Re: 1980's 258 six in 1970 Hornet...

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 29 May 2005, Jim Blair wrote:

> A: Silly thought, but what about lowering the trans crossbar to get the
> cover out?

aargh, that silly idea might have saved me a lot of swearing.
I'll have to check what the next interference is -- sway bar, etc.

It would bug me if I couldn't pull the valve cover off 'on the
side of the road'. It would make a repairable problem into a tow
job. This sort of thing is what makes non-standard car projects
contain so much hidden work! (I seem to selectively forget this
little detail by the time I start a new project...)

> but the car motor mount pads are same style as the AMC
> Eagle, right? If so, then those are also the same for CJ and Full Size
> Jeeps, so you can get Energy Suspension CJ poly mounts (they vibrate a bit
> at first, but this is a strength thing) and use the universal trans mount
> with a bit of work. The alignment pin holes may need redrilling, but I just
> cheated and tightened mine down because it's a truck and I was in a hurry.

It's a really simple three-point mount. On the front X-member are
two angled pads, one per side, about 4" x 4", with a single hole
in the middle.  Lots of room to shift forward here.

THe rear x-member is a saddle; the mount bolts to the horizontal
saddle and has a vertical (manual) pair of ears or a horizontal
(auto) pair of ears with holes. You could add simple flat metal to
extend/shorten or redrill. An easy inch here.

The Hornet's have relatively long engine compartments, I think 73+
even longer (that damned wiper motor housing).  My fan is on a 1"
extention to put it a decent inch from the tubes. If I needed to
(I don't) I could space the radiator forward two inches if
necessary.

I'd hate to shift weight forward even just for a street car.  A 1"
vertical slice of the engine probably weighgs 20 - 40 lbs; + that
on the front and - that behind the from x-member.

> ate stock motor mounts and destroyed 2
> hard to find FSJ fan shrouds before I found these ES poly mounts.

I'll watch for this! I stayed with rubber insulators on purpose
for noise and vibration (AMCs are noisy enough) but poly beats

broken!