Do motor mounts usually require shimming?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Do motor mounts usually require shimming?
I removed the motor from my 82 vette and noticed one of the mounts were broken. I also noticed that each one had a washers welded to them to shim them out.
When I was ready to reinstall my engine I bought new mounts from ecklers. They looked identical to my old mounts less the washers that were on the old ones.
I didn't use washers on my engine this go around. After getting the engine in place I noticed that I was no where I needed to be to line up with the frame....about 1" from lining up with the frame holes on either side if the engine was centered..so I put the washers back in place. Now I'm still way off and it looks like I will need to shim the mounts some more.
Is this a common thing to do or is something out of wack in my engine compartment? Any tips or ideas?
Thanks everyone.
When I was ready to reinstall my engine I bought new mounts from ecklers. They looked identical to my old mounts less the washers that were on the old ones.
I didn't use washers on my engine this go around. After getting the engine in place I noticed that I was no where I needed to be to line up with the frame....about 1" from lining up with the frame holes on either side if the engine was centered..so I put the washers back in place. Now I'm still way off and it looks like I will need to shim the mounts some more.
Is this a common thing to do or is something out of wack in my engine compartment? Any tips or ideas?
Thanks everyone.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
It's common that the engine mounts don't line up perfectly, especially in cases where the engine is out for a while.. What I did was to loosen the bolts that bolt the engine mounts to the engine block, so that they come out far enough to mate with the mount on the frame.. Then I'd install the bolts that connect the frame to the engine mount and then tighten the bolts that attach the motor mounts to the engine block.. Worked fine for me that way... There was a thread about hat a few months ago...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Originally Posted by GrandSportC3
It's common that the engine mounts don't line up perfectly, especially in cases where the engine is out for a while.. What I did was to loosen the bolts that bolt the engine mounts to the engine block, so that they come out far enough to mate with the mount on the frame.. Then I'd install the bolts that connect the frame to the engine mount and then tighten the bolts that attach the motor mounts to the engine block.. Worked fine for me that way... There was a thread about hat a few months ago...
Thanks everyone for the input
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 20
From: The only Corvettes in Highett Victoria
Washers????????????
'82 Dude,
If you have a think about the guys who designed the car, would they really have built a chassis that was so inaccurate that washers were needed to "align" the engine? All those extra parts? What wouold the beancounters say? I've worked on a lot of cars, mainly (GM) Holdens, and have NEVER seen washers there. What has more than likely happened is that when a previous owner found that the engine had sagged because the mounts had collapsed, rather than buying new ones, he just "padded" the old ones up with washers and welded them in for ease of fitment. Of course your frame COULD be twisted, but a visit to a chassis aligning shop and new "washerless" engine mounts is the only way to go.
Good luck.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
If you have a think about the guys who designed the car, would they really have built a chassis that was so inaccurate that washers were needed to "align" the engine? All those extra parts? What wouold the beancounters say? I've worked on a lot of cars, mainly (GM) Holdens, and have NEVER seen washers there. What has more than likely happened is that when a previous owner found that the engine had sagged because the mounts had collapsed, rather than buying new ones, he just "padded" the old ones up with washers and welded them in for ease of fitment. Of course your frame COULD be twisted, but a visit to a chassis aligning shop and new "washerless" engine mounts is the only way to go.
Good luck.
Regards from Down Under
aussiejohn
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Well,
I played around with trying to make this fit like it's supposed to. I did what you guys suggested by backing off the six bolts that attach the mounts to the block and let them hang loosely. After lowering the engine down a bit, I was able to slide in the two long bolts that attach the mounts to the frame.After that I started tighting each of the six bolts slowly a little at a time until it "pulled" everything in place. It was a big pain in the **** but now my engine is finally bolted in with NO washers this time.
Thanks everyone.
I played around with trying to make this fit like it's supposed to. I did what you guys suggested by backing off the six bolts that attach the mounts to the block and let them hang loosely. After lowering the engine down a bit, I was able to slide in the two long bolts that attach the mounts to the frame.After that I started tighting each of the six bolts slowly a little at a time until it "pulled" everything in place. It was a big pain in the **** but now my engine is finally bolted in with NO washers this time.
Thanks everyone.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 182,997
Likes: 88
From: Lakeland, FL
Cruise-In IV-V-VI-VII-VIII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03, '06, '17
Originally Posted by 1982CorvetteDude
Well,
I played around with trying to make this fit like it's supposed to. I did what you guys suggested by backing off the six bolts that attach the mounts to the block and let them hang loosely. After lowering the engine down a bit, I was able to slide in the two long bolts that attach the mounts to the frame.After that I started tighting each of the six bolts slowly a little at a time until it "pulled" everything in place. It was a big pain in the **** but now my engine is finally bolted in with NO washers this time.
Thanks everyone.
I played around with trying to make this fit like it's supposed to. I did what you guys suggested by backing off the six bolts that attach the mounts to the block and let them hang loosely. After lowering the engine down a bit, I was able to slide in the two long bolts that attach the mounts to the frame.After that I started tighting each of the six bolts slowly a little at a time until it "pulled" everything in place. It was a big pain in the **** but now my engine is finally bolted in with NO washers this time.
