Solid/Polyurethane Engine Mounts

[duste]

Okay, so after having to take out the new engine mounts that were in my Turbo TX3 to replace the rooted ones in my N/A TX3, I'm left with needing to find new ones, and I'm thinking of solid or at least reasonably hard polyurethane mounts.

I honestly couldn't give two shits about rattles going throughout the car, I'll dampen what I need to dampen but essentially most of the interior will be stripped anyway. It's in no way a comfort car (head unit, speakers, etc all gone, sound deadening and most of the interior will follow) and is primarily a project car to take my mind off Uni which will probably eventually become a track car once I graduate and get another car.

Now, I've heard of people simply using Sikaflex but then I can't seem to find one of their products with an appropriate Shore A hardness value? I'm thinking something about 80-to-90-ish (as I said, I couldn't give two shits about vibrations throughout the car). I've also seen a product called Flexane that has a Shore A hardness value of about 87

It's either doing them myself or spending $400 + $250 USD shipping to get them from the US, but I'm no baller with concave TE-37s so doing them myself is very preferable for me.

So now I ask:

- Has anyone ever poured their own polyurethane engine mounts?
- Did you cut away all the existing rubber or did you simply pour over it? If you did cut it away, how did you position the metal insert correctly
- What product/s did you use and where did you get them from?
- Were/Are you able to pigment it? (Red would be ideal to match the Nolathane bushes that will be going through-out the car, but I guess black would be fine)

Any other suggestions/hints/tips/advice?

Thanks guys.

[alexinperth]

Yeah, I've done this. It didn't work out very well, because I didn't follow the instructions.

I used Devcon flexane, it's available in a variety of shore hardnesses. I think it comes in a variety of colours to impress your lovers.

I made a mould for one mount.

For the other, I cut heaps of the old rubber out, but left just enough to hold the centre tube in place. then I taped over the bottom, and poured the devils blood in from the top.

The crucial part is baking it in the oven, and I didn't do that because I didn't want my lamb roasts smelling like rubber for the next 15 years. I may have been excessively paranoid.

If you're not prepared to do all this, then drop in on these guys with your shagged mount, and they will do it all for you.

Polyrubber
U5/ 101 President St (Off Harris St)
9470 3559

Alex.

[duste]

Thanks for your reply, just a few more questions:

Where did you get Flexane from? This was another one of the products I found in my brief research but Devcon didn't list any distributors on their website and I cbf'd ringing their phone line just yet.

Also, which method worked out better, using the mould or using the gutted mount? If it was the mould, how did you go about making it?

Oven-baking is fine, I've got 3 industrial-sized ovens at work I can use at any time.

[AGIT8D]

I got drop in replacements for mine. Can't remember who from, but they are good. Everyone else hates them, car shakes and rattles like a bunky should :D

[mc68]

Take your old mounts to a place called polyrubber in Carlisle. They will make new ones to in solid urethane by a couple of weeks...usually about $100 a pop...

They do not break, and do not move (much)

[alexinperth]

I got my flexane from Coventrys.

The mould works better, because the result is a uniform block of consistent hardness rubber.

If your mount isn't enclosed (ie, it's a slide-in rubber block, not a one-piece circular mount), then make it a bit too large, and cut the excess off to fit.

[joshg123]

I just cut my old mounts out of their shells, got some nolathane in the same diameter as the factory mount housings and press fitted them in, drilled a hole in the centre, refitted the factory crush tube to the centre and refitted. Was fairly easy if youve got a oxy

[duste]

Just waiting on a call back from Ian at Polyrubber now. Pending the quote I may get them done professionally just to be on the safe side, especially if there's the risk of the mounts not being homogeneous when I pour them.

[duste]

Well called Polyrubber again as they never called back - $110/ea for the engine mounts.

I then read a DIY on the intarwebs regarding a guy in Perth who had a similar thing done for both his U12 Pintara and TJ Magna. He mentioned a company in Armadale called Advanced Polymer Technology. I just got off the phone with them and they quoted me $80-100 - closer and cheaper.

Also did a bit of calling around for Devcon Flexane 80L 450/500g:
$95 + GST from Coventrys, but they do not stock it so they'd have to order it in for me.
$89 from RS Australia

I'd estimate I'd need about 2 of these to do all four engine mounts, so double those prices.

Might read up on the DIY methods a bit more before I decide, but I hope these prices help anyone else out that is thinking of doing the same.