Engine mounting 1932 RN saloon

[Hedd_Jones]

I bolt mine down with 4 bolts as Austin intended.....

So, just the four bolts under the feet that also take the no plate brackets?
What are the two holes in the front of the shell & two 1/4BSF holes tapped in the vertical face of the mounting (that don't quite match up!) for???
D

There are 4 holes in the crankcase for mounting. The front two lign up with holes tapped  vertically into the U shaped casting that forms the front of the chassis, with clearance holes in the rail itself. The back two line up with two clearance holes in the chassis rails.

Quite often there is another set of 4 holes, if someone had fitted a 4 speed box to the original crankcase and had to move the engine forward, or indeed if they've fitted a later engine but kept the original 3 speed box and propshaft. Some of the chassis Ive had resemble swiss cheese in this area, chassis usually off 'specials'

Without seeing where your surplus holes are it is very difficult to suggest what they may be for.

[David.H]

I bolt mine down with 4 bolts as Austin intended.....

So, just the four bolts under the feet that also take the no plate brackets?
What are the two holes in the front of the shell & two 1/4BSF holes tapped in the vertical face of the mounting (that don't quite match up!) for???
D

There are 4 holes in the crankcase for mounting. The front two lign up with holes tapped  vertically into the U shaped casting that forms the front of the chassis, with clearance holes in the rail itself. The back two line up with two clearance holes in the chassis rails.

Quite often there is another set of 4 holes, if someone had fitted a 4 speed box to the original crankcase and had to move the engine forward, or indeed if they've fitted a later engine but kept the original 3 speed box and propshaft. Some of the chassis Ive had resemble swiss cheese in this area, chassis usually off 'specials'

Without seeing where your surplus holes are it is very difficult to suggest what they may be for.

Cross purposes!
I am going on about Radiator bracket mountings not engine ones!
I do have a non flexy mounted engine that IS four point flexibly mounted and attached to a 4 speed/two synchro
Sports box and it is the radiator & cowl that I have problems with as everything is lifted up a bit because of the engine mountings!
I will take some photos & reopen my problems on a new thread!

[Hedd_Jones]

Ah.

Either you file the starting handle hole in the cowl.

Or raise it up. But raising it up buggers up the bonnet fit.

Or un rubber mount it.

You must also have a forward facing starter unrubber mounted crankcase.

[JonE]

ok, so continuing an old thread. If my standard front N/S bolt has fallen out (as I loosened it and put a small spring under it), what is best course of action on 29 non-rubber chassis? My rear locations seem to have nuts with spilt pins so must be studs. Shall I swap a stud to front location? What is best option for a permanent damped fit, assuming if there is looseness, then the bolt is going to come out again!

I could also just do the bolt up.

[Hedd_Jones]

nylock nut, superglue, loctite. Castellated nut and pin. Two nuts. Locnut. Any number of methods.

[David Stepney]

I have had my engine out on my early RP (no rubber mountings) and bolted it down securely. I recall from my youth that, if the mounting bolts were loose, then the engine growled.
There is another point too. A rigidly mounted crankcase stiffens the front end of the car. Bugatti used to rely on the crankcase for this as the theory was that, provided the chassis was rigid from the front axle to the steering box, one could safely let the rear flex as much as it liked. The car would still handle. In fact, the Type 35 chassis probably did more of the rear suspension work than the springs and they handled really well!

[JonE]

thanks both.
Hedd - is David's reasoning broadly why you (and Austin!) advocate full bolt down?

[Hedd_Jones]

because I cant think of 1 good reason not to. Including all those noted on this thread.

[David Stepney]

As a corollary to my post of the 21st, having used my RP over the last couple of days, bolting the engine down tight does increase the likelihood of leaks from the block to crankcase gasket. The crankcase flexes slightly whilst the block doesn't.

Is it to preserve the integrity of that joint that some people advocate leaving bolts loose/ putting springs under them etc.?

I have a leak from the crankcase to block gasket at the offside front and nearside rear, but they are not bad and I appear to still be doing what Pa Austin reckoned the oil consumption should be, which, if memory serves me aright is 1,500 mpg (of oil).

[Steve Bryant]

A suggestion: Why not bolt the engine to the chassis but use Thackery washers under the head of the bolt or nut (if using studs) ?  These washers are designed for situations where there needs to be some tightness but a little give also.
Stephen

  Thackery washer.jpg (Size: 14.85 KB / Downloads: 102)