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Motor
Mount Experiences
last updated July 15, 2005
Background
1. The
motor mounts for my '66 LeBaron, and other later Imperials with a separate
frame ('60 - '66), are MOPAR P/N# 2128571 and -2. The 2128572
(right) and 2128571 (left) mounts were used for Imperial and Chrysler
"long wheelbase" cars (the mounting foot tabs point toward the
front of the car).
Note: Many parts books list
MOPAR 2402182 [right] and 2465861 [left] or NAPA 1180 [or 2250] as
applicable to '66 Imperials - this is incorrect. The 1966 uses the same,
old-style mounts as the earlier cars and there is no known after-market
equivalent.
There are very similar
motor mounts for other, older MOPARs - 2120237 and 2120238. These
are nearly identical, except the mounting foot faces to the rear rather
than the front, as shown above. The 2120238 (right) and 2120237
(left) parts were used for some 1960 - 62 Chryslers. These are
referred to as "short wheelbase" cars and the tabs point toward
the rear of the car.
According to Chris Hawkins,
the "long wheelbase" (126") Chryslers from 1960-62 shared
their front suspension parts and engine mounts with the Imperial for these
years. They even shared inner fender liners and radiator supports! The
long wheel base models were the 1960 Saratoga, New Yorker and 300-F, 1961
New Yorker and 300-G, and 1962 New Yorker. In 1963, all Chryslers were on
the shorter 122" wheelbase.
2. As shown above, these older mounts are massive
assemblies, with a "U" shaped steel piece that bolts to the
block. Inside this piece, two large chunks of rubber surround a upright
"L" shaped piece of steel that bolts to the frame. If you
need motor mounts, check this illustration against the mounts on your
Imperial. If your parts store or mechanic thinks they have the right
part, compare it to this picture!
3. Because of the design of these mounts, it's unlikely
that a motor mount failure - where the rubber deteriorates or breaks -
will cause a loose or hazardous engine. Instead, the engine will settle on
the bottom "L" shaped steel piece, but otherwise be fairly
secure under low loads. However, the radiator fan may also strike the fan
shroud and you'll feel more engine vibration.
4. For earlier
Imperials, George McIntosh wrote:
I have a 1956 354 2-door
hardtop, Crown. I live near Hickory, NC. I do not know if you know about
Hot Heads from Lowgap, NC. They specialize in old hemis, and I think you
can find reproduced motor mounts or NOS. Their address is HOTHEADS
Research and Racing, Inc., 276 Walkers Hollow Trail, Lowgap, NC 27024.
Telephone 336-352-4866, Fax 336-352-3892, and their website is
www.hothemiheads.com. Please let me know if this helps.
Replacement
Options
If you need to replace your mounts, the options are:
1. NOS - new mounts are very hard to find and very
expensive. I was quoted $250 by Mitchell Motors for one mount and only one
was available when I called. Other Imperial owners have
obtained new motor mounts from Brad's NOS at similar high prices. I
personally will not buy simple parts at inflated prices.
Early in 1998, I heard that Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts (315 Franklin St.,
Newton MA 02458, 617-244-1118) was having these mounts re-manufactured,
but this was not confirmed when I called and I have not recently followed
up. Atlas Motor Parts is also rumored to be considering a
re-manufacturing project, but currently has nothing firm.
2. Used motor mounts can be a solution, but risky. In
mid 1997 I bought and installed used mounts from a local source - but
these used parts collapsed after only two weeks! Sources
are:
Bob Hoffmeister, Box 23 Route 2, St. Edwards, NE
68660. Phone 402-678-2635, email to: impparts@gpcom.net
Murray Park, HIGHWAY ONE OH ONE. 4369 S. TWP Road 151, Tiffin, OH
44883-9301, Phone 419-448-0293, Fax 419-443-1082, e-mail to: mbpark@bright.net
Wayne Maddox, Maddox Vintage
Autos and Parts, 5591 East 72nd Avenue, Commerce City, CO
80022-1519. Phone 303-288-2682, email to: Imperial68@aol.com
Lowell G. Howe, Box 1432, 16218 Sycamore, Patterson, CA 95363,
Phone 209-892-3464. Kenyon Wills wrote: "Lowell Howe has done so
(rebuilding motor mounts), using what he claims to be the best material
- rubber, I think, as opposed to polyurethane for most others'
offerings. He has 20 or so hanging on his wall. He will request a core
or charge $50 extra." (February, 2001)
Dr. MOPAR, 5296 Schuelke Road, Kyle, TX 78640. Phone
512-376-5321, after 8pm. e-mail to: drmopar440@aol.com
Web site is www.drmopar.com
Lawrence & Rodney Butler, 5008 Patterson Avenue, Perris,
California 92571. Phone 909-940-9281. Located in Riverside County
outside of Riverside adjacent to March AFB, off the Interstate 215 at
the Oleander exit.
