$6 Crap motor mounts so I built a torque limiter

[ShelbyDogg]

While I was at the Mopar Nationals 2013, I noticed that the top of my fan shroud was feeling a little rough, like my fan was hitting it. I thought that my driver's side motor mount was starting to come apart. When I left the grounds, I jumped on it "a little" to show off, but heard a loud noise so I let off and drove to the hotel. When I popped the hood, I noticed my fan shroud busted into 4 pieces with the top gone. the pieces were laying scattered in the engine compartment.

I changed the motor mount, which came apart at the metal to rubber glue point. After pricing Schumacher's fail safe motor mount and found out their torque strap was $75, I bought one from my local auto parts for $5.78 then decided to make a torque strap like I made for my big block car. I used scrap metal, a sway bar bushings and washers from my garage and a spare big-block distributor hold down plate.

I cut a piece of strap steel to fit my k-frame's front sway bar mount. I then cut a piece of steel to fit against my block and motor mount bolts. Drilled holes for the top plates to bolt together then welded some more metal on the bottom plate to make a mount.


I used all-thread 3/8 rod, some nuts, lock washers, and nylon locknuts to hold the sway bar bushings. I double nutted the middle and used lock washers in between them to adjust how tight I want the bushings.

Funny how much damage these <$6 motor mounts can cause if they come apart. So far it cost me $40 for another used fan shroud but could have killed my radiator too.  This engine isn't going anywhere!

[Katfish]

Great job, so you added the bottom box mount?  Looks factory.
Would it be possible to mount directly through sway bar tab so no welding required?

[Super Blue 72]

Nice job, Rob!  You da man!   

Wish my engine made enough torque to have your problem! 

Funny, sort of on this topic, on my 2000 Honda Odyssey my front engine mount was going bad.  I used 2 large radiator clamps and they last for about 6 months then I have to replace one.  Might have to reinforce with duct tape.    You set up is a bit nicer! 

[ShelbyDogg]

Great job, so you added the bottom box mount?  Looks factory.
Would it be possible to mount directly through sway bar tab so no welding required?

You could make it attach to the sway bar attachment plate but I didn't want to drill a big hole in it to pass the bolt through it.
With my plate, I can just unbolt it to go back to the stock look.

Schumacher sells theirs here:
http://www.engine-swaps.com/Pages/ProductsType/TorqueStraps.html
They also sell a motor mount that doesn't pull apart.

[ShelbyDogg]

Wish my engine made enough torque to have your problem! 

The engine is only a 318 right now. You don't have to have lots of torque to pull one apart. The problem is the design of our motor mounts. They are made up of 2 plates rubber glued to the rubber center.

[ShelbyDogg]

Here is a pic of the motor mount that holds our expensive engines down.  Metal glued to rubber, glued to metal.



Putting a brand new one in for $5.78 isn't going to help when the new one pulls apart too.  This one was new and on the car less than 2 years behind a small block and 4-speed.

[wiging19]

I like your solution.  I do believe that at one point they made mounts that had metal in the rubber to combat the separation issue.  The problem became pretty apparent on most the cars, expecially those with some horse power.  Even the metal clamps didn't work very well because I remember a friends 440 tearing the mount apart.  I think the issue was the rubber cement issue even with those.  Although I know on one occasion my friend showed me an incredibly twisted motor mount where the mount metal in the rubber was twisted way out of shape. 

I'm waiting to hear how long yours works.   I know my friend even chained his engine down and that didn't work.  I do enjoy your puzzle solving skills when it comes to your car though.  Very creative and functional too.  Great job.

[ShelbyDogg]

I made one similar to this 10 years ago on my Hardtop-440 car after I saw that my air cleaner was hitting my hood. I put in a solid mount but didn't like the vibes that it transmitted to the car, so I put in a rubber mount and made one of these limiters.

I'll get some pics but it is similar to the one I have pictured. I've done quite a few burnouts at the Mopar Nationals and like to let others hear my sure-grip, grip.  It has held up very well.