Annoying Rattle Tracked Down to Engine Mount

[old captain slow]

For some considerable time there has been an annoying rattle from the passenger side of the car. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I spotted last week on holiday that the exhaust lower primaries were making contact with the aluminium body skin to the extent they had worn a couple of rounded slots in the aluminium. It seems the engine mount on the exhaust side has dropped.

 

Is this a known problem? The car is 10 years old and has done about 40k miles.

 

Also it seems the engine mounting bracket is bearing directly on the supporting rubber. Surely there should be a load spreading washer on top of the rubber and under the engine mounting bracket.

 

Anyway had some really good blatting all week in Cornwall.

 

C7 CDW

[Myles]

I don't know when they changed the design - but the current one is an 'integral restraint' version.

 

I had to cut one apart (seized bolt) and there is actually a substantial metal 'bell' inside the rubber - no particular reason why a load-bearing washer would be needed or much use IMHO.

 

10-years is more than a respectable lifetime for a rubber-based component.

 

Project Scope-Creep is live...

 

Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

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[old captain slow]

Pretty much what I thought too. Kicking myself that I couldn't track it down earlier.

 

C7 CDW

[mic]

Have you checked the engine mounting bolts on the engine. These are known to become loose.

 

Mick

[old captain slow]

Hi Mic,

 

It's not that. You can see where the rubber mount has collapsed. I posted re the need or otherwise for a load spreading washer because my son's 7 (same age) has washers under the mount whereas mine doesn't. I'll ask CC I think when I order the new rubber.

 

C7 CDW

[TomB]

My original (1996) LH mount split at the engine side & the exhaust primaries were resting on the side skin. The new mount had additional bracing on it

[mic]

THe only time washers are put between the rubber and the mount is when the engine needs to be raised.

 

Mick

[Unclefester]

I put 4 large washers under my RH mountrecently, as the carbs needed raining by 1cm for clearance with K&N filters.

 

I damaged the LH mount accidentally while raisingtyhe engine with a hoist and have now replaced it. There were no load spreading washers...this was on a 25 year old LotusTC engined car.

[old captain slow]

Just ordered 2 new mounts from CC. They say they changed the design since the 1996 version so I'll compare the two and report back. Seemed to be a not unknown phenomenon as the CC chap mentioned the exhaust hitting the skin.

 

Also bought a VVC mount at the same time having fitted a VVC plenum. £59.57 + Vat (ouch) I had just cut down the rh mount but I'm not happy with it as it seems like a botched job to me.

 

C7 CDW

[elie boone]

It's most likely that the engine support failed due to the sump hitting the road. It's always wise to check the engine mounts after the sump has hit the road.

[old captain slow]

Hi Elie, I think it more just old age as it's the rubber part that's given up the ghost. Although I have had the occassional coming together of sump and speed hump .

 

C7 CDW