help - crooked motor

[mini64]

i got my engine back in the other week and notice it is sitting crooked longitudinally - that is, it is pointing slightly to the right hand side of the car (drivers perspective). the whole thing is offset to the left if i measure the head to engine bay side to side, but its points diagonally to the right. I've had everything out - engine, tranny, rear end, and body off. I have the weber head with the correct differing engine mounts and the original spacers on the exhaust side.

anyone have this happen? is there some simple mistake i have done? should i loosen up the tranny and see if there is enough slop in the bolt holes to shift it some?

[garyeanderson]

Spacers are 1 and 1/8 inch on the Exhaust side for the twin cam block, more like 11/16 (from memory) for a 711 block. Gearbox mount is pretty well fixed as to where it goes, not a lot of movement possible there.

If this is for a plus2 - well, never mind!

Gary
This is the sows ear just in.

[AHM]

The carb side is higher and the mountings are offset. The tail housing mount is central and level. So the engine does not sit straight or level and there is a preload in the rubber mounts.... neither is the plane of the diff input straight or level.

if you have the spacers as Gary mentions all should be ok

[billwill]

1.
Check that you have the engine mounts the correct way up. They are designed to still carry the weight of the engine if the rubber fails.

2. Not sure about this one, but I think the mount can be fastened to the chassis either in front or behind the fitting on the chassis. I'm not sure which is correct without going to look in my car, but is it possible that you have one in front on the chassis on one side and the other in the behind position on the other side.

3. twisted chassis ?

[CBUEB1771]

OK, stupid question #1. Do you have an Elan or a +2? You have posted to "Things in Common" and I have not checked your previous posts so I am not certain. The engine mounts for a +2 are the same for both sides whether Weber or Stromberg induction. The differing mounts apply to Elans with Webers (and Dellortos?) only. Also checking engine location with respect to the body is a dangerous game. The registration of the body to the frame is a big variable and may lead you to think there is a problem with engine to frame registration when there is no problem at all in the latter context. To answer one of Bill's points, the engine mounts only mate the frame on one side of the welded frame brackets, I believe the Metalastic mounts go to the fore but I am willing to be corrected. The welded brackets on the frame are formed or "plunged" so the Metalastic mounts only mate one way.

[Quart Meg Miles]

Type 26 and Plus Two: the rubber mounts attached to the engine are always in front of the fixed chassis plates otherwise you have to unbolt them from the engine to get the engine out, unless I've misunderstood what you're talking about. You would only get it wrong if you put the engine in without the body fitted.

As Bill stated it's just possible you've got one mount upside down but that shouldn't push it sideways, perhaps tilt it sideway a bit. There's not enough slop in the mountings to make a visible difference by retightening and we assume you are using similar age mountings, like new, as they do settle.

Can you print a picture to help assess it?

[garyeanderson]

elan-f14/restore-log-coupe-t21032.html

Maybe it's this Elan?

Gary

[holywood3645]

Did you use a different block such as 711M on rebuild?

If so, the 711M needs one side reduced by 1/2in at the motor mount on block (Ground or machined off)

James

[mini64]

Thanks for the help all! I forgot to mention the car was a two seater, but truthfully I didnt know it mattered. thanks in part to this forum i do have the mounts the right side up, and they are in front of the chassis mount (only cause that is the only way they'd go?!). Yes, measuring anything with respect to the body is risky, it just figures that if mine were offset the other way the headers wouldnt be so close to the foot well! how it happens, i suppose...

Gary, yours looks crooked about the same as mine so I'm not going to worry about it. I did notice though that my tranny mount is offset in the direction that would make the engine point as it does. it isnt clear in the first photo below, but the little angled sheet metal gusset on the mount is just touching the chassis on one side but on the other there is about a 1/4" clearance. In the attached photo the engine looks pretty straight, but in person it is noticeable.

[garyeanderson]

Yours and mine in the same photo, the plenum bolt holes and engine location look exactly the same to me