Offset engine mounts to lower the engine

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:08 pm

If you could get side engine mounts made up with the bolt hole say 10mm lower than standard (which i'm sure you could) and fitted these to your car, what would the effects be?

Would it actually lower the engine or is there something else holding it?
If it did lower the engine would it give 10mm more clearance between the engine and bonnet?
Would anything foul? (driveshafts etc - or anything pretty important)
Would this actually lower the cars centre of gravity and what impact good/bad would this have?
Would this put a lot of strain on the front and rear engine mounts and would you also have to get those made up with a different bolt offset?
Anything else?

bass_twitch · Post by **bass_twitch** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:28 pm

I'm worried about the electrics? Some of those leads and hoses are pretty tight...

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:36 pm

I lowered my engine by 5mm using washers where the cross member mounts & grinding down the base of both side mounts. No ill effect so far.

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:02 pm

Bennoz wrote:I lowered my engine by 5mm using washers where the cross member mounts & grinding down the base of both side mounts. No ill effect so far.

Cheaper than new mounts, I like it.

Do you think 10mm would be too much?

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:30 pm

Rob Furniss wrote:
Bennoz wrote:I lowered my engine by 5mm using washers where the cross member mounts & grinding down the base of both side mounts. No ill effect so far.
Cheaper than new mounts, I like it.

Do you think 10mm would be too much?

Should be fine. Just check there is play left in the driveshafts that's all. Dont want them hard up in the diff.

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:56 pm

In terms of the driveshafts and stuff is this the same effect as lowering the whole car by 10mm with lowering springs?

Post by **Bennoz** » Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:02 am

Correct.

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:57 pm

Hey Bennoz, what did you use to grind 5mm off the bottom of the mount and end up with a flat bottom still?

payaya · Post by **payaya** » Thu Jan 05, 2012 12:15 am

Your side mount centre tube hole should be like the below picture. Roughly 1cm off centre. Your stock mounts should be like this too, if not they have sagged like all mounts do. So what you are saying the mounts you are getting have the tube hole 10mm lower could be in actual fact how a good FTO mount should look like.

But if the mount hole is 10mm lower than in the below picture your engine will actually be 10mm higher not lower. Your mount hole needs to be 10mm higher up for your engine to be lower in your bay.

Mount is wrong way up.
http://www.eziautoparts.com.au/images/d ... /A5520.jpg

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:18 am

Good point, I originally wanted to grind before realising it would take it the wrong way. Ended up putting washers between the 2 parts of the drivers side mount & washers under the gearbox mount.

payaya · Post by **payaya** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:26 pm

Yep got me stumped the when I realised as well. All side mounts on the FTO I've seen have sagged and it just ruins the front and rear mounts. Do why doing what you did with the washes is actual fact eliminated the sag issue! Good way of doing it though!

I just shoved a bit of old mount into the top hole of the isolator to stop it from sagging!

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 1:39 pm

Do you think putting some 5-10mm ally plate cut to match the triangular shape in between the two faces of the drivers side mount with 3 holes drilled for the bolts would be a good option instead of washers or do you see any issues with doing this? (I'm not sure what the gearbox side looks like)

payaya · Post by **payaya** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:35 pm

Won't make much of a difference because the engine forces the v shape upwards anyway. The insulator is hard as a rock.

You could make custom mounts with a 2 part poly, but then you will need to to do the same for your transmission mount, and set your centre member lower so your don't squash your centre mounts.

Easiest way will be spacers on your side mounts and find a larger bush for your centre member so that sits lower.

Rob Furniss · Post by **Rob Furniss** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:28 am

payaya wrote:Won't make much of a difference because the engine forces the v shape upwards anyway. The insulator is hard as a rock.

You could make custom mounts with a 2 part poly, but then you will need to to do the same for your transmission mount, and set your centre member lower so your don't squash your centre mounts.

Easiest way will be spacers on your side mounts and find a larger bush for your centre member so that sits lower.

FTO AUSTRALIA