Douglas Gilfillan wrote, "They have a slew of Chryslers &
Imperials dating from 1954 to 1970. Open Saturday & Sunday only at
10:00 AM. The Butler brothers are very helpful and accommodating and
they will remove the parts you need. Plus they have trailers and a
warehouse full of items available on shelves."
"Last time I was there they had a 56 Imperial Newport that they
were going to restore as it was not available for parts. They are
terrific guys. They have a warehouse full of stuff besides the football
field size yard they have there full of Imperials. Perris is south of
Riverside on Interstate 215. Moreno Valley. The Butler boys are into
Chrysler 300s, Imperials, DeSotos, Chryslers etc."
"The Butler Bros. have an international following as Europeans even
go there and buy the whole car body and have it shipped overseas."
"Another place for Mopars that I would recommend is G&G
Mopars in Colton, CA (909-825-1231) Ernie & Gary."
"I would also recommend ATLAS AUTO SALVAGE, 11801 Sherman
Way, North Hollywood (between Sherman Way & Lankershim Blvd.) They
deal exclusively with Chrysler parts. Their phone is 818-765-6666. Ask
for Tom. I got a lot of Imperial parts from them in recent months. They
are open Monday to Friday. (Tom likes to play golf on weekends) They do
a lot of business with restoration shops."
Dr. Mike Bullock, retired, a member of Imperial Owners of
Northern California, 12901 Pierce Road, Saratoga, CA 95070. Phone
408-867-4539. Doc Bullock has parts stored and for sale from more
than 100 Imperials which he dismantled.
Alan Szypura, "I don't have as much as most of the suppliers
like Bob Hoffmeister, but here is an idea of what I have - '55-'75 small
used items, wheel covers, engine parts, exterior and interior trim,
etc." 1018 Starview Drive, Rockford, IL 61108. Phone 815-398-4553,
e-mail to Rsasks@aol.com.
David Whitfield wrote: "Not only was Alan quick with shipping, but
the parts were in very good condition and reasonably priced. If
anything, he under described the condition I found them to be in. I made
my decision to purchase the parts from him after a referral by Elijah
Scott. An honest and pleasant part supplier is hard to come by these
days. I found Alan to be both."
3. Total Replacement Mounts - see the
story about Steve Charette's Imperial Services below. Excellent!
4. Rebonding (re-vulcanizing) - The Damper Doctor,
1055 Parkview Ave. Redding, CA 96001-3314; phone 530-246-2984, fax
530-246-2987. John confirmed that they can rebond these motor
mounts:
"I not only do motor
mounts - which by the way have gone to $99.95 each or $170.00/ pair,
these things use a lot of rubber - I also do harmonic balancers and
drive shaft supports for these cars. The
Damper Doctor, e-mail to: damperdoc@aol.com
Damper Doctor - Your source for engine and motor harmonic balancers and
dampers."
In late May, 1999, I found another, very knowledgeable source that can
also rebuild your mounts or cores:
Antique Auto Parts Cellar
PO Box 3, 6 Chauncy St.
South Weymouth MA 02190
Phone 781-335-1579
Fax 781-335-1925
They explained that there are 3 Chrysler/Imperial mounts that resemble
each other, only differing in the attachment to the frame
(2120237/2120238 and 2128571/2128572 and ?*) but they rebuild all three
- just check carefully if you have bought old mounts as cores to make
sure you have the right mount. The cost is $145/pair and they will do
one, if that's all you need. They also offer re-vulcanizing for
many other MOPAR engine, transmission and driveline mounts.
