Broken Feroza Engine and Transfer mounts

[MightyMouse]

Anyone have a solution to the problem of Feroza's breaking transfer and engine mounts? I am up to two complete sets in a year and when it happens half way up a steep rutted hill its not much fun.

The trasfer mount pulled completely away from the top metal plate ( looks like vertical loading killed it ) whereas the engine mounts tore the rubber. It looks like the whole assembly moved on an angle and kicked the engine mounts to an angle where they sheared.

Whilst eventually I am swapping out the gearbox and transfer for a Vitara unit - in the mean time its !@#$ annoying.

I will fit limiter cables to the mounts to stop mayhem if they break again, but there must be a real solution.......

[r0ck_m0nkey]

Get some seat belt webbing and wrap it around the mounts. Someone had a picture of how they did it around here once.

[Pommie B*stard]

I've seen that reinforcement done before. An old mate of mine tore and engine mount and pinched some straglehold banding stuff (like a length of straightened jubilee clip) from work. Wound it on and tightened it up for a "quick fix" and it went for another two years like that! What a tight arse.

Jon.

[SimplyPV]

while youve got it all apart. just get some seatbealt material from a junkyard (make sure the sides are not coming apart), wrap it around each mount and cut a hole on each end of the belt so they overlap around the bolt. make sure you get it pretty tight so they help take on some of the stress, but not too tight so that they dont snap prematurely.

remember, the goal here is to reduce stress on the mounts, but they still have to be able to do their job.

those mounts have a repuation for getting sheared or shredded apart with seemily no problems. and with heavy consquences i might add. thats how i threw a rod through the block on my first engine.

[Goatse.AJ]

There is a thread with pics covering the engine mount mod. I'd do the search for you and post the thread url, but I've only got limited acces to Outers at the mo'.

Not sure about the rear mount, but I think (IIRC) they're the same part number, so a similar mod may wll work.

BTW MM, how are things progressing with the Vit mods?

[murcod]

Not sure about the rear mount, but I think (IIRC) they're the same part number, so a similar mod may wll work.

From memory LHS and rear are the same and RHS is different?

[r0ck_m0nkey]

Not sure about the rear mount, but I think (IIRC) they're the same part number, so a similar mod may wll work.

From memory LHS and rear are the same and RHS is different?

I thought LHS and RHS were the same and the gearbox one was different

[SimplyPV]

yes your correct... left and right sides are the same. gear box is different as it is not angled compared to the engine mounts. its straight up and down. a vertical mount.

[murcod]

OK, I can't be right every time!

page 8 of the pdf - http://mackayrubber.com.au/pdf/enginemount_web.pdf

[MightyMouse]

OK - progress report. Wrapped tcase mount with two sections of tie down strap and made sandwich plates to lock then between the xmember/mount and mount/xfer case. So the strap is clamped not fixed - if something really wild happens the strap can pull out and hopefully not damage the case ( controlled desctruction ). The top clamp plate also has a stainless cable fitted that runs back to the xmember to stop the case moving sideways in the event of another Feroza moment.

AJ Feroza - have a Vitcase with 4.3 Crawlers fitted, GorillaGrip mounts, and slipyoke eliminator bolted to a VIt 4sp auto - currently working on the adapter. Started on an engine to belhousing adapter, but thought better of it and am now doing a bellhousing to auto adapter.

Its all gone a bit cold as the current trick is vehicle widening ( as you may remember have a Toyota rear ) this allows me to add 180mm to the front track. Have modified narrow track arms, made new driveshafts etc etc and now all I have to do is fit all the bits ( christmas job... ) Also fitting
ventilated disks and perhaps 4 spot calipers ( volvo ) but if not F310 calipers.

All in all I get more travel for the same suspension angle change - and a bit more tyre clearance to move to 34s down the track.

This fits under widetrack flares but gives me more travel than a widetrack as they use the same arms as the narrow ( Daihatsu just widened the chassis - dumb thing to do ! )

So I suppose its now a F305 - not a F300 any more and not a F310. Might try the "Phantom LSD" mod discussed in another thread in the front -but there are very mixed reports on their effectiveness so perhaps traction control on the front might be a better bet - ETA January ( but won't say what year... )

[murcod]

Also fitting
ventilated disks and perhaps 4 spot calipers ( volvo ) but if not F310 calipers.

That caught my attention! Are you saying the F310's have better callipers than F300's?

I thought they were all the same? The only difference being some had solid discs and others ventilated- my F300 has ventilated so I assumed I had the same callipers/ disc as a F310???

[MightyMouse]

No the F300 had ventilated disks as an option whereas the F310 had them fitted standard. The only difference in the caliper is a wider bridge to allow for the extra disk thickness. So its not hard to upgrade a F300 up to F310 specs if that didn't occur at purchase as the bits all bolt on with no mods required. I have slotted, ventilated rotors ( new ) and a different pad material so I hope it will give me better feel.

The 4 spot calipers on the other hand are a MAJOR job as not only does a mount bracket have to be machined but also the uprights and hubs. Not a lot of material needs to go to get them inside a 15" rim and onto the standard rotors but due to the size of the bits its a pain.

And before anyone tackles this - the brake ratios are very different so a proportioning valve will be ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

[murcod]

I have slotted, ventilated rotors ( new ) and a different pad material so I hope it will give me better feel.

I get the impression from my '92 ELIII F300 having vented discs that only the very first F300's had solid discs?? IIRC the pads between the two are slightly different so there must be a bit more to it than simply a wider calliper?

What rotors have you got (DBA's I'm assuming from the description?) and what pads -I haven't been able to find any "decent" pads yet? Prices??

[MightyMouse]

Rotors are RDA ( Rotors & Disks Australia - contacts.....). According to the manual ( first mistake ! ) the pads are identical and have the same part numbers so.....

The Calipers ( with carriers ) are a simple bolt on changeover.

Mines an ELII so who knows when the change happened ?

As I have the front hubs off at the moments will machine them for the four spots but will probably put the "f310"?? calipers on as a short term fix.
Given prior history - who knows how long "temporary" will become.

Too many modifications - too little time.

[Le0n]

I used to bust engine mounts all the time, never had a problem with the Surf but I still miss Roza.


Cheersa Leon...

Now retired in Buxton Qld.

[HotFourOk]

Whilst having my new 2.5" exhaust installed the other day ... The guy noticed a rattling/squeaking noise when he took it off the hoist.
He inspected it to make sure it wasn't his exhaust he just fitted... It had no nut on the Transfer Case mount!
He also said it looks like it hasn't had one on for a long time too! Am I lucky it didnt break or snap something?

I knew I had to get that exhaust done for another reason