like I'll be putting a call into the AA.

robin · Post by **robin** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:09 pm

You need to check that all three engine mounts are secure.

To drop the engine onto the tray you would need to lose either the gearbox or drivers side engine mount. A common fault is for the two bolts that are next to the cam cover in the picture above (the two bolts nearest the top of the picture) to be loose or even broken.

Especially true if it's ever had the cambelt changed or HGF.

However, I imagine it's also possible for the lower engine mount to break and allow the engine to rotate under load to a point where something fouls the undertray, so you should check that the lower engine mount is also secure.

A couple of pictures of the relevant mounts would be helpful.

Cheers,
Robin

cla5h · Post by **cla5h** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 2:52 pm

The two bolts in the offside enginer mount had worked loose and sheared, hence engine dropped as unsupported at that side.

AA took me to Dan's, and all fixed now.

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:10 pm

scottydog wrote:The two bolts in the offside enginer mount had worked loose and sheared, hence engine dropped as unsupported at that side.

AA took me to Dan's, and all fixed now.

Good to hear that. Did you spend much when Dan dropped you off for your shopping trip?

robin · Post by **robin** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:44 pm

These bolts don't work loose. They are just not tightened properly in the first place.

All the green paint marks on the picture above are the factory marks when the bolts are torqued and checked.

It actually matters to get them to a good torque - some people can do that by feel, but if in doubt, use a torque wrench.

You must be the fourth person I've seen with this in the last year, along with the wheel nuts, the hub clamp bolts, the suspension mounting bolts and the worst offender of the lot, the crank bolt.

Cheers,
Robin

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:10 pm

I have asked that Phoenix check the torque of the pulley bolt, I'll also ask them to check them too. We did torque them up properly but while it's off the road...

cla5h · Post by **cla5h** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:35 pm

Did you spend much when Dan dropped you off for your shopping trip

Not too much John - a few CDs. How did your Walshy day go?

These bolts don't work loose. They are just not tightened properly in the first

Robin, the cambelt had been done 9k mls earlier, by Dan. I'm guessing he would have torqued them correctly if they had to be loosened for this. If it's happened a few times, perhaps the recommended torque isn't sufficient, or the bolts aren't up to being loosened and re-tightened.

robin · Post by **robin** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:56 pm

The torque (82Nm) is adequate (as witnessed by the fact that the bolts don't just fail on new cars).

I don't know whether the bolts ought to be replaced when removed - there is some chance that they should be, but the manual doesn't explicitly state that they are to be replaced.

Cheers,
Robin

Scottish Elises

Gear change Edited to Engine Mountings