can anyone do me a very small favour?

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Jul 2006, 12:44

can someone go out to their TD Xant, Pug, ZX etc (1.9)

lift bonnet, grab intercooler,

and try to 'rock' the engine...

see my post about dangerous ZX.. I can rock my friends about 10-15mm and wonder if anyone else can do likewise.. I am trying to prove Gearbox mounting is bad (have changed lower center mount already)

it will only take a second

John G

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 17 Jul 2006, 12:51

So you think you can get about ½ the world's population out there and rock their engines

John -
There is NOT supposed to be that movement of course - thats logic 8)
The engine should feels firmly attached to the engine bay with a wee slight hard rubber "feeling". I.e. you CAN actually rock it a tiny bit if you are violent.

You have an engine rubber mount replacement job ahead. A common and cheap job on any elderly car.

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Jul 2006, 12:54

ok Anders was worth a try

so, will go ahead and change both upper mountings, and maybe long DShaft and hopefully put this problem behind us

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 17 Jul 2006, 12:55

Well I cannot on my Xant TD as it has its intercooler mounted in front of the radiator..

But yes, I know what you mean and NO, there is no way the engine should move that much. Something is very bad if it will move around that much..

A duff gearbox mount, I would have thought, would only allow the gearbox side of the engine to move around.

Is the locating bracket for the lower mounting intact to the chassis?

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Jul 2006, 13:04

Chassis bracket is fine..

hmmmm
...

another thing.. around the upper section of the Offside / Right mounting, the paint has worn away as the engine has rocked.. yet again I wonder if this is similar for other's cars...

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 17 Jul 2006, 13:51

are both the lower stabaliser bolts tight,as the engine hangs from the two top mount its unlikly your problem is there,and the drive shaft will be anbsalutlynotting to do with it,also i have seen a BX with the lower mont bolt holes very oval so even though the bolts where tight it still alowed lot of movement
regards malcolm

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Jul 2006, 14:06

hmm...

will check thanks Malcolm

there seems to be some confusion here.. driveshafts def. cause this or do they...

will let you know

J

8304 · Unread post by **8304** » 17 Jul 2006, 14:26

it is silly to dismiss the driveshaft as having nothingto do with this problem.

it doesnt seem logical that a joint, however worn like a tri - ax joint should produce this side to side motion but they do. I dont know why a worn tri - ax does this but they most definatly do.

i had the same problem on my car and spent the best part 8 moths changing mounts and suspension bits etc to find it was a worn tri - ax joint on the short drive shaft.

the fact that the grease has leaked out of yours points even more heavily at it being this....

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 17 Jul 2006, 15:29

one daft idea i had was to drive up a hill without a bonnet

maybe i can see the engine rocking,...

can always play some metallica as well and see if that makes it rock...?

ok.. all replies so far gratefully received

the fact that the gearstick moves as the wobble occurs means the gearbox is moving, despite whatever is causing it... so the mounting can;t be all that good anyway..

dnsey · Unread post by **dnsey** » 17 Jul 2006, 18:37

Both my medical and electronic training tell me not to discount the possibility that there's more than one cause of the problem...