In the July, 2000 issue of "Hemmings Motor News", p. 5251,
their ad listed 2120237/2120238 and 2128571/2128572 as available for
"(rl) 1960-66 V-8" Mopars at $145 per pair.
In February, 2001, John Meyer wrote:
"I have a '65 Crown 4-door, and I had the motor mounts rebuilt in
1997 at Then & Now Automotive for $159.50 including return
shipping. Good as new. They are in Weymouth, Mass. The number on my
receipt is 614-335-8860.
See: http://www.then-now.com/thennow/door/
Also on this rebonding topic, a very knowledgeable fabricator
suggested using two-pack urethane to "re-bond" old motor
mounts after cutting or burning off the old rubber. Although Steve
Charette has reported no success with this approach, it's another
good experimental project!
*Anyone with a parts book who can identify other
similar motor mounts and application?
5. Fabrication - after the failure of my
"used" mounts, I had my original mounts as an extra set. A few
Imperial owners told me they have made entirely new motor mounts or
fabricated adapters to use other, still available MOPAR mounts.
One suggestion was to use Dodge truck mounts, which are NAPA 602-1170.
Gary Goers
suggested one approach for fabricating an adapter. An email from his
shop (37 Amdahl Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901, phone 406-752-6249, gary@garygoers.com)
said:
"Gary says he wouldn't have anything to do with
those old motor mounts. Just get later model 440 mounts, bolt them to
the engine. With the engine supported on a jack on the proper spot,
make a pattern out of cardboard for brackets to connect the motor
mount to the K-frame. Take to a welding shop for fabrication. When
these go bad, you can retrieve new ones at the parts store
cheap."
At the Spring Fling 1998, I bought another set of used
motor mounts (not very expensive) and lent these to DynaTech Engineering
(PO Box 1446, Alta Loma, CA 91701-8446, 805-492-6134). This
company makes improved motor mounts for many "B",
"C" and "E" bodied MOPARs and expressed an interest
in possibly making these #2128571 and -2 parts. After a few
months, I called to check on progress and they apologized, saying their
machines could not make these parts. They returned the cores, so I
now have almost two extra sets of cores.
My Adapter Project
Here's what I tried to make adapters that DID NOT
work at first, but the final step is a winner!
1. I took the original mounts removed from my '66
LeBaron to a friend in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Among Colin's other
skills, he's built entire cars from scratch! After looking at the used
mounts, he asked what the current 440 MOPAR mounts are like.
2. We went to the local NAPA and bought a pair of
these later mounts. These were NAPA Ballkamp No. 602-1118, $15/pair. It
looked like they used 2 of the 3 mounting holes as my original mounts
for the 440 block, but were obviously about 3" too short to reach
the frame.
3. Colin took the original mounts and
"disassembled" one with a torch. He took the bottom,
"L" shaped piece and, after measuring the height needed from
the other mount, cut about 1" off the top of this piece. He then
cut a 1" square from the center of this piece to clear the new
mounting stud. He made a 1.5" x 3" plate to fit the bottom of
the new mounts, drilled a hole for the stud, and welded this to the top
of the "L" piece. The 1" hole previously cut allowed the
new motor mount stud to fit to the this assembly, fastened by a
self-locking nut. He then welded in two gussets between the vertical
part of the "L" bracket and this new "shelf" for
strength.
4. Total time involved for both mount adapters was
about 4 hours. Although Colin is very skilled, some of this time was
measuring and fitting. Welding, cutting and heavy drilling are involved.
Other fabricators should be able to make similar parts in less than 4
hours.
5. I hoped the result would be an adapter that would
provide a low-cost and long-term solution for motor mounts for older
Imperials. I also thought a "shroud" could cover up this
adapter and make the assembly look like an original part for show
purposes.
6. After trying to fit these adapters on the car back
in Burbank (see section 2 below), it's obvious we should have started
from the top down - using the "U" piece to bolt to the block
and fabricating the rest. I planned to get Colin's help
again to weld a piece across the top of the "U" piece, drill a
hole to fit the mounting stud of a NAPA 602-1170 (1972 Dodge truck)
motor mount and use the "L" piece already re-worked by Colin
for the bottom part. I've tried this as a dummy assembly and it
sure looks like it will work! A sketch of this is at the bottom of
this page. The adapter that Colin made is on the lower
right. The "bridge" was the next planned step. The
602-1170 part is on the upper right.
