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Engine mount idea

Andrew_99GTP

New member
I have been trying to think of a way to get rid of the stock dog bone setup because I get so much vibration through them with the polly's. I was thinking would it be possible to custom make a setup that would mount to the front head or the block somewhere and then mount to the cradle? I also don't like how when under load the bottom of the engine is pushed forward. Would a setup like this help with that? I have not even looked at the car or the engine to see if this would be possible yet so don't flame to bad if it isn't.
 


Not entirely sure if that would be a safe. The dogbone plays a 2 part role. We all know that its a motor mount of sorts. But it also acts as a fail safe if the engine cradle fails, that the mount will hold the engine/cradle up from hitting the ground, and posibly getting ripped under the body of the car, tearing electronics, wires, and other things, and crushing the underbody of the car posibly causing driver injury. Also, by removing the dog bone mount, and relocating that "stress" point to the engine cradle, you could actually make the damage to the engine cradle mounts happen quicker, if you follow what I am saying.
 
the early Bonnevilles had the mounts on the sides....it made changing the SC belt a pain in itself.....

I dont thik you can get away form it. it is a noble idea though! unless you have a way to give extra support to other areas of the underbody....I would stick with the stock dogbons...or switch over to a turnbuckle style mount....like what Cook has on the Intense drag car.

it goes from the head...to the front radiator support
 
I found a pic on intense's website.

Intake%20-%20John%20Costello.jpg
 
the early Bonnevilles had the mounts on the sides....it made changing the SC belt a pain in itself.....

I dont thik you can get away form it. it is a noble idea though! unless you have a way to give extra support to other areas of the underbody....I would stick with the stock dogbons...or switch over to a turnbuckle style mount....like what Cook has on the Intense drag car.

it goes from the head...to the front radiator support

Do you have pics? Nevermind Biggie posted some, thank Matt.


I am not worried about the cradle failing because you will have cv shafts and struts holding the cradle. As far as strength goes I could beef up the front of the cradle but other than that the only other thing I see if maybe more force downwards on the lower engine and tranny mounts which could be supported.

Does anyone see this style of mount helping, if all the problems were able to be worked out?
 


the CV shafts wouldnt hold the cradle...as they are attached to the tranny..which is still connected tot he cradle.

the only other thing that would hold it all to the vehicle would be the struts. they like to bend when in an accident or when hitting a curb. if you are able to weld a mount to the front of the cradle an use the turnbuckle to connect straight down from the head...it might work. you would have to avoid the ehxaust/starter/A/C.......

you might try a backet that goes over the cradle mounting points....JUST in case the cradle mounts go sour. But I do see what you are wanting to do, and I think its a geat idea.

ever look at the back of the cradle? where the rack bolts to the cradle, you could also make a few backets that mount from the back head to that mount...to alleviate some pressure on the fronts....
 
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I thought about the back too, but then when the engine is under load the engine would be pulling on the lower mounts where you were the put a turnbuckle on the front the engine would push down on the lower mounts. If this works I would like to do away with the upper mounts.
 
It would be a lot of work regardless, and probably give you more problems than it would be worth. But I like your train of thought. :th_lightbulb::D

Have to remember, this is a transverse set up, and those upper motor mounts, and dog bones are needed for sure.

If you cannot put up with the vibration that the POLY motor mount bushings give you, you could always go back to stock bushing, and "flip" them making the main thick part horizontal instead of vertical as it comes from the factory. It puts up better with the front to back movement these engines dish out under a load from the torque if they are horizontal.

JUST the two lower mounts, one on the front of the motor, and the one on the side of the transmission are not enough alone to handle the engines. They need some help from above.

~F~
 
It would be a lot of work regardless, and probably give you more problems than it would be worth. But I like your train of thought. :th_lightbulb::D

Have to remember, this is a transverse set up, and those upper motor mounts, and dog bones are needed for sure.

If you cannot put up with the vibration that the POLY motor mount bushings give you, you could always go back to stock bushing, and "flip" them making the main thick part horizontal instead of vertical as it comes from the factory. It puts up better with the front to back movement these engines dish out under a load from the torque if they are horizontal.

JUST the two lower mounts, one on the front of the motor, and the one on the side of the transmission are not enough alone to handle the engines. They need some help from above.

~F~
So the poly mounts give you vibration? How bad? I just bought a pair and plan on installing them.
 


I don't really notice any with mine...but also have to take into account my obnoxiously large cam I have. (IS3)

The GF's GTP has them as well, you can feel it at idle when in drive siting still at a red light for example. Putting it in neutral solves the problem. In park, letting it warm up in the morning, not so much. Driving, only thing you feel is some vibration in the gas pedal.

Worth it...to me, every penny, I love them. She could care less. LOL

~F~
 
im just curious as to how much vibration you'd be avoiding by nixing the dogbones for some sort of mount to the cradle. granted, the cradle mounts/bushings are rubber, but you're gonna be putting more vibration through them if it cant go elsewhere (dogbones) so you may not have as much reduction in vibration as you'd think. -- perhaps worse, if it ends up transfering more into the rack/steering.
 
I think most of my vibration comes through the aluminum dogbones that I have. They have pollys in them. I had my mounts flipped and that just wasn't enough.
 
I think most of my vibration comes through the aluminum dogbones that I have. They have pollys in them. I had my mounts flipped and that just wasn't enough.


so you're noticing the effect of the polly mounts vs the flipped oe mounts. even if you did manage to engineer something to connect to the cradle, im not sure that you would lessen the vibrations, assuming you use polly mounts in this new setup also. if you didnt use the polly mounts, you'd be back to square one with engine movement.
 


So the poly mounts give you vibration? How bad? I just bought a pair and plan on installing them.

I've ran the ZZP, MSP, and Intense polys. Unless ZZP has changed their compound over the past couple of years, theirs caused the most vibration transfer. I hated them. I asked Intense if they could make the same thing with a better compound for deading vibration but still not give under pressure. I didn't hear anything from them and bought the MSP ones form 3800performance. IMO they were perfect for dampening, however, I didn't like the 3 piece design and the fact that the metal sleeves are thin enough that a little over torqueing the bolts bent the sleeves and made it a little difficult to remove. Intense finally came out with theirs. One piece design very thick sleeves, and the compound was way less harsh than ZZP's and very close to MSP.

Some people don't mind extra vibration, but it annoys me.
 
The gen1's need a solid engine and trans mount if there's one out there and someone runs arcoss it let me know I really need one for when i yank the engine.
 
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