Why you should'nt use an engine dampener. (sorry it's a bit long)
 

I as driving my car this morning when i started to here a sharp click noise everytime I would shift. I got home and check all of my motor mounts and found nothing wrong with them. Then i check my engine dampener ( by the picture you can get an idea of the maker, i would rather not bash them, being that they are great). So I remove the dampener and leave the brackets still connected, close the hood and take a little drive. The sound was gone! I get back home and from and inspect the dampener, nothing is wrong with it. I take off the bracket that u drill a hole and connect to the frame and found this.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mpener_pic.jpg

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ener_pic_2.jpg

Around the drilled hole is a crack that goes almost all the way around the hole. The washers that were supplied obviously couldnt properly bear the load and the crack is the result.

To me that was always a scary location to secure an engine dampener. That sheet metal was just too thin for the application.
Steve

Very true:roll:

Later designs of engine dampers have brackets that attach where the motor mount bolts to the strut tower area, a much better design. These early ones had the right idea, but that section of the body was never meant to carry the load. You essentially need to spread out the load using a thick, fender-style washer on both sides of that area to prevent that damage from happening.

TSW got it right and made the V2 even better. You could always buy the hardware to remount the damper in the right place.

Ouch! That stinks.

All good points, But while the damage is done it offers a warning to those who still use the earlyer style engine dampeners. Hope I could help.

I ditched engine dampers for reasons similar to this. Lower engine mount polyurethane inserts provide the same/better functionality, are cheaper, have less/no chance to fail, and more directly address engine movement (being in a better location).

- Matt

Thats my next buy. I was thinking the upper small/large and the lower small/large

The lower one isolates the majority of the torque...by my estimation (and others here on NAM and over on Mini2), the lower one is responsible for around 60% of the engine movement/torque load. Many find replacing the upper mounts results in too much vibration for a street car for a marginal increase in stiffness.

Oh, and don't bother with getting the small end for the lower mount. I noticed absolutely no difference putting that one in (versus having just the big inserts put in). No point shelling out ~$30 for no gain.

- Matt

thanks for the imput matt

Don't forget the poly transmission mounts. I installed the complete set at once, so I'm not sure on each parts effectiveness, but as a whole they drastically improve the car's dynamics.

Nice i will add that to my list

thanks for the post, i'll be replacing my old style one tomorrow

Matt and I did the same on mine, and I can say that this definitely makes more sense than any dampers - The lower mount is the biggest source of driveline torsion and by stiffening in a location made to handle the same forces you don't have to worry about this problem:thumbsup:

Where do you get the poly engine mount inserts, etc.. You'll have to excuse me since I'm a bit of a rookie with these things and am not a DIY'er.. Thanks.

what transmission mounts would be applicable to the CVT?

Try here Jontalk: http://www.mossmini.com/Shop/ViewPro...eIndexID=36704

Jeremy

Or Mini-Madness - http://www.mini-madness.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=110

Why did you have to drill a hole?

The damper I got installed in an existing hole with a very large washer and spacer.
I have had no issues with my damper in over a year of use. I have the Outmotoring.com Powerflex engine mount kit waiting to be installed so this will be coming out. But it is coming off because I want to have better access to the tensioner/belt area and I believe the new engine mounts will perform better then the damper does. But I am not experiencing any failures with mine.

i got the TX v2 damper and was attached to the v1 brackets....no vibration what so eva lol

I don't know which damper requires drilling a hole either... Or comes with small washers. Guess not the one I have. *shrug*

The VIP damper needs holes drilled for later builds (05, 06 I think).

But those are not in the location in the photos.

So are you saying the version 2 uses the same mounting brackets as the version 1? So all they did is replace the dampener? I have had no problems with my ver. 1 TSW dampener.