Fixing engine mounts with a sledge hammer
Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Mutiara
A second instance of a 3rd generation Dodge Caravan which was converted to a manual eventually started to have engine vibration issues due to the engine being out of place and sitting much more forward and lower than it should. This occurred from all the stress of having a 5 speed in a heavy vehicle and driving it hard, while relying on normal engine and transmission mounts that were originally engineered for an automatic transmission.
The solution was to modify the bolt holes in the front engine mount by carving them out closer to the engine and lowering them a bit to raise the engine up. Washers were welded on each side in order to keep the bolt in the proper location. The mounts were also filled with 3M windshield sealer.
The vehicle had to be driven home the same day and the filler was not close to solid yet, so a quick solution was worked up. The top most engine mount was only partially isntalled, while the old front engine mount was beat with a sledge hammer into proper form, to keep the engine up higher. Surprisingly it lasted the physical abuse quite well and held up great during shifting, keeping the engine up at the proper height, despite having been bent and beaten numerous times and bearing more load due to the top trans mount not being installed.
Following are some pictures for the sake of humor, and to also demonstrate how sometimes the lowest possible form of engineering, if it can even be called that without bringing shame to the name, can create functional outcomes for real world applications.
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