Front Engine Mount Usability

[ryanheacox]

Just take a look at the picture, would you guys use it? Found no cracks after sandblasting and the threads cleaned up easily with a die so I went ahead and painted it. Won't be broken up if I need to order a new one but I have a cart started in brattons and it seems like only snyders carries new yolks.

Also, it had two big rubber pucks on either side of the cross member hole and the springs were formed from one piece of wire, obviously not stock. Anybody seen that setup before?

[Jim Brierley]

Looks OK to me!

[Bob-A]

Ditto what Mr. Brierley says and the one piece wire/rubber pucks is an old aftermarket replacement part.


Bob-A

[ryanheacox]

Okay great! Been reading that some aftermarket springs make the engine sit too high (this was the case with the spring that came out). How do the ones brattons sells compare?

[Bob C]

Bert's sells the correct springs.


SteveB31
Senior Member



Join Date: May 2010
Location: Englewood, Colorado
Posts: 1,136


Re: Front Engine Mount Springs
Like many repro parts, their are currently 5 companies making different front engine mounting springs. Just because you got the wrong ones, doesn’t mean all of them are wrong. The ones we sell are made by A&L, and black in color, and are made to the Ford blueprint.

Steve @ Bert’s

[ryanheacox]

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Well that's cool. Never knew how many parts were made in my neck of the woods. Thanks

[Marshall V. Daut]

What a coincidence! Just today I was cleaning parts from my former '31 Deluxe Phaeton that I'm repairing for a friend and I discovered that the front motor mount stud looks EXACTLY like yours! It's even bent like yours! But mine has more metal worn away from the shank where it passes through the hole in the front crossmember. I'll apply weld and restore the contour to regain the strength.
The same aftermarket Mickey Mouse "beehive" spring configuration was also in place. I'm thinking that because our cars both had this same spring support and both front motor mounts share the same stud deformity, that we can probably blame the Rube Goldberg spring contraption, which doesn't keep the mount as rigidly vertical as the original factory front motor mount design. It rubs against the crossmember hole. Of course, I'm going back to the original style after repairing this chunk of steel. 'Never saw this kind of damage in a Model A that still had the original three-spring support design, as long as things were kept tight.
Marshall

[ryanheacox]

That is quite the coincidence! I would say that the "beehive"(good name for it) spring is to blame then.

[Marshall V. Daut]

I have removed and tossed dozens of those beehive supports over the years and have yet to see a car with that mount that wasn't a mess of crappy parts and poor workmanship. They seem to go hand-in-hand with each other. If I see that support when I am first looking over a Model A to repair, then I just KNOW the "restoration" will be a nightmare to UNDO and a require a small fortune in correct parts to replace the cheapo off-shore junk parts that infest the rest of the vehicle. Have you ever seen a really nice Model A with this Rube Goldberg support? Me thinks not.
Marshall

[Marshall V. Daut]

By the way, in more cases than not, that beehive coiled spring support raises the front of the engine too high to insert a hand crank. REALLY a great design! (1) It's ugly; (2) it stresses the front motor mount stud to the point of rubbing away metal material and bending it; and (3) it makes use of a hand crank very difficult, if not impossible. Why, O, WHY were so many of them purchased (probably a Western Auto specialty!) and installed over the years when the original factory design was darned-near foolproof?
Marshall

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I saw several Rube Goldberg contraptions in the SMITHSONIAN!
Bill Goldberg

[ryanheacox]

That’s exactly how mine was, very difficult to use the crank. So far most parts seem to be decent although I know my grandfather did some work that I’m too young to remember. I do think getting the engine redone is also going to turn into a mild front end rebuild. Just found out a-springs is 15 minutes from work so thats a no brainer.