Making Motor Mounts

[Zippi]

Looking for idea's on how you guys go about making new motor mounts to fit a different engine in a car or truck.  How would you go about holding the engine in place while fabing up some new mounts, what to use for new motor mounts, etc.  Pics would be nice.  Thank's fellows.  

[LL3 Model Worx]

I doubt this will help.

I set the engine in its intended location and use silly putty to hold it up and in place while I measure.

Then I will turn to the Evergreen bags and find either some square or round tubing... or even some flat stock depending on the type of vehicle.

Then basically measure, cut, file and fit.

Sorry I'm at work, so no pics...

[LL3 Model Worx]

Also, don't make the mistake I did once and make your engine too high where the hood won't fit...?

 

[NOBLNG]

This is what I did on my Willys. I made an entire crossmember from cardboard to fit under the motor and up against the motor mount locations. Then I trimmed the width to fit between the frame rails and then transferred it to styrene.

On my Jeepster, I was able to attach a strip of heavy styrene to the top of the intake manifold and lay it across the top of the fenders. I managed to cobble together some mounts but it was tough since the mounting tabs were at different locations and heights  on each side of the motor. I would file them off and start fresh next time.

 

Every one will be different, and these two both challenged me. I hope to see some other ideas.

Edited November 13, 2022 by NOBLNG

[Zippi]

38 minutes ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

I doubt this will help.

I set the engine in its intended location and use silly putty to hold it up and in place while I measure.

Then I will turn to the Evergreen bags and find either some square or round tubing... or even some flat stock depending on the type of vehicle.

Then basically measure, cut, file and fit.

Sorry I'm at work, so no pics...

 

37 minutes ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

Also, don't make the mistake I did once and make your engine too high where the hood won't fit...?

 

Thank's for the info Leroy.

[Zippi]

16 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

This is what I did on my Willys. I made an entire crossmember from cardboard to fit under the motor and up against the motor mount locations. Then I trimmed the width to fit between the frame rails and then transferred it to styrene.

On my Jeepster, I was able to attach a strip of heavy styrene to the top of the intake manifold and lay it across the top of the fenders.

 

Every one will be different, and these two both challenged me. I hope to see some other ideas.

That's a nice way of doinig it Greg.

[NOBLNG]

3 minutes ago, Zippi said:

That's a nice way of doinig it Greg.

Thanks Bob. It worked great here because I had no factory crossmember or suspension to work around.

Edited November 13, 2022 by NOBLNG

[Ace-Garageguy]

I made this mount from sheet styrene to pick up where this early Olds OHV V8 engine's mount is in reality. Notice how it clears the fuel pump...

[Zippi]

5 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I made this mount from sheet styrene to pick up where this early Olds OHV V8 engine's mount is in reality. Notice how it clears the fuel pump...

That looks pretty sharp.

[Ace-Garageguy]

9 hours ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

...I set the engine in its intended location and use silly putty to hold it up and in place while I measure.

Then I will turn to the Evergreen bags and find either some square or round tubing... or even some flat stock depending on the type of vehicle.

Then basically measure, cut, file and fit.

This is the hot setup, and pretty much exactly how you do it in a real car...except for the Silly Putty.  

Mocking up the engine exactly where you want it to go is critical, taking into consideration things like overall height, hood and firewall clearance, the eventual angle the trans tailshaft will make so you can hit the diff with the driveshaft (and a reasonable pinion angle), etc.

On cars with open hood sides, I'll usually try to get the bottoms of the heads parallel with the tops of the frame rails too, for aesthetic reasons.

I also find it's helpful, on real cars as well as models, to mock up the mounts in cardboard first, get them to fit dead-on, then just copy the mockups in styrene or steel. Saves time and material.

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[R. Thorne]

The original mounting for the early Oldsmobile and perhaps some other engines used this  bracket that was mounted to the front of the engine and a rubber biscuit that was attached to the oem crossmember with 2 studs.  Just another mounting possibility.

[LL3 Model Worx]

1 minute ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

This is the hot setup, and pretty much exactly how you do it in a real car...except for the Silly Putty.

Mocking up the engine exactly where you want it to go is critical, taking into consideration things like overall height, hood and firewall clearance, the eventual angle the trans tailshaft will make so you can hit the diff with the driveshaft (and a reasonable pinion angle), etc.

On cars with open hood sides, I'll usually try to get the bottoms of the heads parallel with the tops of the frame rails too, for aesthetic reasons.

I also find it's helpful, on real cars as well as models, to mock up the mounts in cardboard first, get them to fit dead-on, then just copy the mockups in styrene or steel.

 

Yup, and that is exactly how I've done it 1:1.

The silly putty is cheap and effective at taking a shape around an oil pan and holding it in position and leaves no residue. Admittedly there's other options, but it just works.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Smallblock Chebbys can use a variety of mounts too, like this example...

...or this fabbed crossmember that picks up the block-side style mounts...

...or another option for mounting to the front face of the block...

...or the SBC mount that goes under the water pump on some early Corvettes...

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Ace-Garageguy

[LL3 Model Worx]

8 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Smallblock Chebbys can use a variety of mounts too, like this example...

...or this fabbed crossmember that picks up the block-side style mounts.

I used a very similar bracket to put a 283 in place of this seized (to hell and back) 235

[R. Thorne]

Another simple, but effective, method on this model T frame with a “homemade” roadster 1931 Ford A/SR that I am building a replica of.

[Zippi]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

This is the hot setup, and pretty much exactly how you do it in a real car...except for the Silly Putty.  

Mocking up the engine exactly where you want it to go is critical, taking into consideration things like overall height, hood and firewall clearance, the eventual angle the trans tailshaft will make so you can hit the diff with the driveshaft (and a reasonable pinion angle), etc.

On cars with open hood sides, I'll usually try to get the bottoms of the heads parallel with the tops of the frame rails too, for aesthetic reasons.

I also find it's helpful, on real cars as well as models, to mock up the mounts in cardboard first, get them to fit dead-on, then just copy the mockups in styrene or steel. Saves time and material.

 

Thanks for the info.  Much appreciated.

[Zippi]

2 hours ago, LL3 Model Worx said:

Yup, and that is exactly how I've done it 1:1.

The silly putty is cheap and effective at taking a shape around an oil pan and holding it in position and leaves no residue. Admittedly there's other options, but it just works.

Gotcha.  Thanks man.

[Zippi]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Smallblock Chebbys can use a variety of mounts too, like this example...

...or this fabbed crossmember that picks up the block-side style mounts...

...or another option for mounting to the front face of the block...

...or the SBC mount that goes under the water pump on some early Corvettes...

 

I appreciate all the help.

[Zippi]

1 hour ago, R. Thorne said:

Another simple, but effective, method on this model T frame with a “homemade” roadster 1931 Ford A/SR that I am building a replica of.

Thanks.

[NOBLNG]

I just made these ones. First I drilled a 1/16 hole clear through the block and added a steel rod that I will later replace with styrene. Then I drilled a hole in the end of some .100”x.156” evergreen and trimmed it to fit each side. A touch of glue and it’s mounted. I plan to drill and pin them through the side of the frame yet and file them to shape a bit.

Edited November 29, 2022 by NOBLNG

[Zippi]

Thanks for the info and pics Greg.