Thanks everyone.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
OK...this thread is scaring me. If your motor mounts were 1" off on each side and you tightened them together, then you have caused some plastic deformation on the frame...think of taking a wire and bending it back and forth several times to break it off.
After all of your work you have done I would think that a cheap thing like having another couple of mounting brakets welded to your frame would be your choice. It's not a guarantee that your brackets will fail, but it is a sure thing that they are damaged. Some tolerance can be expected, but nothing in the order of 1". I wish you could have given us some images of the brackets...my brackets are made into a box such that there is no way for the bracket ends to "separate" by 1" on each side...it sounds like there's been some heavy mod done or something.
Here's what mine look like:
After all of your work you have done I would think that a cheap thing like having another couple of mounting brakets welded to your frame would be your choice. It's not a guarantee that your brackets will fail, but it is a sure thing that they are damaged. Some tolerance can be expected, but nothing in the order of 1". I wish you could have given us some images of the brackets...my brackets are made into a box such that there is no way for the bracket ends to "separate" by 1" on each side...it sounds like there's been some heavy mod done or something.
Here's what mine look like:
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Originally Posted by Rockn-Roll
OK...this thread is scaring me. If your motor mounts were 1" off on each side and you tightened them together, then you have caused some plastic deformation on the frame...think of taking a wire and bending it back and forth several times to break it off.
After all of your work you have done I would think that a cheap thing like having another couple of mounting brakets welded to your frame would be your choice. It's not a guarantee that your brackets will fail, but it is a sure thing that they are damaged. Some tolerance can be expected, but nothing in the order of 1". I wish you could have given us some images of the brackets...my brackets are made into a box such that there is no way for the bracket ends to "separate" by 1" on each side...it sounds like there's been some heavy mod done or something.
Here's what mine look like:
After all of your work you have done I would think that a cheap thing like having another couple of mounting brakets welded to your frame would be your choice. It's not a guarantee that your brackets will fail, but it is a sure thing that they are damaged. Some tolerance can be expected, but nothing in the order of 1". I wish you could have given us some images of the brackets...my brackets are made into a box such that there is no way for the bracket ends to "separate" by 1" on each side...it sounds like there's been some heavy mod done or something.
Here's what mine look like:
I bought brand new corvette mounts just like the ones I removed. Only this time I bolted them directly to the block with no washers shimming it. If you tighten the mounts completley to the block your missing the frame bolt holes by 1" on either side. I had to back the three bolts in each mount almost all the way out to let the mount come down and allow me to shift it back and forth to fit the frame mount.
Once I let the engine down I was able to slide the two long bolts in on the frame. Then I started tightening each of the six bolts on the engine side of the mounts a little at a time until they started to pull everything in place. I didn't have to fight tightening the bolts down ( like it was in a bind or warped) during this process...everything closed up very easily and smoothly. I'm pretty confident that nothings messed up and it's ok. Still not bad for a $2200 car
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
Ah...OK, I see where you put the washers now. I was thinking you put the washers in between the mount and the bracket as if the bracket was not large enough...my bad.
Yeah, it looks like you had some frame tweak then. Sounds like the previous owner did some damage. But, I suppose if the deflection in the frame is evenly distributed along it's length, then there may be nothing to worry about. I'm still scared...But, I'm hoping it turns out great.
Yeah, it looks like you had some frame tweak then. Sounds like the previous owner did some damage. But, I suppose if the deflection in the frame is evenly distributed along it's length, then there may be nothing to worry about. I'm still scared...But, I'm hoping it turns out great.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,483
Likes: 1
From: The Only Corvette in Gila Bend, Az.
St. Jude Donor '09
If you didn't have to force the bolts and it didn't stretch the mounts when you tightened them, then you should be fine...
Great buy at $2200.00
Did you get any of the crossfire stuff with it???
Great buy at $2200.00
Did you get any of the crossfire stuff with it???
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,938
Likes: 2
From: Arkansas
Originally Posted by Desertdawg
If you didn't have to force the bolts and it didn't stretch the mounts when you tightened them, then you should be fine...
Great buy at $2200.00
Did you get any of the crossfire stuff with it???
Great buy at $2200.00
Did you get any of the crossfire stuff with it???
No I didn't get any of the crossfire parts with it. The previous owner removed it and put a holley carb on it. I do have some TPI parts though. Complete intake, harness and computer, I bought that after I got the car. I ended up putting a old school carb set-up back on it instead. Much easier and quicker to install.
Here's the car the night I brought it home. Since then I did the engine work, put in a new dash pad assembly and steering wheel. I have a complete carpet set, door panels, seatbelts, and seat covers to go in it. I figure I'll have the interior completly done and ready to paint by spring.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,483
Likes: 1
From: The Only Corvette in Gila Bend, Az.
St. Jude Donor '09
Nice!!! I wish I could find a steal like that.
If you ever get the chance to see the previous owner, ask him about the crossfire parts. They can be used to keep our original ones running...
If you ever get the chance to see the previous owner, ask him about the crossfire parts. They can be used to keep our original ones running...
