FE and T18/C6 mounts from Autofab, plus frame alignment.

[Dragon]

Good sounds like he is sincere about his end of it.

[robroy]

Since I read from Hawkrod and Cdherman in this thread: http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =4&t=37615

It sounds likely that this mount will work for my T18, even if it was designed for a C6 originally. I'm going to risk it and order the mounts from John, if he'll agree to receive it back (along with my old mount) if it doesn't fit (so he can make one that will). We'll see if he likes that idea or not!

-Robroy

[robroy]

I phoned John this morning and ordered the mounts! He said that based on the photos I sent him of my existing mount (the same ones I posted in this thread), his mount will be a direct bolt in.

He said that the photos I sent him of my mount look exactly like what he has for the C6 mount, so we'll see how that turns out.

He was very friendly and knowledgeable on the phone and has used these mounts on his own vehicle.

I'll post lots of photos of the mounts and the installation process!

The total, including tax and shipping, was around $445. I think that's fair for custom pieces that you can't order from anywhere else!

-Robroy

[Dragon]

He is a good resource because if the frame side of the mounts ever have a problem his solution eliminates them.

[fordman]

unless his c6 mount is slotted where it bolts onto the transmission. it will be hard to put in if at all. plus it will probably be tweaked if it goes in. this is just an opinion. not a fact

[averagef250]

I really like the looks of those mounts and look forward to hearing how they fit/function. If I'm allowed one big complaint about Ford drivetrains it's that thier engine mounts have sucked for a long time. The mount designs Ford came up with for thier engines, especially 4x4 trucks, don't positively locate the engine in all directions. An extreme example, but if you could pick up a bumpside with an FE, flip it upside down and shake it you'd drop the engine on the ground!

I wish he'd made his mounts with larger bushings. I will take a wild guess and say those mounts will transmit a lot more engine vibration to the chassis. Probably won't be that bad with a big block, but if they used larger bushings I'd be buying a set to try with a diesel.

[robroy]

unless his c6 mount is slotted where it bolts onto the transmission. it will be hard to put in if at all. plus it will probably be tweaked if it goes in. this is just an opinion. not a fact

I see what you mean and it could turn out this way, but it's a risk I'm ready to take. Also, I heard from John that just like my mount, the holes on his that the transmission bolts to are offset towards the rear (I made a special point out of asking about this, based on your great advice).

The worst case scenario is that I'll receive the mounts, and your prediction will be true. The holes won't line up. And in this case, I can ship his mount back in a box including my original mount and he'll make something that will work for me. He and I already discussed this so I know it'll work out if need be. He seems to be a great guy--he's ready to do whatever it takes to get his mount to work in my truck.

He is a good resource because if the frame side of the mounts ever have a problem his solution eliminates them.

True! Although it's hard to imagine anything happening to the stock engine mount towers; they're pretty stout. Have you heard of them coming apart or causing problems?

I really like the looks of those mounts and look forward to hearing how they fit/function.

You can count on a detailed, verbose report from me with lots of photos.

If I'm allowed one big complaint about Ford drivetrains it's that thier engine mounts have sucked for a long time. The mount designs Ford came up with for thier engines, especially 4x4 trucks, don't positively locate the engine in all directions. An extreme example, but if you could pick up a bumpside with an FE, flip it upside down and shake it you'd drop the engine on the ground!

Be sure to get that on video when you give it a whirl some day!

I wish he'd made his mounts with larger bushings. I will take a wild guess and say those mounts will transmit a lot more engine vibration to the chassis. Probably won't be that bad with a big block, but if they used larger bushings I'd be buying a set to try with a diesel.

I heard from John in e-mail that the as long as your engine is running well, the vibration isn't really noticeable. And I heard on the phone that the bushings used for the transmission mount are pretty large, so they don't actually fit between the transmission and the crossmember. He made a fancy setup instead that positions them on the sides (or in front and behind, I'm not sure which) of the mount area--it sounds like it looks like one of those boats with the two inflatable pontoons on the sides.

One more thing I heard from John this morning on the phone: his transmission mount uses the stock hole that connects it to the crossmember, but it features several more holes that you can use if you want. You just need to drill additional holes in the crossmember if you want to use them. I heard also that this is only recommended if you're doing serious off road racing with the mount, and isn't really necessary for a street machine with a strong engine like my truck.

I should receive the mounts late in the week of January 5th, and I'll post some detailed photos!

-Robroy

[robroy]

The box arrived from John yesterday! Compared to the stock mounts, these feel like parts for a Klingon battle cruiser.



Here are the motor mounts; the driver's side is on the left:



Another view of the driver's side. John stamped "R" and "L" in to the mounts very clearly.