7. November, 2001 - In the homestretch! I
visited Bruce Kimmins over the Thanksgiving holiday and he completed the
right/passenger side motor mount just like the sketch below. Only
painting, photography and installation remained. A final report
was to appear here sometime in 2002! Has this really been a
four-year project?
8. November, 2002 - After much procrastinating, the
adapter was painted and photographed - see
below. On November 5, 2002, Greg's Tune-Up (Victory Blvd.,
Burbank) replaced the old, through-bolted mount without any fuss.
First drive - smooth as an Imperial should be!
Testing
1. In July 1997, during an AC compressor replacement,
the mechanic probably banged the PS pump a few times. It was leaking
when I got the car back; he did not take any responsibility so I decided
to fix it myself. The rebuilt pump bearing seized and I took the
Imp to a new mechanic, Bob's Automotive (no relation!) near the
Burbank airport, to look at the pump and the motor mounts. Bob noticed a
new leak at the inlet port weld of the PS pump!
2. I dropped the car off with the 2 motor mount
"adapters" that had been fabricated by Colin in Arizona.
As noted above, this did not work because the "new"
MOPAR mounts omit one of the locating bolts - the bottom one. Bob
thought this was critical, so he suggested using a hot rodder's
technique of putting a bolt through the existing, weak mounts to
strengthen them. This was better than my broken mounts, but some engine
vibration came through.
3. As shown in the FSM illustration above, heat
shields are part of the motor mount assembly and are important to
protect the motor mount rubber from grease and manifold heat.
Tony Vickers' Adapters
Tony wrote: "I thought you might be interested to know how
things have developed with my motor mounts."
"Although I have a pair of original mounts at the Damper Doc's
being re-bonded at the moment, I am an impatient man. Since my re-built
engine was ready to re-fit and I don't know how long it will take for
the re-bonded mounts to arrive, I decided to experiment with an
alternative. I followed your own train of thought and bought a pair of
440 mounts and then designed a bracket to fasten them to the chassis. I
figured that the guy who advised you that the missing third hole on the
440 mounts was important had a point, so I found a specialist welder who
was able to extend the mount to incorporate a "wing" with a
third bolt hole without damaging the bonding. The same welder also made
the chassis brackets for me in 10 gauge steel."
On the bench
In the car
"The engine is now installed with the experimental
brackets in place and first impressions are good. The engine runs smooth
and quiet and there are no unpleasant vibrations. I have attached a
photo showing the brackets and extended mounts on the bench and another
in situ. If you think they would be of use on your web site motor mount
guide please feel free to use them. I can also send you drawings and
measurements if you like."
I commented: "From the pictures, I'd guess you used
the NAPA Ballkamp No. 602-1118 mounts which only bolt up to one of the
two points on the engine. As mentioned in my "motor mount
quest" story, the mechanic I asked to install my adapters thought
it needed both points attached. You mentioned your welder created
a "wing" to do this. Now that your job is done, do you think
this "wing" and both bolts are necessary or would the single
bolt be OK?"
And Tony replied: "To tell the truth, I don't
really know how important the second mounting point is. My feeling is
that it adds a little extra stability to the mount and places a more
even stress on the rubber to metal bond. Since the addition of the
"wing" and extra mounting hole is relatively simple and
inexpensive, I would go for the belt and braces option."
(Editor's note: Nice work, Tony!)
Steve Charette's Adapters
In September 1999, Steve Charette, Imperial
Services, built a prototype of the original "Floating
Power" motor mounts. These look great - contact Steve to
encourage his further production of these needed pieces! Check his
pictures of the mounts:
1960-1966
Chrysler Imperial "Floating Power" Replacement Mounts
Next, Steve fabricated adapters to use readily-available
motor mounts - check the pictures on his web site for "Harnessed
Power".
"Finally have some firm information on the
conversion mounts for the "Floating Power" engine mounts,
which I (late one night) nicknamed "Harnessed Power" mounts,
after looking at a pile of failed originals on my workbench.
