Motor sits too high

[azzurri888]

Hi all. 2 years ago I had to replace the front suspension on my 81 124 2L. New cross member, motor mounts, control arms etc. Upon reassembly, the motor now sits several inches higher than it should and tilts backwards so that the oil filler cap is against the firewall and the hood doesn't close all the way. I've ordered motor mounts from 2 different suppliers and both are identical in height. The old ones were oil soaked and squashed and so were shorter in height. Has anyone run across this situation or have a solution. I'd love to the car back on the road but I can't with the hood not latched

rj

[TX82FIAT]

RJ, this is a new one on me and hopefully someone can weigh in with some suggestions. Is the engine lined up with the bell housing and transmission? I would verify you have the correct cross member by comparing the one you took off the car or to another 80 - 85 Spider. I know the engines and crossmembers are different sized for the years. If your cross member is too deep it could create an angle with the weight of the engine resting on it making the top front of the engine stick up. Just a shot in the dark.

[spiderrey]

Sounds like you put an early cross member on a late car. Thats gonna be tough to swap out.

[kmead]

Sounds like part of the problem is the transmission mount. Agreed the crossmember may well be an early one but I suspect the trans mount is also a partial culprit.

[So Cal Mark]

using the wrong crossmember won't lift the engine a couple of inches, only about 1/2 inch. The trans mount is a good suggestion, if it's sagging or broken it will let the engine tilt back

[azruss]

I've dropped a 2L in an early spider and didnt have a clearance problem. I did a comparison between early and late crossmember and the height difference is about 1/4" inch.

[manoa matt]

The early and 2L crossmembers are virtually identical with the exception the 2L crossmember has an additional 1/4" thick plate welded on where it interfaces the car's frame rails effectively lowering the crossmember and engine 1/4" to account for the taller 2L block height.

I think most of the "new" crossmembers being offered are the early type without the additional 1/4" plates. I may be wrong, and 2L versions are available.

Since the motor mounts are at the mid point of the engine and the only other support is the trans mount, the motor will pivot around this point and tilt backwards if the trans mount is sagging.

There are a few solutions that will bring the engine back down so the hood will close. First, check the trans mount for sagging and replace if you can move the trans up and down. Typical oil leaks at the trans will soften the trans mount rubber allowing it to sag. Second, you can use the early type motor mounts (accordion shape, with the internal spring) which are shorter. However they are not as stiff as the later solid type. Some guys have also used a Volvo motor mount to stuff a 2L into an early car as they are solid and also short.

Look for 1993 Volvo 240 2.3L front right side motor mount. (Volvo part # 2741114)

Third, verify if you have an early or late crossmember. Look at the area where the crossmember interfaces with the frame rails. If the 1/4" plates are not there, you can loosen the two bolts that hold the crossmember UP to the frame rails, and loosen the bolt that goes laterally THROUGH the frame rails to allow the crossmember and motor to drop that additional 1/4" inch. You will then need to fabricate a plate or shims to fill the space. Some body panel or suspension alignment shims might also work. However a large solid plate will perform better as the crossmember tends to rotate back and forth around the large lateral bolt when the brakes are stomped on and the plate will prevent the two drop down bolts from tearing out of the frame rails (a very common problem). The plate being better, as it will spread the load out as opposed to concentrating it like the body shims. However you may need to completely drop the crossmember to fit a large shim plate, where the body shims can be slipped in simply by loosening the crossmember mounting bolts.

[bradartigue]

Sounds to me like you have the left bracket on the right side and the right bracket on the left side.