Got my engine back in today, actually I did it twice!
I put new engine mounts on the ones with the nuts joined to the mount, to make things easier I thought. What a pain in the ass! They must be thicker as I couldn't get the engine to sit low enough to line the holes up. So I struggled and put one of the old ones back on but still not enough. Out came the engine... I replaced the other side with its original.... holes lined up!

Add that to your NOT-TO-DO list.

Anyone used these new mounts before?

Everyone that has used these mounts has said the same thing.
You should have asked first!
The best thing to do is weld nuts to your own mounts.

Typical, I hadn't heard it mentioned, but I should have done a search.
Maybe the forum needs a Sticky with things 'not to do'.
I've wasted a few dollars on replacement parts only to find out they're useless.

if the parts dont fit they should be sent back for a refund

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Don't they just settle in after a while?

I've had this problem before, but at least when the mounts don't have nuts you can use a phillips screwdriver to guide and force the mounts down to the holes by sliding it through the subrame holes and into the mounts

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Sorry for your waste time but I'm glad to hear it wasn't just me who had this. I forced them in and in 2 months one of the mounts had torn into two. They are just too fat, and no, they don't settle. My subby had been powder coated, which is thicker than paint so I was blaming myself.

M

I had the same problem - holes wouldn't line up. I did a stupid thing, a very niaive thing. I bolted up one side and then took a drive down the road.

I gave the engine a bit of a rev, the torque made the engine walk forward and it pulled the shaft out of the pot joint. That spat pot joint balls everywhere and all forward motion stopped.

Wont do that again and nope .... the engine didn't settle down on the engine mounts. It was a matter of lifting the engine and adjusting its weight until the engine mounts were right.

Have to say that this is one of the best things I have learnt on ausmini. I was going to buy these but you have now convinced me to use the not welded type and spot weld them myself.

I bolted the radiator side up and stood on the other end of the engine and wiggled it about but it only moved down about a 1mm.

I compared the old mounts with the new ones and even the three holes that bolt up to the subfrome are way out which probably compounds the problem.

And yes I will be sending a box of parts back to the supplier for a refund.

The captive nut ones are rubbish. I have one in the car now, been there a while- when I fitted it back in last time, the bolt stripped the threads out of the soft crappy captive nut.
No way will it come out. I'll have to cut the bolt head off with the angle grinder to get it out.
Next time.... For the time being, it's in there for good.
I'll keep doing what I've done for 40 years- tack weld proper Grade 5 nuts in there.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Kev,

I wondered about the longevity of the captive nuts they look crap, I mean they're just pressed fit garbage that don't look like they'll be captive for too long! Why do people sell this crap.

Like much aftermarket stuff, it is a poor copy of the original.
There are other examples too-
Indian-made cam followers that wear REAL fast,
rear exhaust mount brackets made from soft Chinese steel that break- (but once welded are OK)
rocker shafts that are bigger diameter on the ends than in the middle,
pin-drive S oil pumps that break the ears off the shaft,
baulk rings that are neither round no have the right taper inside,
Taiwanese copies of Lucas starter solenoids that fail to work when hot,
stop light switches that last 3 weeks,
etc etc.

I suppose we should be glad that bits are still available, but the quality often just isn't there.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

you can adjust the bracket on the engine side

yes, you can...
But on mine, with the bracket pushed right in nearest the crank pulley, using only 1 of these POS captive mounts, I still had to use a crowbar to push the clutch housing end down & get this mount to line the 2 subby holes up. No way the motor would bolt in with 2 of `em.....

I've heard the plain mounts are often too thick now, as well. Proper BMC/BL/Rover ones used to fit...

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Nice list Kev, thanks for the hints.

I wish somebody else had started this post and that I read it prior to Saturday, then I wouldn't have wasted most of the bloody day

I guess the only way to fit these mounts would be to move the subframe holes up a tad. Would that be possible?