Not to say that the originals were not a superior design for the time,
just that our friends at the old Chrysler Corporation probably never
envisioned such huge interest in these cars 40 years in the future...
and that 40 years later these monsters would still be running, much less
seeing duty as daily drivers, racers, show cars, museum pieces and the
like... and still making enough power to tear up engine mounts!
At any rate, these conversions are intended to replace the originals in
cars that see regular driving or severe duty. They do not appear as the
originals, but are much less expensive than originals, replacements, or
repair of originals. In addition, they are easily serviceable in the
event of an insulator failure, the insulators are readily available, and
should continue to be available for a long time to come. This leaves the
good originals, and repaired parts for those wishing to maintain
original appearance.
The conversion mount kit consists of the 3 piece set, and all fasteners
for one side of the engine. The mount is designed to use the readily
available 1972-1978 Dodge Truck engine insulator. The upper and lower
brackets are fabricated of new steel and are powder-coated black.
Specify left or right side, and long or short wheelbase, unless ordering
a pair.
Pairs are simply reversed to fit either long or short wheelbase. The
1979-1993 insulators feature built in strain relief, and are available
for an extra $6 per side. See the web page for a visual comparison of
the insulators before ordering. You can use this link, http://www.imperialservices.net
List price is $60 each. An introductory price of $50
each is offered to members of the Imperial, 300, and Forward Look lists
until March 1st, 2000.
Please contact me at info@imperialservices.net
if you have any questions. Orders can be sent to my address below.
Please include a check or money order, and add $5 shipping for each
mount. I am not currently able to take credit card orders. Parts will
ship in 1-2 weeks - let me know if you are in a rush, and if paid by
money order, I'll ship as soon as possible.
Please feel free to call me at my home if you have additional questions
or concerns - 517-652-6309. Leave a message, and I'll return your call
ASAP.
One last thing - the replacement (original appearance) mounts should be
ready soon (after many delays). I'll keep you posted!! See 1960-1966
Chrysler Imperial "Floating Power" Replacement Mounts
Thanks again for all the support and interest,
Steve Charette
Imperial Services
P. O. Box 112 Frankenmuth, MI 48734"
(Editor's Note - Terrific! On September 20, 2000, Steve sent me a
sample pair of the "Harnessed Power" motor mounts/adapters and
they look great. I planned to have a user-report as soon as they
were installed in my '66 Imperial! Just two weeks later, Alison
Ikeler had an emergency need for motor mounts for her '62 Imperial
Crown, so Steve's "Harnessed Power" motor mounts/adapters are
now in Alison's car and working well. However, Alison reported a
failure early in 2001 and Steve will be investigating the cause.
In October 2001, Steve had completed "Floating Power"
reproductions for testing, which will be done by an very experienced
Imperial owner in Tennessee.)
Don Savard's Adapters
In April, 2000 I met with Don
Savard (Santa Maria, CA) who looked at my partly completed adapters
and explained how his mechanic also started with the NAPA Ballkamp No.
602-1118 mounts and successfully bolted these to the motor and then
built an adapter from the mount to the frame.
My Imperial - Finally Fixed!
1. In December 1998, Restorations
by Julius found 2 mounts for me at a very reasonable price -
unfortunately 2 left (driver's) ones! Julius put on one in April 1999
and he still has the other. Replacing just one mount, which had been
through-bolted (described above), made a big difference in eliminating
vibration. As noted above, I finished the adapter (pictured below)
for the right mount. It works and should be a permanent cure for the
problem.
By the way, I've had nothing but good work at Restorations
by Julius, a shop specializing in MOPARs. Julius Steuer can be
reached also at 818-882-2825 and is located at 10101 1/2 Canoga Avenue,
Chatsworth, CA 91311. He's also very close to an Amtrak station, so
don't hesitate to bring your Imperial from Virginia and take the train
home!
2. After checking several Chrysler 300 letter cars at
recent shows, I've confirmed that some of these use the same motor
mounts as this series of Imperials, as mentioned above. If you
know of other MOPAR applications for these parts or if you can
cross-reference any P/N's (or have any advice on these motor mounts),
send me a note! Thanks!
Bob (Burbank, California)
bsbrbank@pacbell.net
Partial Update, July, 2005
Bob's Adapter - Now Installed!
Plan for Adapter
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