Pro's & con's of solid engine mounts
12-26-2010, 05:01 PM
#2
one absorbs vibration, the other will transfer it...throughout the car. personally, not a fan of solid mounts. hard to justify the gain (none, imo) for the effort required to install them. if i had to because of 'wear' then i'd still replace with factory. my .02
12-26-2010, 05:33 PM
#3
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running solid mounts and love 'em
built solids but with a poly insert that the bolt goes through (like a shackle for leaf springs). it absorbs some of the vibes (can't feel any anyway) and fairly easy to make cheap.
sorry no pics of them. did stay with a poly for the trans mount though. I just tore up too many poly mounts and got sick of it.
built solids but with a poly insert that the bolt goes through (like a shackle for leaf springs). it absorbs some of the vibes (can't feel any anyway) and fairly easy to make cheap.
sorry no pics of them. did stay with a poly for the trans mount though. I just tore up too many poly mounts and got sick of it.
12-26-2010, 08:29 PM
#4
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Obviously I'm biased, but some of the benefits are far better power/torque transfer, more clearance around exhaust components / turbo setups (never melt a mount again), weight savings, ect.
It all comes down to what the car is being used for and what your goals are.
It all comes down to what the car is being used for and what your goals are.
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12-26-2010, 10:58 PM
#10
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I ran Prothanes for a long time. They are hard. They vibrate a lot, and the exhaust clears great. I loved them. Running Spohns now and they are great too except the engine sits up about an inch higher 
I shoulda kept the Prothanes.
I shoulda kept the Prothanes.
12-27-2010, 07:26 AM
#12
yep.
there is a way to have your cake and eat it too. back in my turbo buick days, sensors would pick up 'false knock' due to vibration. you can still transfer power and eliminate flex by other means while using the factory mounts. its not hard, a few bux in material to secure the motor using a cable and a couple U-bolt clamps ties it down just fine.
as far as clearance gains and turbo heat applications...can't help there. that's an application specific purpose that warrants the hard mount.
there is a way to have your cake and eat it too. back in my turbo buick days, sensors would pick up 'false knock' due to vibration. you can still transfer power and eliminate flex by other means while using the factory mounts. its not hard, a few bux in material to secure the motor using a cable and a couple U-bolt clamps ties it down just fine.
as far as clearance gains and turbo heat applications...can't help there. that's an application specific purpose that warrants the hard mount.
12-27-2010, 08:46 AM
#13
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solid mounts with a big engine will rock the car at lights fyi (could be a plus or minus depending)
12-27-2010, 06:30 PM
#14
I use solids....
once you start to pick the front wheels up off the ground, you need to start thinking about really securing the engine in a more solid way...
personally I'm a fan of using an engine plate and a mid plate, but I dont want to do that level of work on my car at the moment
there really are no downsides to using a Solid tubular pedestal style mount...other than the initial install..
but if you buy the Spohn Tubular K-member its a piece of cake to put them in at the same time. its actually eassiest to treat it like you are doing a motor swap out the bottom and then you have space to work on it.
when I put my foot to the floor I no longer feel or see the flex in the transmission transferred through my shifter.
some people say they experience a vibration at certain rpm's...but you shouldnt feel anything if you have properly installed them... usually the vibration is because theres one bolt/nut loose somewhere or just not tight enough....
I've personally never felt a vibration at any rpm with solid mounts on any of my vehicles.
though sitting at a stop light at idle, you can feel the entire car shake...LOL
a buddy of mine who owns a performance shop even said he could tell the difference in feel on the dyno as we were tuning(he was the foot, I was the laptop..LOL)
he said it pulled smoother and felt more solid(go figure)
in the case of the spohn k-member and pedestal mounts, your engine does raise up anywhere from 1/2" to an full 1" depending on your existing motor mounts and how worn out they are.
I had to use some washers to space up my strut tower brace because it no longer cleared my intake. My new setup has other stuff in the way so I had to loose the strut tower brace completely anyways...no big deal.
Solid Mounts are one of the best investments I have made for engine stability other than a Plate setup.
once you start to pick the front wheels up off the ground, you need to start thinking about really securing the engine in a more solid way...
personally I'm a fan of using an engine plate and a mid plate, but I dont want to do that level of work on my car at the moment
there really are no downsides to using a Solid tubular pedestal style mount...other than the initial install..
but if you buy the Spohn Tubular K-member its a piece of cake to put them in at the same time. its actually eassiest to treat it like you are doing a motor swap out the bottom and then you have space to work on it.
when I put my foot to the floor I no longer feel or see the flex in the transmission transferred through my shifter.
some people say they experience a vibration at certain rpm's...but you shouldnt feel anything if you have properly installed them... usually the vibration is because theres one bolt/nut loose somewhere or just not tight enough....
I've personally never felt a vibration at any rpm with solid mounts on any of my vehicles.
though sitting at a stop light at idle, you can feel the entire car shake...LOL
a buddy of mine who owns a performance shop even said he could tell the difference in feel on the dyno as we were tuning(he was the foot, I was the laptop..LOL)
he said it pulled smoother and felt more solid(go figure)
in the case of the spohn k-member and pedestal mounts, your engine does raise up anywhere from 1/2" to an full 1" depending on your existing motor mounts and how worn out they are.
I had to use some washers to space up my strut tower brace because it no longer cleared my intake. My new setup has other stuff in the way so I had to loose the strut tower brace completely anyways...no big deal.
Solid Mounts are one of the best investments I have made for engine stability other than a Plate setup.
12-27-2010, 06:40 PM
#15
Thanks for the comments. The LSX engine is not in a stock K-frame. Although, it does use stock mounting dimensions. Will probably go with either the u-bolt/cable stabilizing idea or the Motovative w/ home made poly sleeve-insert method mentioned. It's not an issue for me to modify for either arrangement. Appreciate it. 
02-13-2011, 08:14 AM
#17
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Sorry guys, Im a one man show and Im a little slow with the website updates.
The mounts are currently on sale for 89.99 shipped and we have a bunch in stock. You can PM me for ordering
The mounts are currently on sale for 89.99 shipped and we have a bunch in stock. You can PM me for ordering
02-13-2011, 05:02 PM
#19
Yes its true, if you run solid mounts and a solid trans mount you will break either the trans or engine. The first set of mounts I put in the car were solid, I did not like them, they transferred every noise in the engine, right into the car, I Dont car what these guys say, thats exactly what they did. Another huge downfall is if you have to do any kind of tranny work, you can not just lower the trans by removing the cross member, You have to loosen the stinikin solid mounts too. I swapped to the poly engine mounts and love them, I will never run anything else.
02-13-2011, 07:01 PM
#20
Well, I ended up buying some liquid polyurethane & molding it to the existing mounts to stiffen them up. Also added it to the read IRS brace. My car is is a conversion w/ IRS. We will see, in the Spring, how it effects everything. As to effecting knock sensors, the sensitivity of the sensor can be dampened if you have tuning software.