tips for reinstalling an engine

Started by ADRay, April 26, 2024, 05:57:13 AM

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ADRay

I'm at that great point in my refurb when I have dropped my A+ back in my Mini. I have new mounts with captive nuts (see pic)

I have placed it as close as possible, but it's just not completely seating (cap nuts look like crescents through all 4 holes). I've left it for a couple of days to see if the weight would compress the rubber a little.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks to get past this issue?

Thanks
1982 Mini 1000 HL
@andyray998

skmini

I'm sure someone else with more experience will chime in. I haven't used mounts with captive nuts, so this might not be applicable, but I usually align the mount to the subframe with a punch, wiggling it around to get the holes to line up.

Hard to say which would be more of a PIA: lining up the captive nuts without cross threading/damaging the threads or trying to drop the left rear bolt in without captive nuts.

94touring

I hate the bastards. Inevitably I cross thread one.  I think the last set I drilled out the captives and used my own nuts and washer on the back side.

MiniDave

#3
I usually do as skmini suggests, use a punch to move it around and get it lined up.  If you still have it on the hoist, lift it slightly - if not put a jack under the sump and take the weight off so you can move it more easily.

The other thing you can do is drill out the holes in the subframe slightly - they're 5/16 now and you can go to 11/32 or even as much as 3/8 without causing any issues, just use a good flat washer under the head of the bolt......but it's better if you get them in as is. I like the idea of these mounts, but agree that sometimes they're just a complete PITA.

I've also found that they're not made accurately so the spacing of the holes doesn't match the subframe holes - close, but slightly off. That's when I get out the drill or a burr and make everything match. If you can get one in and threaded all the way into the nut, then see if the other one lines up to the hole, if not then make the hole match.

One quick question - you're not trying to mount a manual engine into an automatic subframe? Cause they are different....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

ADRay

Thanks everyone. I wrote up a great response to the input yesterday morning before I went out to the garage, but for some reason it didn't post.

I was able to successfully bolt the engine to the subframe using the captive nuts. I did open up the frontward holes on each side a skosh to help.

The overall winning technique was found on a 14 year old post on Mini Forum penned by a user named Cater_Racer. Instructions I followed:

"So I pushed the clutch side down and put the two bolts in but not fully tightened up, then I put a a strap round the lower part of the gearbox where the radiator and engine mount are located at the front of the engine.

Then slipped the trolly jack through the strap and pumped the jack up against the sub-frame.

This effectively pulled the engine down into the subframe, and bingo! the two bolts slipped in without effort!"

I also was able to buckle in the cvs, the upper and lower stradys, and installed the exhaust pipe and manifold. Productive day, hoping to finish installing the rest on the engine bay components (sans carb) today
1982 Mini 1000 HL
@andyray998