The passenger side mount:



The surface that bolts to the engine block on the passenger side mount:



A close up of one of the welds. It looks beautiful to me, but I'm not a welder. The light fuzz/dust on the parts is just left over from the packing material.



The transmission mount. Just like John said, it doesn't look much like the factory mount but the bolt holes look like they're in the right places. This feels extremely heavy duty compared to the stock mount.




The bottom of the transmission mount, where it bolts to the crossmember. John mentioned that the center hole is the one I should use, and the two side holes are for offroad racing folks who want to drill additional holes in their crossmember.



One of the bolts removed showing the bushing:



Here are the bushings for the motor mounts:





I can't wait to see how well these fit!

I'll probably finish the mounts with Rust Bullet Black Shell, but I might decide to just bolt 'em in. After all, they would probably look good regardless for many years to come.

-Robroy

[DuckRyder]

Nice,

I would paint them, and post pictures when installed as well.

[Dragon]

The weld looks like a Automated Mig Weld with precision that it shows and Mig because it did not extend off the ends like humans are taught to do.

They look great but not for me yet.

[averagef250]

Welds look good, they are definitely not machine MIG though, those are human welded by someone who wanted to pronounce their "stack of dimes". Machine welds do not have a rythm or pattern to them whatsoever. They are actually a little erratic in appearance because wire does not feed from the contact tip perfectly straight. The wire has a natural spiral to it from being rolled and feeds from the contact tip imperfectly.

I like the mounts. I especially like that the bushings have autofab cast in them. Says to me John's casting his own urathane and might be able to make me some custom ones. I will have to call and pick his brain.

Thanks for the pictures Robroy!

[robroy]

I would paint them, and post pictures when installed as well.

I think you're right about the paint--if I'm going in this far I may as well complete the parts. That way I won't regret it a year or two down the road.

You can count on me for pictures!

I like the mounts. I especially like that the bushings have autofab cast in them. Says to me John's casting his own urathane and might be able to make me some custom ones. I will have to call and pick his brain.

Thanks for the pictures Robroy!

John seems super helpful on the phone and through e-mail so I'm sure he'll answer your questions well!

You're welcome for the pictures!

And since you liked them so much, here's an update:

I held the mounts up to the frame and they look perfect. It's not 100% bolt-in though, because three of the holes they use weren't originally used for this purpose, so they need to be enlarged slightly to fit the same size bolts as the rest of the engine perch bolts. I think this is no big deal and a small effort considering the payoff.

Here's the passenger side mount on the frame. I placed bolts through the two holes that were already the right size (in the frame). The remaining hole needs to be enlarged slightly to fit the same bolt size, as you can probably see in the photo. Note that the engine-facing portion of the mount is backwards in the photo (just because I made it that way by mistake):



And here's the driver's side mount. Two holes that it uses need to be enlarged slightly, and one of the holes was originally used by the clip that holds the fuel line. So that needs to be re-worked by bending the fuel line slightly to avoid the new mount (and finding a new way to accommodate the fuel line clip).

Note that in the photo it appears as though the top two holes don't line up right; this isn't the case. They line up beautifully. This illusion is caused by the slack bolts I rested in the bottom two holes just to hold the mount on for a photo--they made the whole mount scoot down slightly.




Another shot of the passenger side mount:



And the driver's side mount:



And both mounts together on the frame; the fit is fantastic!



Now for the engine side pieces! Here's the driver's side; it's a perfect fit:



And the passenger side, which also appears to be a perfect fit:



Some of the parts after being cleaned thoroughly with Eastwood's PRE product. They're hanging and ready for paint:








The top half of the transmission mount with a coat of Rust Bullet. It'll also enjoy a coat of Rust Bullet Black Shell before installation:



The passenger side mount with Rust Bullet:



The bottom half of the transmission mount with Rust Bullet:



It seems that I inevitably turn my questions in to Project Updates threads--hopefully folks aren't put off by that.

Thanks for all the great advice!
-Robroy

[robroy]

unless his c6 mount is slotted where it bolts onto the transmission. it will be hard to put in if at all. plus it will probably be tweaked if it goes in. this is just an opinion. not a fact

Hey Fordman! Luckily his mount does indeed have slotted holes for the transmission! I held it up next to my old transmission mount and it looks like it'll bolt right in with no fuss.

Thanks!
-Robroy

[sideoilerfe]

Those look like really nice mounts. I like the color you painted them as well.

[1971ford]

EDIT: nevermind, while your pictures were loading of your new mounts i typed up this thinking you still hadnt got any im surprised you got ahold of John that quickly, he is known on the offroad-racing forums for great products but you usually have to go by his shop to get something done.