Looks like the bolt that holds our exhaust on has come off on that "flywheel side" pic ???

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http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=71255

Nah, it never came off because I never fitted it

Two reasons:

1. The thread in that hole has been stripped by an overzealous spanner monkey (i.e. me) securing the previous exhaust; and
2. These LCBs are designed to fit a 1275 and so are a touch too tall for the hole to line up anyway.

It hasn't fallen off ... yet

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges

Actually, I don't fit them because they wreck an otherwise good gearbox case.......

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Thanks Simon now I can clearly see how they line up, in the pic's I had they weren't on the car and weren't aligned like they would be on the car.
I reckon mine will be way stronger than the standard ones with my edge gussets running right around the brackets but then again it might be over kill.
I love being quick on the gear changes and heavy on the throttle so the more bracing I have the better.

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Respect mine and I'll respect yours.

Thanks GT - didn't want to sound disrespectful, didn't want to make it sound like your version was really hard to install (clearly it's not), though I can see the work in making it. I can certainly see the value in doing it - for people with the capacity to do it. I hadn't even thought about the lower steadies would have issues with ground clearance and sump guards for those who don't stick on the bitumen. But for those of us without the capacity, the gearbox option might be good addition to the two standard ones up top. Eventually.

Thread revival!

Well, I bought a set of the Gearbox Steadies. I installed them today. I've only gone for a run around the block, but the difference was significant. I've got an increase in vibration, which might not be great, but I've removed about 80% of the engine movement on transition from throttle to off throttle in second gear, and it's removed driveline shunt from fourth gear at low revs. My exhaust no longer clunks when I ease out of the throttle in second, too. The feel of the engine in the car is very different, it feels much more secure at the rod change.

It took me a good 1.5 hours to install them, but that's because the car was just on axle stands, and it was awkward to drill the holes. And I've got a bit of oil down there, so I might be revisiting the bushes and replacing them with Mad Matt's you-beaut-best-in-the-world-still-soft-but-won't-perish-even-when-they're-soaked-in-oil ones, eventually. But the brackets went on impossibly easily, and I'm very happy with the result. My engine's now tied in six spots - two engine mounts, two engine steadies, and two gearbox steadies.

while we`re all into the engine steady dept (again/still)

i feel i must add my share into the mix (as usual)

so,,, there are only a few problems i have with the lower engine steadys & altho they may not be as effective as giving you guys the sh!ts, , , they do me

one is that they are generally designed & fitted in single shear... that is they are mounted via one side only ,,, & if it were me i`d use a side strap to support them (just as the factory upper ones have side straps/brackets to "fully" support in double shear)

2nd-ly & as GT has suggested, they can be open to damage from under car dramas in off-road/rally type situations , inc debry on the road that one would inherently drive over from time to time being our cars are so low to the ground, hence causing damage to same

but 3rd-ly & most importantly-> they`re just a pain in the aR$Se to fit , just an extra "Thing" that`s not needed to be there---> i really don`t see any need for them,,, a decent set of upper ones & you won`t need the extra drama of those crappy stoopid , single shear fitted, lower ones , let-alone the extra time when an engine removal-refit is needed (EG: as in race engine rebuilds each race calender year)

the extra vibe is quite significant also

anyways, just my take on them

however,,, i have always suggested to any of the total nut-cases (much like myself of years gone by) that have taken to the rough extream off-road racing such as rallying, or speedway, or general off the beaten track with your mokes etc,,, that """IN THOSE""" situations then yes i`d definately fit them because they would certainly help you make it home with less dramas,,,, but i would change the lowers to fit in double shear in those instances & obviously put up with the extra work with removal &/or fitting of your engine


so there,,, take that you lot

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Hey Matt, can you imagine how bad my car must've been before you fitted the passenger side top engine steady..? I hadn't driven it much before you fitted that for me. I definitely had/have decent engine top steadies. But I had flex at the bottom, somewhere. I have no idea what the engine mounts are, but they look ok. But I still had significant flex at the bottom of the engine.

I agree that the top steadies are much more important. I'd have top steadies with a remote change gearbox. But clearly gearbox steadies aren't that helpful with remote change 'boxes. So, if the top steadies are more important, and should always be there first, and they're working on a longer lever arm length from the pivot point of the drivetrain, then they'll take the bulk of the load, they'll absorb the majority of the impact first. And that should hopefully make their single-shear design of the gearbox steadies less of a problem. I don't really want them to be taking that much load, but I figure it's better to have that load on these steadies than my vintage Readspeed extractors.

Remote boxes have a torque arm and extra mount 1/2 way down the car, so don't need extra steadies- top or bottom. If they did, the Cooper S + Clubman GT would have got them.

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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.