Ever since I finished my KA-T project, I've had an issue with hood fitment. Basically, the turbo manifold left the turbo too high, and the intake manifold left the throttle body too high.

NISMO motor mounts only exacerbated the problem, leaving me with no clearance between the hood and engine.

I modified a set of OEM motor mounts, cutting out the center section and welding the two interior plates together. However, OEM mounts don't hold up well to BIG horsepower. See below:



CA mounts, contrary to popular opinion, are no shorter. What to do?

With more than 2" of space between the pan and the crossmember, there was only one solution - Drop the motor lower in the cradle.

So, out with the old mounts and time to make my own.

Here's what you'll need:

(2) plastic cups (the cheap kind)(1) 1-lb container of Flexane 94 (order online)(2) 4" 12x1.25 allthread rods (Ace Hardware has them)(4) motor mount nuts (or any other 12x1.25 nuts)(2) flat washersGrinder or Dremel with cutting wheelBrake parts cleanerWire brush

First of all, take your 2 pieces of allthread and thread the nuts and washer onto them, making sure they're centered on the rod like so:



Tighten the two bolts against each other with two wrenches. Then, take your grinding wheel or Dremel and cut some notches in the washers. Don't worry about neatness, you want them to be all jagged and nasty-looking:





Next, break out the cheap plastic cups. The size of cup will determine the diameter of your motor mount, so choose wisely. Or, just grab the cheapest crap they have.



Make a hole in the bottom center of each cup, slightly smaller than the allthread rod, and thread the rod through it from the inside:





Make a mark on the cup the height that you want the motor mount to be. You can see my marks in the pics above.

Find a "stand" to set the cups in, so the threaded rod can be suspended - I found that a spray paint can cap works perfect.

Now it's time to mix the Flexane. The main ingredient is clear, and the catalyst, or hardening agent, is black. Follow the directions on the label, it's approximately a 3:1 (Flexane to hardener) ratio. Mix ONLY the amount you need, because you can't save the mixed product. It hardens. Duh.

Once your mixing is done according to the instructions, pour the Flexane mixture into the cups. Try not to get it on the threads.





Now, find a warm place to set the concoction. It doesn't really stink, so if you live someplace cold, you can set it in the house.

It's best to let it sit 24 hours, or you can let it sit 12 hours and then put it in the oven at 150 degrees for 12 hours (which is what I did).

Once it cools, you can tear away the plastic cup. The finished product is cool, functional, and cheap.







Flexane has a resiliency somewhat near polyurethane, and you can experiment with different mixtures if you want it softer or harder. These should have great vibration dampening, while retaining the rigidity of a solid motor mount.

I'll update everyone on how they perform, but my initial guess is that they're going to work out perfectly.

This project cost a grand total of $56, if you count the $50 for the Flexane.

you sir, never stop.you make my day brighter.

that is absolutly amazing.. once you get back with the results I may be going this route.. not that clearance is an issue with my CA but its still pretty cool and cheap!!

Dammit Greg, why didn't you figure this out BEFORE I dropped in my SR???

Greg, you never cease to amaze me.

Definitely a must for me when you tell us how they go. knowing your genius, these will be at the top of anybody's DIY list.

What's the temperature like for motor mounts? I looked at the flexane and it said max operating temp was about 180 F. No idea how hot motor mounts get but it be interesting to see if somebody had a pyrometer to just get the temp after some track time. (asking since I have a rotory and heat just loves these engines) Awesome idea though, and yeah, I'm going to buy a third exhaust from you, just need to build up some more money.

now that is hot!!!! bookmarked!!!!!!

Genius!
Modified by AkademikONE at 7:28 PM 10/20/2006

you are the man!!

YOU SUCK!!!!!!!j/k

but seriously,how did you come up with this idea and why did you not think of it before i bought my nismo motor mounts?

this is very cool and very informative,i think when i get to building my motor up i will try these out.keep us informed on how these hold up under the extreme loads and temperatures under the hood.>>>>>A.J.

Wow great ingenuity and magnificent "how to" thread! Just wondering tho, I noticed that one of the mounts the bolt isn't exactly vertical, will this be an issue? Is there a way assure center alignment in the cup?

nice nice nice...will keep this in mind when i start my project.

just thought of this: how would exaust hangers work out using this method?

would heat be an issue considering the exaust gets pretty hot but i dont know how hot the hangers get.hell,it cant be that much hotter than the mount that is right next to the exaust anyway,so i dont think it would be that much of an issue but i am no expert.

this could be a very interesting method in making alot of different parts as long as they dont get super hot.

someone try this idea out and tell us the results,if i had extra money i would do it myself seeing as my s13 is not in very good condition and has stock exaust.

Awesome as always Greg.

nice....

mebbe improve it a bit by using a larger size washer to cover more surface area inside that goo...

greg, you simply amaze me

THanks guys.

Most of the credit should go to Jason (rotorimp), my good buddy and "Masta Fabricator".

He gave me the idea, and I'd always been afraid they wouldn't work. It was kinda fun figuring out how to make it work.

But they're clearly superior to the OEM mounts, as they won't oxidize (like rubber) or deteriorate (like rubber).

As far as strength, it has a hardness of 97A (Shore D scale) and a tensile strength of 2800 psi. Even at 400hp, these mounts won't see that kind of load.

As far as heat resistance, OEM mounts begin to degrade at 160 degrees F. I may shield these, but I can't imagine them seeing 180 degrees.

Kaleo - one came out a tad crooked, but since they can be oriented in any direction, it's no biggie.

Ace - I was thinking the same thing. I'm gonna try and make some more cool parts with this stuff.

exactly how thick can the mount be before you start loosing hood clearance? what should owners take into account before making a final measurement for the mount? i think since most members here dont have such an aggressive setup as yours. can this flexane be trimmed for height adjustments without ruining the integrity of the mount?

this is why i love this place.

hey,great minds think alike. this is perfect for the budget racer.make new mounts,hangers and whatever you could think of for less than $60 give or take for all of it!

Greg, how much more of the Flexane did you have remaining?

Wait what's the purpose of making the grooves on the washers? Is it to reduce the chance of it cracking or somethin?

I'm definately doing this its time for my car to get its MM replaced.

I think so it doesn't move or get loose. I dunno...

yeah so that the screw doesnt twist around...I think

socal_S13Demon wrote:

yeah so that the screw doesnt twist around...I think

Would using some loctite on the washer and nuts do anything or is it unnecessary.

I don't think thats necessary.

jdm_master_X wrote:exactly how thick can the mount be before you start loosing hood clearance? what should owners take into account before making a final measurement for the mount? i think since most members here dont have such an aggressive setup as yours. can this flexane be trimmed for height adjustments without ruining the integrity of the mount?

Well, the best bet is to measure your current mounts, and adjust accordingly.

Keep in mind that a 1/4" shorter motor mount will = about 1/2" lower engine, since they sit at an angle.

No reason to trim the mounts, just make them the right height to begin with.

AkademikONE wrote:Greg, how much more of the Flexane did you have remaining?

LOL - not a drop!

Actually, Jason had already used about 1/3 of it.. I was scraping the can to make sure I had enough left.

For someone making normal-height mounts, the 1-lb package is almost perfect.

bboyp1ng wrote:Wait what's the purpose of making the grooves on the washers? Is it to reduce the chance of it cracking or somethin?

Just to give the urethane something to "grab" onto...

This stuff is very durable and tough, some people actually used the compound to refill old engine mounts, sorry about the link. Just showing a slightly different application. Thanks for the tutorial, Greg....

http://www.mx6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76316

AZ, what do you do all day? Thanks for bringing this to our attention. You da man!