torque rod (dog bone) mount question

Jim, I don't suppose there is any play or possible movement where the header mounts to the head or elsewhere in the system than can be "adjusted" to change the position of the whole thing? In other words, before cutting or modifying anything, be sure it isn't a matter of how it's mounted or such. That being said, I'm sure there is quite a lot of manufacturing tolerance when those headers are made and can make them very different from one to the next. So this one may require modifications to allow it to fit right. But I'd avoid the "dent the tubes with Carl's big ass hammer" approach as a solution. :D



carl said:
Seriously, I'm not a fan of modifying the dog bone to tilt the motor as this will stress the nose motor mount and the shifter rod connection.
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Good point. Any change to one mount will have a potential negative effect on the others.
 
carl said:
If the 1500 block is taller than the 1300 block and the header was meant for a 1300, maybe that's why it's so close? Of the three or four headers I have had, I never knew where they came from or whether they were for a 1300 or 1500.
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The car came to me with this combo on it. The head is an MWB performance head, so it has been shaved which should help lower the exhaust ports... by .075". :) I am sure this can be chalked up to variance in the production of aftermarket items.

If I can't figure out a simple re-positioning of things... Do you see any problem relieving the corner of the cross member that is making contact with the tube? Seems like just working that protruding corner back would do the trick, or at least reduce the occurrence of the contact.
 
JimD said:
Do you see any problem relieving the corner of the cross member that is making contact with the tube?
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I would have no problem doing that. I have removed WAY MORE metal from my car already, and I'm just getting started. :)
 
On my car, I think I got the PBS header. Much more clearance. When I had problems with my sagging lower engine mount, it was the inner flange of the right driveshaft that was rubbing on the mount.

When I fitted the 1974 Ansa exhaust header to my 1500cc engine, I had to extend the downtubes to clear the firewall. So Carl is on something here.

Also, I remember once I fitted some thick washer between the top of the engine mounts and the body to lower the engine. IIRC, it worked for awhile.

A small change in the dog bone length or orientation may help. That's also why I was seeking an adjustable one like the one from Paul Davock.
 
A quick update. I had a chance to drive the x this morning with the original dogbone installed. The noise is still there, but is not as pronounced. I did all the things that normally generate the sound and it is definitely a bit better.

The replacement dogbone was just a tiny bit longer and the bushing on one end had a crack already. I guess I can use it as a test piece now. Maybe I will cut it down a bit and reweld it shorter or attempt to make it adjustable.
 
Today I worked on the exhaust for my turbo project. Not much of an exhaust, just the down pipe with a straight pipe to the rear and a cosmetic tip [the turbo is the muffler]. It did not quite fit exactly like I planned and came a little closer to the top of the crossmember than I wanted (the panel between the engine and trunk is cut out). I thought of your situation when I was considering how to make more room between the pipe and the crossmember. I think I would try 'denting' the crossmember where the pipe rubs. That might be better than grinding it down or cutting a notch in it. In my case I was able to re-angle the pipe a little before final welding, so no additional clearance was needed.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Today I worked on the exhaust for my turbo project. Not much of an exhaust, just the down pipe with a straight pipe to the rear and a cosmetic tip [the turbo is the muffler]. It did not quite fit exactly like I planned and came a little closer to the top of the crossmember than I wanted (the panel between the engine and trunk is cut out). I thought of your situation when I was considering how to make more room between the pipe and the crossmember. I think I would try 'denting' the crossmember where the pipe rubs. That might be better than grinding it down or cutting a notch in it. In my case I was able to re-angle the pipe a little before final welding, so no additional clearance was needed.
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I will look at that possibility when I get back to it. Maybe that little lip on the section that is rubbing will be "flexible" enough to move a little.
 
JimD said:
that little lip on the section that is rubbing
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Now that you mention it, that lip could be cut off easily. In my case the exhaust is above the crossmember. So there is no lip, just the bent corner along the top of the member. In your situation I'd start with trimming the lip, then if you need more room you could 'dent' the plate along the bottom of the member.
 
I thought of this thread today. For my turbo engine project the exhaust is basically a straight pipe from the turbo outlet to the center of the rear grill. I am running it above the rear subframe (cut open the sheet metal panel) and it will be somewhat toward the upper portion of the rear space below the trunk floor (the area where the stock exhaust winds around). Therefore it exits through a fitted hole in the rear grill near its top edge, for a very straight shot from the turbo back. To give you an idea just how straight it is....this is the entire exhaust system, including the down pipe:

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The large flange at the far right end mounts to the turbo exit, which has two openings - one for the turbine and a smaller one for the waste gate. The straight end on the left ends up at the rear grill. The V-band clamp allows for adjustment to align things, and for easier removal/installation. Due to its very short length and light weight I've decided to secure it to the engine (turbo) and let it just hang freely from there. The turbo itself mounts to a cast iron manifold and also has a brace from its lower portion the the block. If needed I can always add a hanger at the rear end of exhaust pipe. The whole thing still needs to be ceramic coated (inside and out).

I have three or four choices for the tip. The turbo's turbine makes for a great muffler, but if it is too loud then a have a very short S/S glass pack I can splice into the middle (between the two 45* bends in the pipe). If it isn't too loud but the tone is off, I have a polished S/S tip with a resonator wall built in. If I like the sound the way it is then there's another polished S/S tip without resonator to dress up the end.

This thread came to mind when I did a mock up of it. There is plenty of clearance for everything, allowing for lots of movement and I like the fit. But I realized with a fixed straight exhaust mounted solidly to the engine, if the engine mounts change position over time (as they do with sag and compression) then the final position of the exhaust tip will change. So in order to retain the desired location of the tip through the rear grill I think I will make the dog-bone adjustable. That way I can tailor the engine angle slightly to compensate for any changes in the mounts. Pretty much the same situation as in Jim's case.

Jim, what did you end up doing on yours?
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Jim, what did you end up doing on yours?
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Nothing yet, I haven't had time to take a close look at it. Too many things to attend to in real life at the moment, the Fiat life is on hold for now.
 
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