engine mounts

[JoeDQ1]

This has been one thing after another and I just want to drive I changed out my engine mounts that appeared to be heavier duty that were given to me by the previous owner this winter and put in some stiffer ones that came with my car purchase. The old ones were a mashed mess so I threw them out. I replaced my brake booster, fixed a half dozen oil leaks, installed a new header from Vicks and ran into problems and I just couldn’t get it to fit. So I opted for Allison’s headers and 2 ¼ inch exhaust all the way back. It fit but barely, took it for a ride and it was too loud so I put a glasspax muffler in it last week… then I couldn’t get the hood closed over the Vick intake and realized that the engine mounts may have caused my fitment issues with the headers from Vick’s. So I replaced the engine mounts with stock rubber ones and readjusted the exhaust (which fits perfectly) in hopes that it would settle in and I could close the hood. No such luck. Tried adjusting the hinges to see if I couldn’t set the front of the hood up just enough to latch it. Nope. Augg, anyone had hood closing issues with new bushings? I think I have another high point to cut down that may be part of it (the mounting for the throttle position sensor on the Vick programmable fuel injection has more material than needed and is likely a half inch too tall), but maybe I should just drive it and see if the engine just “settles down” enough to close the hood?

[Daniel]

where did you buy the new engine mounts from ? just checking if they are the right type of mounts some
people have used volvo engine mounts but i'm not sure if these sit higher . Do you know what is touching
the hood or stopping it from closing .

[JoeDQ1]

I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to be smart about this. The ones he gave me with the car he told me were something other than rubber and meant to be stiffer. They had a metal plate on the top and bottom and they were pretty hard, I only had a chance to drive it down the street but I could feel it in the shifting if that makes sense - like the transmission was solidly in one place, and thought it felt good. The replacement ones I bought were from http://www.mrfiat.com/detail.php?item=C ... ntNew.html Looking at the picture and the description I thought they were stock rubber. side by side they looked the same height when I took the new "old" ones out, and just thought they might compress more than the ones I removed. I will see if I can locate what specifically is hitting.

[JoeDQ1]

Well there is a reason the intake is oval as it runs over the top of the engine.... Just thought that when someone sells you an intake they would know whether it will fit or not. Aparently they didn't have new engine mounts when they designed their kit. I bought these pretty Abarth valve covers that the raised letters held the intake higher so filed those letters down but ultimately beat the aluminum intake tube until I could get the hood closed. Finally a nice day, battery charged, time to start tuning

[fiat218]

Well there is a reason the intake is oval as it runs over the top of the engine.... Just thought that when someone sells you an intake they would know whether it will fit or not. Aparently they didn't have new engine mounts when they designed their kit. I bought these pretty Abarth valve covers that the raised letters held the intake higher so filed those letters down but ultimately beat the aluminum intake tube until I could get the hood closed. Finally a nice day, battery charged, time to start tuning

u wrecked the covers?

[JoeDQ1]

No, the lettering just looks like it is "brushed". I squashed the 4" alluminum intake a bit but looking at the Vick Auto site it looks like they may have squashed theirs a little as well. It all looks fine.
The letters most filed down are hidden by the intake.


You can see the intake is a little squashed but doesn't look too bad. Haven't replaced the cover on the oil cap side and need to make something pretty to cover the throttle body heater, and would like to reshape that thottle possition mount to look a little less like I made it myself.

[vandor]

We sell 'hi-po" mounts that are a bit shorter, but you have to watch oil pan to crossmember clearance.
Of course it is a lot easier to lift up the engine than to lower it...
bye,

[fiat218]

paint them letters RED, looks aweome then

[124ADDHE]

Please do tell about that header; it looks like a custom..?

Nice bay!

[narfire]

To neaten up the heater thing on the intake, perhaps try and source an intake from a 80 FI. The heater was separate and kind of sits on the top separate to the intake.

[JoeDQ1]

Please do tell about that header; it looks like a custom..?

Nice bay!

It is a header from Allison Automotive. I was having some issues with getting a compeditor’s header to fit and Mark was good enough to help me out with one of his exhaust systems on pretty short notice. So, it is the Allison Automotive ceramic coated header with 2 ¼ inch exhaust all the way back. Installation and fitment were excellent and went very smoothly, I am very happy with how smoothly that went, I have installed big headers on other cars that have been a bugger…. This was easy and the package he sold me was complete and wonderfully made (my only complaint was lack of pictures being a dyslexic man I don’t read directions well – mostly because I am a man). I opted for the loudest of his packages…. And, for me it turned my cute little fiat that everyone loved to love into that obnoxious Harley that everyone (except fellow Harley lovers) looks around thinking “who is that ass making all that noise”. Whether it was that bad or not I don't know but that was the perception I had. He recommended a glasspack muffler and it went in very easily and took the edge off the noise. It is plenty loud but not ridiculously so. (some of the noise is from the tuning as well, backfires etc. it will start to settle down as the tuning gets better I would guess)
I had an Ansa exhaust so I don't know what the stock exhaust weighs but I weighed all of the Allison components and the components I replaced in the car and it removed a total of 24 pounds. Even if there wasn't a performance increase with the exhaust, you have to appreciate any opportunity to drop more than 1% of the weight of the vehicle. The aluminum water bottle is beautiful and it was a little heavier than the stock bottle, However, I hold less coolant than I typically did about dropped two pounds overall. The stainless heater pipe with throttle body heater delete removed another pound of hoses, steel, and coolant. All in all, 27 pounds out of primarily the front end of the car is a nice modification all by itself and looks fantastic. Thank you!

[vandor]

To neaten up the heater thing on the intake, perhaps try and source an intake from a 80 FI. The heater was separate and kind of sits on the top separate to the intake.

I put 4 stainless steel Phillips head machine screws in the holes on a customer's car, it makes it look a lot better than empty holes.

[JoeDQ1]

Yeah, it would be a nice little cnc peice for someone to sell. a pretty plate with 4 stainless allen screws with a scorpion. I will probably just cap it with an alluminum plate.

[csi2000s]

How do you find the Allison headers? Can you feel a noticeable difference over stock? I'm interested in buying a set too. I have a unique problem with fitment, I am based in Australia and my 1974 spider has been converted to RHD so I have the brake booster is on the exhaust side which might create a problem. Would there be any chance you could take a photo from directly above so I can have a look to see if it as all possible to fit them? If you could imagine your booster on the exhaust side you should be able to tell if the headers will be in the way. Also if you measure the distance from the closest pipe to the inner fender would help too. My email is hiangelo@hotmail.com. If you can help me out, it would much appreciated. Thanks Angelo