Front float-a-motor instructions
 

I'm getting ready to install my newly overhauled engine (Thanks James!) in my '30 tudor. Since I've had the car, it has had rear float-a-motor mounts and a stock front mount. After much thought and reading the threads on the subject ... and being that I can't seem to leave well enough alone ... I'm going to install a front float-a-motor mount.

The kit I got did not come with instructions for whatever reason. After reading here, maybe that's not a bad thing. I assume that the parts go together as I have them laid out in the attached picture, with the crossmember going in the space between the rubber bushings. Correct?

Read here that many suggest using a 1" hole in the crossmember and squeezing the smaller bushing in the hole. If you do that, then do you just let gravity hold the engine down? In other words, what would keep the engine from being pulled up?

Thanks very much for your thoughts.

-Dan, Westminster, SC

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

I would think with a new rebuilt motor, you should be more inclined to replace the rear f-a-m with the original rears and retain the original front, thus utilizing the added 'crossmember' the rigid mount was intended to be.

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

I'm sure John will chime in soon, but his magazine reviewed the various motor mount options a few years ago, and I'm pretty sure that they found the model that you are about to install to be distinctly the worst. The original style was best for vibration isolation. Unless you're hanging an AC compressor or somesuch on your motor and really need extra support, why not save yourself some drilling and heartbreak?

I've got a similar, earlier model made by one of the California vendors that does not use single, straight thru bolts that seems to work well. Haven't seen it for sale for some time.

Steve

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

Thanks guys ... still pondering. It sure would be easy to put the old mount back in. And this is a balanced, counterweighted engine that runs very smoothly.

However, I liked the idea of avoiding metal-metal contact as mentioned by Bill in this thread:

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1394

All said, now you have me leaning back to just putting it back together with the old mount; I can fool around with drilling holes later.

-Dan

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

But, Bill was talking about contact that might occur if you didn't drill big enough holes with the new setup; there is no direct metal contact with the original mounts.

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

Dan,
I've warmed up my B engine pretty well. I use the STOCK front mount (NOS) and have FAM on engine. I ALSO use the FAM mount unit that attaches to the rear of trans and that sits on the cross member....I've found that properly installed, this is VERY IMPORTANT to my installation working great, i.e.- NO rocking of the engine/trans back/forth in operation. JMO..I wouldn't use that which you have to drill holes. Good luck

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

If you are using the Float-a-Motor set up, make sure you install the rear FAM mount that connects to the universal joint housing. The rear FAM mount transfers both lateral and verticle load to the center crossmember thus taking some of the load off the front engine mount. This is an important consideration as the loads from the wheels (braking and acclerating) are transfered to the engine (through the front and rear radius rods) and thus to the fram through the engine mounts. The FAM supports on the flywheel housing are a pin connection not a rigid connection like the orginal type mounts.

Anyway - that's my theory.

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

I strongly advise against the front float o motor. In the first place, drilling more holes in the cross member not only weakens it a bit more, but locating them so the bolts do not contact the cross member and create really bad vibrations is extremely difficult. The original style front mount has no metal to metal contact other than the lower spring resting on the cross member. There is a leather insulator between the mount and lower spring. It works fine, and with a counter weighted and balanced engine you will find the car about as smooth as a four banger can get even with all original mounts.

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

I decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to fix something that wasn't known to be broke. That, and I could just reassemble the old mount and be driving soon. Thanks for bringing me to my senses.

Engine is now sitting in the car with the rear FAM's as previously installed with new rubber, and the stock front mount.

I'll keep the front FAM on the shelf for now.

-Dan

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

DON'T forget the transmission/cross member part of the FAM system:eek:

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

There are no instructions anywhere giving specific on the FAM. How is anyone know how to install them! Can anyone help

Re: Front float-a-motor instructions
 

Instructions here:



https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/P...earchByKeyword


Note when you click on download instructions the file is sometimes stored in C:\downloads