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MG MGB Technical - Replacing Engine Mounts

Due to oil leaks (I know I'm unusual having these!) my engine mounts have softened up and need to be replaced. My MG is a 74 1/2.

Does anyone know how to do this repair?

Thank you for your assistance.

Cheers,

Tim
Tim

Put a piece of wood or plywood as large as the oil pan under the oil pan and jack up the engine to take the weight off the engine mounts plus a little more. Replace the engine mounts. The driver side is the most difficult to relocate the bolt. It can be done without removing the steering wheel shaft. Takes small fingers, patience and a bit of luck.
werner haussmann

Werner,

Thanks for the help. Hopefully it will go as easily as you say!

Tim
Tim Henderson

Hope the nut's aren't siezed! It took us a couple of hours to remove just those two nuts, with me moving the 16-point ring spanner round half a flat at a time and a friend hauling on a rope running to behind/in front of the car, even though I was working the nut back and fore each half flat with WD40. The second side was even worse, it was so stiff that the rubber was twisting on the pull instead of the nut moving on the stud, so I couldn't get the spanner on the next half-flat. In the end I drilled (from above) a 1/8" hole through the edge of the base-plate on the rubber mount and the chassis mount with a view to putting a pin through to lock the two together. In the event the drill broke off in the hole, which did the job anyway.

I'd never bother again, just hack or chisel the rubber off the plate on the chassis side, and replace the mounts - which I see you are doing anyway. Ours was a clutch change and looking for minimum collateral damage.

Only a slim open-ended spanner will fit the nut if you leave the rack in-situ, and you can only get the washers and nut back on by wedging/sticking them to the spanner. I'm not fat-fingered but no-way could I get my fingers in there.
Paul Hunt

If you have heavily corroded bolts, WD-40 will help very little. You'll need a strong penetrating oil such as Liquid Wrench or Kroil, which is my personal favorite. It smells foul, but will cut through anything. RAY
RAY

I replaced the mounts on a 75 a few years ago and it was a bear. This time on my 80 I cut the rubber off close to the plate and then used a chisel to bend the plate out until I could get a hackwaw on the bolt. It took me about 1/2 hr to do both sides.
As was noted above the way to reinstall them is with a thin spanner and rubber cement the nut to it. Then spin the mount into the nut until tight.
Good Luck
Ed Emery

I had to remove the steering rack to change the driver's side bolt. But that was pretty easy. If you end up doing that, just mark on the steering shaft the orientation as to where it enters the u-joint by the firewall.

Dan D
Dan DiBiase

The ones I have worked on only have a notch on the end of the rack shaft for the UJ clamp bolt, so that half of the joint can only go back together one way. It's the column shaft that has a groove all the way round to get the correct alignment, but you wouldn't remove the rack with the UJ attached, especially on one of these!
Paul Hunt

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) - hydrochloric swimming pool acid is the best chemical for etching and removing heavy iron oxide (rust). Keep a small bottle of it and apply it using a paint brush. Keep a caustic solution to neutralise the acid. HCl + caustic = salt. Flush the salt apply fresh caustic and lubricate.
I have used this system in a dipping method to de-rust the chain blocks and chain we repair from acidic mines and coal mines in our area.
Once where WD40 and other "good penetrating oils" failed, I de-rusted a vintage motorcycle roller chain that was seized solid. Any movement normally cracks the riveted side plates. I immersed it in the acid and it took about 15 minutes to remove all the rust, return the metal to its normal grey colour and become flexible "like a new" once again. It actually removed the rust inside where the pin passes through the roller.
I have also used HCl to de-rust the inside of my 1970 motorcycle petrol tank. Now, 10 years later, it is still a light grey colour.
HCl works better and faster if a solvent is used to clean a lubricated area before it is applied.

Richard.

RH Davidson

Seems we have gone from replacing gearbox mounts to steering rack removal.
Gearbox mounts - Put the jack under the rear engine plate or geabox drain plug if you don't have a piece of wood or ply. Undo the speedo cable, undo the bolts holding the cross member to the chassis, If you have a flexi socket & extension undo the nuts holding the mounts to the cross memeber & the 2 bolts at the bottom. Alternatively ou could undo the bolts holding the mounts to the gearbox & remove the whole assy. Now elongate the righthand mount hole upwards on the X member - 5/16". Also slot the RH hole at the bottom that holds tyhe stabiliser about 3/16'. This makes it much easier to reassemble. The stabiliser rubberS are hard to get through the holes & you will need a vice to hold the brackets pushing through the small end - use a large screw driver a pair of pliers helps to squeeze them. Bolt the mounts & stabiliser to the gearbox first but leave them a little loose to assist refitting the X member & tighten after after fitting the X member.
Garth.
Garth Bagnall

Gearbox mounts?
Paul Hunt

Yea I removed the steering rack, it was much easier. Then heated the bolt up till its red hot with some gas and that did the trick. I was trying it the other way then had a friend give a hand and he suggested we heat that sucker up. Worked like a charm and was suprisingly easy... Its not the quickest job in the world as if I remember you need to remove the radiator as well. Its a lot less stressful though and I highly recommend it.

-James
James

This thread was discussed between 02/05/2009 and 11/05/2009

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