~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Urethane Motor Mounts
For the MTX SHO Taurus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following was put together to serve a few purposes.
1.
To provide an information source pertaining to the MTX SHO Taurus motor mounts. Construction, weaknesses, and modification of.
2.
To outline my latest method of reinforcing the MTX SHO Taurus motor mounts. Prepping, assembly, and application of Devcon Flexane. LOOK FOR MORE INFO IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THIS PORTION.
3.
To provide a means of advertising this method of reinforcement. I encourage the able wrench turners and fabricators to venture into such a project themselves. But for those physically unable, or those that simply cannot spend the time on such a project, please contact me via email kenny@bonnefinstudios.com I will reinforce both front and rear MTX mounts at a rate very close to cost.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The MTX SHO motor mounts
You would be hard pressed to find an SHO owner that likes stock SHO motor mounts. A high output motor like the Yamaha DOHC V-6, stuffed transversely into a very space limited engine bay like the Taurus is just asking for trouble. Im sure some would agree that the SHO would benefit from not one, but TWO front motor mounts. Or at least one properly designed mount! The whole "cup" and "horseshoe" (explained below) is ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is simple. The stock Ford mount is NOT up to par. SHOs eat these mounts (the front in particular) for lunch. My method of reinforcing using urethane is one attempt at improving a faulty design. If I were to go another hop skip and a jump further, I would be fabricating adaptor plates to utilize properly designed, readily available urethane mounts. Can you imagine... a set of mounts you can use on the SHO for UNDER $200?
Continuing on...
Design
The SHO motor mounts utilize what I call a "cup" and "horseshoe" style mount. Two pieces, one being a cup that holds a large quantity of medium (rubber, urethane, or other) and a "horseshoe" that is inserted bent end first, into the medium. The problem is very simple. These mounts reply more upon adhesion between the bottom of the "horseshoe" and the medium. When that adhesion fails (and it will if not properly reinforced) you have a failed motor mount. Simple, and straight forward.
Pictures of front and rear motor mounts:
The rear mount (bottom photos) also uses what look to be moisture "flaps". Best guess is that they were intended to shed water off of the mount, as well as keep debris out. Also, notice the limiting bars on both mounts. In the case of a failure, these are designed to keep the mounts from separating completely. However you decide to build your mounts, I strongly suggest you use some kind of limiting bar. Unless you like motors that jump out of the engine bay! :)
Modification
Due to many factors, my methods of reinforcing mounts has changed. All for the better though. I use two basic methods to build these mounts. Which one I choose, depends upon the core I have to work with, and how damaged it is. This saves both time and money. This is a cost savings I can pass on to you.
A mount that is not completely torn is cleaned up, limiting rod removed in favor of a 1/2 bolt, compressed using compression bolts then filled with urethane. Once cured, the compression bolts are removed and the mount is painted in a rust inhibiting paint. This mount is a "stage 1" mount.
A mount that is completely failed will undergo a much more involved process, and results in a mount that is primarily urethane, and a good deal more stiff than the stage 1 mount. These are "stage 2" mounts. Stage 2 mounts are built by special order only now, please contact me for more info and pricing.
Here is a step-by-step with photos using a rear motor mount:
A stock rear MTX mount, minus the dust flaps.
The limiting bar removed.
Drilling for compression-bolts.
Compression-bolts installed. Please note, these are temporary, just to hold the mount in compression until the urethane is poured and cured.
Inside, compression-bolt nuts will remain in the urethane, once the urethane is cured.
Drilling for 1/2" limiting rod.
Limiting rod installed.
Mount taped with ordinary duct tape. This keeps the urethane INSIDE the mount.
Keep in mind, urethane in liquid form is VERY messy if it gets loose!
Urethane poured and curing. The urethane cures to the touch in a few hours.
I encourage people to cure urethane mounts a full 7 days for optimum strength. A build sheet showing when the mount was built is shipped along with the mount. If you do not receive a build sheet, fear not. Your mount has been sitting on the shelf for some time, and is 100% cured.
Mount is cured, tape is removed, compression bolts are removed, and is ready for paint.
3 nice coats of rust inhibiting paint is applied, and allowed to cure.
Mount is then wrapped, and ready for shipment!
Since I do not have an unlimited supply of mounts, if you request mounts, I will only be able to supply you with what I have on hand. Meaning, I will not always have both styles on hand. Regardless, both mounts are VERY strong, and I have yet to report a failure. I run these I my own SHO, and would never consider using a stock mount ever again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would like urethane mounts, but lack the time, materials,
or tools to do them yourself please contact me.
Currently I am offering to rebuild your destroyed mounts (stage 1) for $90 per mount + $10 per mount S/H
Please contact me for info and pricing on stage 2 mounts.
A 100% refundable core charge is applied if you do not have cores available.
Kenny Bonnefin
I also post frequently at a SHO Taurus forum under the user "NotSoSlowSHO"