TJ: Sheared Motor Mounts

[Mellow Yellow]

Hello fellow Jeepers. I have a friend with a TJ, and the motor mounts on the passenger side have been sheared off, leaving the bolts stuck in the block. I've been doing some research online and it appears that a skilled welder can weld steel to cast iron. So assuming the only the rt side mount is broken, what do you think some options are? Can we grind off the mount on the block and weld a new one on? Should we replace 1, some or all? What brand of mount- is the best worth the price?

[inVERt'D]

Got a pic? I for one am unclear with what's going on.

I've welded steel to cast iron, and specifically to an engine block (SBC). It is possible to get acceptable results, but it can be very tricky.

I still don't understand why this is necessary--did part of the cast iron boss for the MM break off?

[randysjeep]

I had the same thing happen to my friends jeep, same side too... If you use an angle air drill with a cut off short bit you can drill then extract the bolts. get new grade 8 bolts and be good as new.

[inVERt'D]

I had the same thing happen to my friends jeep, same side too... If you use an angle air drill with a cut off short bit you can drill then extract the bolts. get new grade 8 bolts and be good as new.

If that's all it is, there's no reason to weld to the block. Before I tried to drill out those bolts I'd weld some nuts or something onto them and wrench them out.

[2blk2drs]

Might look into some Brown dog motor mount plates
http://browndogindustries.com/SU2572...nting-Kit.aspx

[HB Jeeper]

definitely do theright angle drill and go buy some easy outs so you can pull the bolts.

[Mellow Yellow]

Pics

Here's 6 pics I took under the Jeep. Hard to see, but hopefully they help. Thanks for the responses & advice. Hopefully we can get the bolts out of the block the easy way. Time will tell.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo059.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo058.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo057.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo056.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo055.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo054.jpg

[RAT]

Here's 6 pics I took under the Jeep. Hard to see, but hopefully they help. Thanks for the responses & advice. Hopefully we can get the bolts out of the block the easy way. Time will tell.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo059.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo058.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo057.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo056.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo055.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo054.jpg

Wow! WTF was he doing to accomplish that mess? Two of the mounting bosses on the block are broken out. That could be fun to fix. I would jack the engine up and remove the mount to get access to the area, grind the broken bosses down flush and weld on some new ones made out of steel. Or weld a plate to the block with holes or studs for the engine mount. Welding the mount directly to the block is my last resort option.

[RAT]

Might look into some Brown dog motor mount plates
http://browndogindustries.com/SU2572...nting-Kit.aspx

Nice. Better option that what I just posted...
EDIT: Except I just noticed they still use the existing mount bosses on the block. Still, easier to mod than you might think.

[2blk2drs]

They use the existing bosses, plus some unused ones

[inVERt'D]

Here's 6 pics I took under the Jeep. Hard to see, but hopefully they help. Thanks for the responses & advice. Hopefully we can get the bolts out of the block the easy way. Time will tell.

Thanks for the pics. Trying to fix that in-situ would be far from ideal. Welding cast iron is difficult enough without trying to do it out of position and with crap your way. Ask me how I know. I would pull the motor, put it on a stand, get the bolts out one way or another, drain the oil, and degrease it thoroughly--at least on that side. Probably I'd reuse the original boss pieces. I'd use one or more welding processes (stick, MIG, TIG, oxy-acetylene) to weld the bungs back on using specialized filler rods. Here's a hint: Ni-rod isn't going to cut it--it will just break off having done more damage to the block.

I've done a substantially similar, if slightly more difficult repair on a small-block Chevy motor--boss for the outer starter bolt was busted off. The original boss was lost by the previous owner so I fabricated a new one out of a coupling nut that I ground down lengthwise. Making the bung/boss and locating it precisely were what made it more difficult than your friend's. The welding rod I used runs close to $20 a stick, but you can't just buy a stick. I also used a special hi-temp brazing rod for good measure.

RAT/ Kurt asked a good question--how the heck did he do that? I strongly suspect that his tranny/ t-case mount is shot too. It's just as important to find and correct the reason it broke as it is to do the best possible fix on that block.

[Mellow Yellow]

That's great advice Invert'd, thank you!! If you're willing, I may have the vehicle owner contact you to work on it, and you can negotiate your own price. They told me the Jeep was hit by a drunk driver while parked on the street and that's what knocked the engine loose. Tranny mounts should be inspected also. Thanks again.

[aw12345]

For starters the engine mount bolts have been loose for awhile other than that I would make a plate that reaches to some other bosses on the side of the engine and go from there. Welding it and not adding additional strength will not be the long term answer. Those bolts are known to break as it is.

The shiny spot shows that things have been moving around for awhile

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/...n/Photo054.jpg

I am just a simpleton, but this would be my fix, would use these mounting points make an adapter plate and cruise down the road with that darling

[inVERt'D]

For starters the engine mount bolts have been loose for awhile other than that I would make a plate that reaches to some other bosses on the side of the engine and go from there. Welding it and not adding additional strength will not be the long term answer. Those bolts are known to break as it is.

The shiny spot shows that things have been moving around for awhile

I am just a simpleton, but this would be my fix, would use these mounting points make an adapter plate and cruise down the road with that darling

Good catch on the shiny part, Art. I agree--it broke once so it's begging to be upgraded. I'm just an OCD'd over-analyzer, but it were my Jeep, would definitely prefer to fix the broken bungs too.

That's great advice Invert'd, thank you!! If you're willing, I may have the vehicle owner contact you to work on it, and you can negotiate your own price. They told me the Jeep was hit by a drunk driver while parked on the street and that's what knocked the engine loose. Tranny mounts should be inspected also. Thanks again.

My pleasure putting my .02 in, especially when I need to get out of the sun. I wasn't trying to get work (Simi Valley(?) is a bit of a haul for me). I'd be happy to at least talk to your friend about it, though.

How much damage was done to the rest of the Jeep?

[6spdYJ]

A little late, but browndog mounts rock. If you tried welding a stock mount, the heat transfer to the rubber bushings would ruin them. Tried it when I was a kid.